Final Design
The brand new zones at the library to encourage connection.
Design Challenge
Problem
The SMC library fails in its potential to unite students, and be a nexus for socializing and innovation.
The current, empty library common areas.
Solution
A color-coded zone system to asynchronously regulate volume, and make connection easy.
A zone dedicated for coworking, and one for total silence.
Project Overview
Brief
Creating low-budget solutions to enhance the SMC library experience.
Stakeholders: Dr. Walter Butler (Library Director) and Roxana Cruz (Reference Librarian)
My Role
Lead designer for focused zones project:
1. Conducted primary and secondary research
2. Ideated and pitched idea
3. Initiated strategy workshops with other classmates, so that our ideas were connected
Client
SMC | UX 2 Class
Goals
Bolstering a culture of collaboration and social synergy at SMC.
Fostering community of a university town.
Alleviating commuter-school isolation and loneliness.
Alleviating commuter-school isolation and loneliness.
Facilitating healthy student work habits.
Enabling easy work/life balance.
Encouraging students not to work from their beds.
Encouraging students not to work from their beds.
Constraints
Innovating without a budget.
Using low-tech approaches.
Project Kickoff
Findings
I identified that the library's layout and organization causes the following problems:
The top floor must be rebranded.
Staff can't regulate this area.
Previous unlabeled design encouraged students to talk loudly here.
The library top floor is closed.
Sound control is necessary.
Student collaboration is not openly encouraged due to this problem.
The open layout contributes to volume issues.
Staff need to communicate asynchronously.
Staff are too late to enforce policy — students must walk far distances to find them.
Lack of visual communication creates feeling of confusion and disorganization.
Lack of visual communication creates feeling of confusion and disorganization.
The staff desk is tucked away, and monitoring is difficult.
Students must know where eating is encouraged/permitted.
Better visual communication could assist.
Carpet stains are ubiquitous due to student eating.
Layout Observation
Process
I gathered imagery over 3 days and noted these as consistent issues:
Common areas fail to unite students.
The library was designed to facilitate collaboration — failing in this goal.
More student presence on campus would create morale and motivation.
More student presence on campus would create morale and motivation.
Empty common areas: Students study alone at collaborative tables.
Students use the library inefficiently.
Signage must accompany this table to explain how one should use the space.
No visual communication: Student turns a collaborative table into an individual one.
Organization reinforces feeling that social connection isn’t encouraged.
Reflects student feeling that SMC prioritizes individual growth rather than communal.
Prioritization of individual study: Individual study tables outnumber group tables.
Signage Observation
Disparate signs communicate a sense of improvisation. Need more intentionality.
Must move forward with one signage style guide.
Professional signage vs Ad-hoc signage: The left signage is more in-line with SMC brand guidelines.
Humanist signs are ineffective.
These attempt to breathe life into the cold, brutalist library atmosphere.
But these need to be part of a larger system to truly create a warm atmosphere.
But these need to be part of a larger system to truly create a warm atmosphere.
Ad-hoc signage: More signs with no connection to the overall branding.
Signs must be quick-reads.
Vibrant colors will help to make instant connections.
Signs should be pasted to the walls to be seen at a glance.
Signs should be pasted to the walls to be seen at a glance.
More ad-hoc, ineffective signage: Quiet study signs are too small, and should not sit on the desks.
Inspiration
Findings
Visual strategies will help to grow the library's user base.
Incorporating zone systems.
Students at the library currently experience variability and stress as they find places to work.
These zones make it quick and easy.
These zones make it quick and easy.
Strategies at the Vancouver Public Library and Punggol Regional Library in Singapore.
Building thriving communities.
Comparing SMC to a university like SMC, I noticed a more vibrant student community at UCLA, with their set tables designed for group collaboration.
Library groupwork tables at other universities, including UCLA (left).
Secondary Research
Findings
Users want control over volume and disturbance.
Let's give users control over their environment.
Allowing students to move around the library to experience different volumes will improve their experience.
Students value control over their physical environment most: Study in Two Wuhan Universities
Let's make social connection simple.
A labeling system, like those found on the internet, allows for this control.
