Design Thinking & User Experience
This is a resource page for information about design thinking and how it can be applied by library practitioners to improve their libraries and create better user experiences for their user communities. It also contains information and links related to user experience (UX) design. The two are related. Design thinking is a process used to design great user experiences.
What is Design Thinking?
Design thinking a process, not a set of procedures, that guides the development and implementation of all types of products and services. Design thinking can be used to create a new building or a new library service. Design thinking is the mental approach that designers use to identify problems, understand those affected, prototype possible solutions, and then develop appropriate products and services. In education fields, design thinking is used to develop instructional products.
Read my American Libraries article (Jan/Feb 2008) on how a design thinking approach can help librarians. [NOTE - provided with permission from the American Library Association © 2007]
For additional resources explore my "Essential Readings for Design Thinking and User Experience" bibliography.
Watch the Design Thinking Videos
This 5-minute video will cover the core concepts of design thinking, particularly as it applies to the creation of better user/customer experiences.
This 9-minute video is a segment from a Soaring to Excellence program (Finding the Trends That Matter) presented on October 26, 2007. In this segment I explain what design thinking is, and how it can help libraries. This video clip is generously provided by the College of DuPage (2007 © College of DuPage)
What is User Experience?
User experience is about creating memorable and meaningful experiences in any customer-driven organization - like libraries.
Watch this 4-minute video that is a vignette segment from a Soaring To Excellence program (Reversing the Ratchet: Basic Technology Adoption Strategies for Library Workers). In this segment two library administrators try to understand how user experience design may help them develop a more satisfied and loyal user community. This video clip is generously provided by the College of DuPage (2008 © College of DuPage)
Read this article I authored about user experience that appeared in the August/September 2009 issue of American Libraries. It is titled "From Gatekeepers to Gate Openers" and it explores what might be the nature of a great library user experience. Three key components of that experience are totality, meaning and relationships.
Interested in a WoW user experience? Can libraries deliver WoW? Take a look at this research study about college students and their perceptions of WoW service at the academic library.
Designing Better Libraries
A blog that futher explores design thinking and UX, especially as they applies to the library environment.
The "philosophy" page at the blog Designing Better Libraries provides additional information.
Follow These Blogs
ACRLog - the official blog of ACRL
Designing Better Libraries- using design and innovation
to create better libraries and user experiences
From the Bell Tower- my weekly column for Libary Journal Academic Newswire on the intersection between higher ed and libraries
The Kept-Up Academic Librarian - helping academic librarians keep up with higher education news