Redesigning the UCSC Library Homepage
This 10-week redesign streamlines the search for key information, providing UCSC students, with an intuitive platform. This homepage went live on the UCSC website, resulting in a 70% increase in user navigation efficiency and ease of use.
Why does this Redesign matter?
We focused on redesigning the UCSC Library homepage to better serve the needs of students, faculty, and staff. Through a mixed-methods research approach, including surveys, user interviews, usability testing, and live table testing, we gathered insights on user pain points, navigation habits, and expectations for library resources.
Tools - Figma, FigJam, Google Docs, Trello
Timeline - June 2024 - August 2024 ( 10 Weeks)
Skills - User Personas, Storyboarding, Lo-fi Prototyping, Hi-Fi Prototyping Design Reviews, Stakeholder Feedback
My Role - As an UX intern at UC Santa Cruz, my role was to brainstorm ideas for the homepage, informed by student interviews and testing to identify key issues in the current design. I created wireframes and storyboards to visualize potential solutions, then developed high-fidelity prototypes. Throughout the process, I iterated on the design based on stakeholder feedback to ensure the final product met user needs.
Through research, we found that Students struggled to find the right resources quickly.
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Challenging because of the variety of patrons (undergrad, grad, faculty) – important to remember the homepage is not meant for library staff
Needs to be generally welcoming and inclusive and not intimidating, we have a wide variety of patrons with different needs and experiences
Reducing any intimidating elements – make sure people know we’re here for them (to use collections, ask questions, etc.)
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Being able to reserve study rooms
Able to use UC Library Search
See library hours
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Scanning
Printing
Vending machines
Reserving study rooms
Renting cameras
Renting Laptops and chargers
Research help
We printed out the existing homepage and asked users to locate specific resources while gathering their feedback. Our findings revealed significant gaps in usability, as many students struggled to find the resources we asked them to locate. Additionally, users provided valuable insights and suggestions, highlighting key areas for improvement and emphasizing the need for a more intuitive design.
The Problem
Our research showed 2 Main problems that students often struggled with on the old library homepage.
1. Outdated UI
The visual design feels dated, with poor color contrast and inconsistent UI elements that don’t reflect modern web standards or accessibility best practices.
2. No Visual Hierarchy
Key content areas like News, Events, and Services are placed side-by-side, making it hard to scan or prioritize information.
Our Research Methods
To understand our user needs, we used a mixed-methods approach combining both qualitative and quantitative techniques:
Surveys to gather broad feedback on user behavior and pain points with the current homepage.
User Interviews with students, faculty, and staff to uncover context-specific challenges and expectations.
Table Testing at both McHenry and Science & Engineering Libraries, using eye-tracking simulations, scribble tests, and task-based walkthroughs to observe real user behavior.
Usability Testing on current and redesigned prototypes to identify friction points, measure improvements, and validate design decisions.
How might we make the homepage relevant and intuitive for students and faculty?
Peer Analysis
I compared the site with competitors like UC Berkeley, UC Riverside, and San José State Libraries. I focused on key metrics such as usability, information clarity, mobile optimization, and accessibility.
Visual Information and Heirachy
UC Riverside library website
Our Old Website
UC Berkely library website
Our Old Website
Mapping the Experience
The final design was the result of many thoughtful iterations and continuous feedback loops
Clear separation between the spaces in the library through the use of tabs
Our Vision for the new homepage
Our goal is to create a user-focused library homepage that serves as a clear and organized platform for students and staff, allowing them to access resources efficiently with minimal clicks.
Clear content blocks with headings like “Our Services,” “Events and Workshops,” and “News and Highlights.”
Task-oriented links like “Reserve a Study Room” are visually grouped and easy to find.
Improved readability for news, events, and services.
Sample Questions from Our 7–10 Minute First-Click Test
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Desktop:
79% clicked on the Science and Engineering tab
Mobile:
31% clicked on the Science and Engineering tab
6 clicked on the menu icon at the top and a few clicked on the faculty services
Since the Hours link is in the mobile menu, this still counts as a successful task (just less efficient)
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Desktop:
74%( 14 people) clicked on the course reserve tab
5 people clicked on the search bar (If you know the title of the textbook that’s on reserve regular Search works well, it just doesn’t work for searching by Course Name or Instructor Name)
Mobile:
38% clicked on Course Reserves
7 others clicked on the search bar like with Desktop
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Desktop:
Some would click on New Students, some on My Account, and others on the Search bar
2 people clicked on Contact us
The rest of them clicked on course reserves and the search bar (maybe we can include a guide about finding and borrowing books)
Mobile:
63% clicked on the Search Bar
2 others either clicked on the Databases Tab and 2 clicked on Faculty Services
1 person clicked on Welcome New Students
28% increase in users successfully locating key resources on the first click
45% reduction in navigation errors compared to the original design
90%+ positive feedback from participants regarding ease of use and clarity
Learnings