User Centered Design

Abstract

MOBIUS Annual Conference, Columbia, MO, June 3, 2014. Libraries purportedly operate with our users’ needs and desires in mind, but how do we know what those needs and desires really are? The University of Missouri-Kansas City Libraries are committed to observing user behavior and collecting data to inform the design of virtual and real-world services and spaces to meet user needs. A user-centered design department and a usability team were formed to deliver an organization-wide user-centered design process with associated training opportunities, online tools, and job responsibilities. A photo survey will contribute rich data to dreaming and planning library space for a future Downtown Campus for the Arts. Students take snapshots of specified places, people, and things in their lives, then verbally expand on those pictures in a follow-up interview.