Discord users communicate responsiveness for social connection
Interviews
Findings
The 2 main student needs are in conflict:
Focused on SPACE AND SILENCE
Focused on SOCIAL CONNECTION AND NETWORKING
Growth must be handled strategically.
Some prefer the library being largely empty and quiet. These students must retain quiet spaces as growth expands.
Noise management is a problem — staff intervene too late.
System currently means only option is to move floors, and hope that offending students stop talking.
Students come to separate work and life.
Students find home to be distracting. They enjoy being around others for collective motivation/productivity.
Many students are regulars.
Students come to campus special to use the library. Many come because they’re already on campus for class.
A thriving campus is important.
Online classes get very lonely. Best way to meet friends is in person.
Making friends at SMC feels impossible.
Students wish they can easily form meaningful relationships. Networking is what allowed students to find jobs and personal experiences.
Ideation
Goals
Uniting touchpoints under one system.
Next Steps
Focusing zones as a launching point.
I can complete this within the project scope, and it'll lay the groundwork for future innovation at the library.
Development
Goals
Developing signage that feels contemporary, and understated.
Previous library signage versus my update.
Visualization
Goals
Reimagining the silent study area.
Replacing the small signs on the tables, and considering this as a social zone, as it's tucked away in the corner.
Facilitating easier navigation.
Using bright colors so way-finding is immediate, across library.
Next Steps
Optimizing verbiage.
The difference between 'Silent Zone' and 'Quiet Zone' is not apparent.
Development
Goals
Creating dynamism.
Signage should feel contemporary and well-balanced. Students may respond to the urgency of asymmetrical design.
Creating visual interest.
Using golden ratio, and subscribing to the rule of thirds, with the headline taking up 2/3 of the page.
Findings
Students and stakeholders respond positively.
Could be cheaply implemented, providing all necessary details to test in the library.
Style
Additional Signage
Goals
Communicating that new innovations are user-centered.
Calling out user goals — making friends, studying smarter, etc. And uniting all disparate projects under one philosophy and ethos.
Results
Process
Welcoming stakeholders into the reimagined library.
Goals
Communicating aspirational impacts.
Reimagined library structure can change students' lives, allowing them to network and start projects together.
Testing with low-budget.
Printing letter-size papers, causing no damage to library walls. Can be eventually swapped out for banners and larger prints.
Next Steps
Expanding this system.
Space used here for Cowok Zone is enclosed by walls. System must next be tested within the open layout.
Testing
Overview
Feedback from students stated that this system has potential.
Cowork Zone test affected library use.
The number of people per group rose, and finding a seat became more difficult.
Students were still respectful about volume as capacity rose. And after signs came down, the area returned to being relatively empty.
Students were still respectful about volume as capacity rose. And after signs came down, the area returned to being relatively empty.
Feedback
Overview
Stakeholders find this project to be valuable, and we will continue future testing outside of class.
Findings
Signage caused no added disturbance, and were effective.
Signs were 'done in a very clear way, and concise manner... there wasn't a lot of verbiage on it.' They effectively 'used iconography that got the message out, and someone could glance to interpret noise levels,' according to Dr. Butler.
Signage was easy to test and implement.
Signs 'could be easily incorporated into the library's ecosystem already.' They're easy to affix and to establish in different areas, and it's easy to see how we'd expand this.
Next Steps
Expanding system.
Expanding this 'into the library's actual structure, the space, the way the structure is built.' Perhaps we can do something more tactile.
We should 'test color schemes and see how they signal to the students,' and consider impacts on furniture. Perhaps ordering new, or reconfiguring existing.
We should 'test color schemes and see how they signal to the students,' and consider impacts on furniture. Perhaps ordering new, or reconfiguring existing.
Testing next areas.
Bleed areas will be difficult to manage between zones. Gathering more student feedback and conducting more interviews is critical.
Reflection
Learnings
More effective to talk to users directly, than collect asynchronous feedback.
Successes
Laid groundwork for quick guerilla testing.
Philosophically championed a holistic library experience.
Provided runway to reopen top floor.
Created framework for future innovation — zones for eating, exercise, sleep, etc.
Leadership helped to unite team — professor awarded me with title of ‘the glue.’