Joplin Public Library

Information Architecture Evaluation

Overview

Background

Timeline: 7 weeks

Role: Information Architect, UX Researcher

Tools: Figma

An email from the public library director at Joplin Public Library was received, stating that they were in need of a website redesign.  This work could not be done in-house since they have a small staff. 

Problem Statement

I received an email from the public library director at Joplin Public Library stating that they were in need of a website redesign.  This work could not be done in-house since they have a small staff. Library stakeholders are looking for:

  1. A site that is easy to maintain

  2. Easier access to information 

  3. More welcoming thematic elements

  4. Updated visuals on the site

Approach

Proposal - Project Plan

With the objectives from library stake holders in mind, I created a project brief. This document includes:

  • Overview of the project: Brief background and introduction for the project

  • Current site evaluation: Description of site's current organization scheme and structure, labeling system, and search system

  • Project plan: Breakdown of project in phases and the deliverables that will accompany each phase

  • Timeline: Visual breakdown of how the project is expected to progress over the course of 7 weeks

Research

Phase 1 - Learning User Contexts

In order to better understand library users and the context for why they are visiting the library site two interviews were conducted with librarians. Findings from the interviews, along with a literature review, led to the development of the phase 1 deliverable, which includes:

  • Overview of phase 1: Brief summary of the objectives for this phase of the project

  • Research Methods & Findings: Descriptions and findings from interviews and a literature review

  • Personas: Answering the question of who we are designing for, personas can align design decisions with user goals.

  • Task Priority by Persona Table: Visual representation of prioritized tasks from high-low to ensure that end users were the continued focus throughout the project phases

Information Architecture

Phase 2 - Content, Taxonomy, and Labeling

At this point in the project, I was ready to begin the process of redesigning the site, starting with a site map. Before doing so, I conducted a content analysis. The purpose was to answer the following questions:

  • What content is currently present on the site?

  • What content needs to be reworked?

  • What content is missing and needs to be added?

Click image to view full content analysis

My next step was to decide on a classification scheme for the redesign. The classification scheme chosen is a hybrid scheme that includes topical and task based, with alphabetical schemes in some areas. Combined, these schemes function well together in creating a cohesive and well-rounded navigational system. 

At this point, I was ready to construct a site map as a visual representation of the structure and organization of the site.

Click image to view full sitemap

Usability Testing

Phase 3 - Assessing Labeling and Taxonomy

Optimal Workshop, a platform that allows various user experience testing in studies, was utilized to create the Treejack test. 

  • 9 participants recruited  and completed the treejack test

  • The study presented and evaluated 12 retrieval-based tasks

Task List

  • Browse catalog

  • Get a library card

  • Find upcoming events

  • Reserve materials

  • Find book recommendations

  • Find genealogy resources

  • Book a room

  • Find tech help

  • Find library hours

  • Locate ebooks/audiobooks

Click image to view Treejack Test

Putting It All Together

Chalkmark test

After analyzing the data from the Treejack test, I updated the site map by enhancing the areas where users struggled to find content.  I took the updated site map and built wireframes of the home page, as well as pages supporting key workflows, in order to conduct a Chalkmark test via Optimal Workshop.

  • 9 participants recruits and completed the Chalkmark test

  • 9 tasks were evaluated to determine users ability to find content on the wireframes

Task List

  • Find genealogy resources

  • Book a librarian

  • Search catalog

  • Get a library card

  • Find event information

  • Reserve materials

  • Book a room

  • Find tech help

  • Find library hours

Click image to view Chalkmark Test

To finish up this project, I compiled all of the data from the previous seven weeks into a final deliverable that was presented to the library director and other stakeholders. 

Next Steps & Lessons Learned

If time allowed, I would re-test the sitemap and tasks/paths to re-test the taxonomy and determine the efficacy of the revisions on the website’s usability. Given that analysis, I would iterate on my designs further to reflect the findings. This will help verify that the architecture and design changes have made navigation and the finding of information on the library website easier and intuitive for those who frequently use the site.

This project was definitely a challenging one for me, but I learned a tremendous amount from it and in the end, found it to be a very rewarding experience. I learned conducting a literature review can be super helpful in terms of gathering baseline research data for a project. this project was my first experience using Optimal Workshop for Treejack tests and Chalkmark. I found the experience to be extremely helpful in getting real user feedback to implement changes to the designs. I found that I must pay closer attention to the pathways I establish when setting up the tests to provide clarity with tasks.