Overview
Project NYU librarians have observed that many of the library resources at Dibner library often go unused. Our Vertically Integrated Project (VIP) team was tasked with finding a way to promote library resource usage amongst our NYU peers.
Dibner librarians at NYU have recognized that over the past few years, NYU students are not utilizing most of the library’s resources to the fullest extent. Some of these resources are resources that the university pays for, therefore a lack of usage is problematic. Therefore, our VIP team was tasked with creating something that would promote library resource usage amongst NYU students at NYU.
First, I’d like to define our stakeholders.
So, when we began to conduct some research, we looked for willing participants who were part of these stakeholder groups. Throughout the course of our research, we managed to interview 5+ librarians and 15+ NYU students, along with surveying 30+ students.
As we move on to actually designing our solution, we wanted to first get a glimpse of what solutions currently existed and why they’re not as effective as they could be. To accomplish this, we asked 8 participants from our surveys to explore the NYU Libraries’ website and the NYU Mobile app, both of which provide information about the library. As they explored the platforms, they spoke aloud their thoughts to give us their opinions.
Since we found that the most effective way students learned about resources on campus was through mobile apps, we decided to make a Dibner Library-specific app that was more effective in conveying information to users. We would do this by integrating some of our researching findings to develop the design for the app. With this in mind, we were able to come up with a few features for this app using our feature prioritization chart.
Once we determined what features were high impact for the user, we created a site map. Creating a site map helps show visually the structure of the app we were creating, making it easier to reference for when creating the prototype. After creating a site map, we then moved onto making a color palette and mood board in preparation of making our hi-fi designs.
Virtual Tour
Provides an informational virtual tour about Dibner Library. This is especially handy for new students who know little to nothing about the library. It's a place to put most of the library information in one spot without it being overwhelming.
Floor Map
A floor map of Dibner Library that allows the user to see where they in relation to resources through the use of bluetooth towers placed throughout the library. This is more so navigation focused versus exploration focused like the tour.
Resource List
A list of resources that available at Dibner Library. Each resource links to a library page associated with the corresponding resource.
Appointments
A place for students to book appointments. Most students are only aware of study room appointments, so listing all types of appointments in one spot would expose them to other kinds.
