OVERVIEW
The New York Public Library (NYPL) is more than just a library.
It is a cornerstone of knowledge, culture, and community in
New York City. However, as the world moves faster, the digital library needs to keep up.
ROLE
TEAM
Yoonseo Jeong , Hailey Ho Sang, Michelle Kong, Liya Yan
DURATION
15 Weeks
TOOLS
Figma, Miro, Adobe CS
Problem
Despite offering a vast, diverse collection of resources and community programs, users felt the NYPL app is like a maze.
Solution
By incorporating intuitive navigation, visual language, personalized tools, and community hub, we transformed a simple library app into a dynamic, community-driven platform for growth, creativity, and connection.
Case Study Video
Learning, Growing, and Building
Design Process
01
Discover
Expanding our understanding of the user and the problem space.
02
Define
Narrowing down the research into insights and conduct persona profiles.
03
Ideate
Brainstorming diverse solutions and visualizing design concepts.
04
Design
04
Reflection
Key Takeaways.
Design is never finished.
Research
What We Discovered
As the second most diverse state in the U.S., New York City is a global epicenter where millions of professionals and cultures converge. By leveraging the NYPL’s collection of over 55 million items.
It is an opportunity to transform the app from a simple library into a community and resource hub that fosters cultural engagement and professional collaboration for every New Yorker.
User Research
Listening to the Community
User research revealed not only how people interact with the NYPL app, but also where they struggled the most. By mapping out these pain points, clear patterns began to emerge, which were developed into personas that brought the users’ voices into every stage of the design process.
Empathy Interviews
Voices & Frustrations
Affinity Mapping
Finding the Patterns in Data
Persona
How Might We?
Nathan l 35
Graphic Designer
“I want to engage my family in enriching cultural and creative activities.”
HOW MIGHT WE make the time spent planning, scheduling and attending events an enriching experience?
Event Sphere
Jamie l 28
Teacher
“I need to organize the resources and have them on hand when I need to source them.”
HOW MIGHT WE create a system to place found references for seamless transitions of information?
Research Hub
Liam l 30
Medical Resident
“I need to connect with peers and experts for research collaboration.”
HOW MIGHT WE create an engaging environment where users can collaborate effectively?
Peer Society
User journey mapping
Highlighting users’ actions, emotions, and pain points.
User testing insights
Iterations and Develop Prototypes
Outcome
3 Main Features
Feature 01
Event Sphere
Problem
Users want to participate in cultural and creative events with their families and friends, but felt overwhelmed.
How It Works
A personalized dashboard where users search, plan, and manage events.
Benefit
The process of searching, reserving, and making edits to events is more streamlined and user-centric, so the users do not feel chaotic.
Feature 02
Research Hub
Problem
Users were losing track of resources scattered across NYPL's affiliated external databases.
How It Works
Allows users to save resources from external databases directly into the app and share with others.
Benefit
Saved resources will be more organized and easier to access which help users save time.
Feature 03
Peer Society
Problem
The app offered no path for collaboration, while users want to connect with others studying in their field.
How It Works
Can access various peer-generated podcast, presentations with filters, based on their preferences.
Benefit
Users can engage more actively, collaborate, help each other, and enhance their network.
Home Page
Peer Society
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Podcast
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Design System
Creative, Innovative, and Community
KPIs
How Do We Measure Success?
Takeaways
What I Learned