Moline Public Library Website Redesign

Client/Company/Project type: Solo Class Project

Project date: May 2022

Tools: Treejack and Chalkmark from Optimal Workshop; Adobe XD, Screaming Frog, Google Sheets

Project Summary

This assignment required a redesign of the information architecture a real library website. The process included a project proposal, user interviews, a literature review and research deliverables, and a full evaluation and content audit of the existing information architecture on a real library website. A final information architecture was created through a process of iteration and user testing on wireframes and workflows using the Optimum Workshop user research Suite. The final results and deliverables are compiled within a report available in PDF format on Scribd.

Challenge

In this imagined scenario, staff of the Moline Public Library in Moline, IL requested a review and redesign of their current website, molinelibrary.com. The site struggled with its information architecture. In short, the ways in which users must navigate the site do not effectively promote finding and understanding of information. The librarians needed their website to help users navigate an extensive amount of content and achieve their information-related goals without becoming lost, confused, or frustrated.

Solution

Redesign the information architecture of molinelibrary.com from the ground up using best user research practices, literature reviews, ideation and iteration, testing, and evaluation.

Actions

This project spanned over the course of seven weeks, each of which consisted of several actions and deliverables. A short rundown of this process is described below.

Results

Moline Public Library Redesigned Sitemap is available to view in Adobe XD.

Actions - Detailed 

1. Project Proposal

• Assessed the existing information architecture of the website molinelibrary.com using the Screaming Frog website crawler. 

• Created and presented project brief to stakeholders.

2. User Interviews

• Formation of user interview questions to assess users and context (See Appendix C in the report for interview questions)

• Located, recruited, and interviewed 2 participants fitting the target demographic (library users)

3. Literature Review & Research Deliverable

• Located archival resources on users of library websites and conducted a literature review

• Combined user interviews and literature review into a research deliverable, including process and results (user goals, personas, website requirements, task support, etc.)

Research-Based Personas

Detailed Actions (continued)

4. Information Architecture Drafting

• Performed a content analysis Google sheets by:

     ○ Identifying usable content present,

    ○ content in need of evaluation and updating,

    ○ and new content needed.

• Used content analysis to create a classification scheme.

• Created draft Sitemap in Adobe XD based on classification scheme and critical tasks.

5. Information Architecture Evaluation and Revisions

• Utilized the Optimal Workshop tool Treejack to assess the labeling structure and taxonomy

with live participants; revised new information architecture based on data.

6. Drafting Wireframes & Workflows; Participant Testing

• Drafted wireframe sketches of the proposed homepage and several key workflows which represented the essential navigation pathways; then revised with UX team’s feedback.

• Tested the proposed navigation structure by uploading wireframes into the Chalkmark tool in Optimal Workshop; tested with live participants; then iterated sitemaps based on data.

Heading

7. Final Results and Report

Summary of the project, test results, and the finalized information and more are viewable in the final report on Scribd. 

Results

Moline Public Library Redesigned Sitemap is available to view in Adobe XD (recommended) or the by clicking the image below.