Monash Library Website
UI/UX, case study
Description
​
The Monash Library website constitutes an integral component of the broader Monash website, frequently visited by students on a weekly basis. Offering a diverse range of indispensable tools and functions, the library enhances students' learning journey and campus life. As a design team, we were approached by Monash University to conceptulise ways to impove the user experience of the current library website.
The task
To research, discover, analyse and revise the core components of the Monash Library website, and subconsequently provide areas of improvement.
Project coverage
Use research, case study.​
My role​
Research
Concept design
User testing
Software used
Figma
Adobe InDesign
Team member
4 interactive designers
Project duration
8 weeks, 2021
Target audience
Monash University
Sectors
Research
Design
User research and testing
Goals
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To discover what functions of the library website Monash students use the most.
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See whether students are able to successfully navigate the website and complete assigned tasks.
Methods
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Moderated usability testing
Research process
Participant recruitment
A survey was distributed to willing students participants as part of the study. The selection criteria encompassed students across various year levels, courses, and library experience, ensuring a representative reflection of the Monash cohort.
Usability testing
A total of 5 participants were chosen to usability testing. The assigned tasks compelled students to accomplish a predetermined set of actions on the Monash Library website. This exercise aimed to assess the logical coherence of the user flow and the participants' ability to navigate the website effectively.
Data analysis
The performance were rated using the System Usability Scale (SUS) to determine the website's ease of use.
Research findings
​The majority of students who had previous experience with the website displayed confident task completion within a reasonable timeframe during usability testing. Nevertheless, students new to the university exhibited comparatively lower performance. Moreover, participants were largely unaware of several library facilities and services, such as essay assistance and librarian consultations.
UX suggestions
Library guide on the home page
Navigating the library website can pose challenges for first-time users. Introducing a Library Guideon the Home Page, featuring tutorials covering essential library aspects like "how to borrow books," would facilitate users' comprehension of the available services.
Improve content hierarchy
Research indicated some students were unable to find location of relevant content based on the library's website structure. Notably, students encountered difficulties when searching for "Book a discussion room." To enhance user experience, redesigning the content as a button instead of the current hyperlink would enable students to swiftly locate the desired information.
Symbols and hyperlinks
Monash University boasts an expansive website hosting comprehensive tutorials on research citation and referencing. Despite this, many students remain unaware of its existence. To address this, we recommended integrating an icon or hyperlink to this page within the library citation guide on the library website, streaming students' access to these invaluable resources.
