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UX Research Report
Assembled for:
BookSystems, Inc.
UX Research Report
Assembled for:
BookSystems, Inc.
📌Project Scope
Client: Book Systems, Inc.
Timeframe: 4 weeks
My Role: UX Researcher
Team: Shiva Vakili, Phaedrus Taylor,
Kelsey Bridgeforth, Sheri Leder
Methods: Competitive Analysis, site Observation, User Interview
Tools: Zoom, Figma, Canva
Project Overview
🚀CLIENT KICHOFF
We collaborated with BookSystems, a local library management software company, and the staff of Huntsville-Madison County Public Library to investigate how library software impacts acquisitions and accessibility. Through interviews and site observations, we gained insights into user needs and created scenarios, personas, and journey maps based on our research for the client.
🔎OBJECTIVES
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Develop an understanding of the typical acquisitions process at the library
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Recognize any advantages or joys of using the Koha software
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Identify any key difficulties or pain points in the Koha software
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Learn about the accessibility measures in place at the library
Methodology
The researchers designed interview questions and conducted site observations to gather information about the library’s acquisition process and accessibility needs of users as it relates to library software.
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Competitive Analysis
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User Interviews (Focus group)
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Site Observations
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Data Analysis(Thematic Analysis)
Participants
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Participants were recruited via a prearranged agreement between the University of Alabama in Huntsville and the Library of Huntsville and Madison
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Three individuals participated in this study were recruited from the staff of the Library of Huntsville and Madison
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key members of the Library of Huntsville and Madison’s staff were allowed to be interviewed and recorded for the purposes of collecting data.
Information was obtained through a self-assessment of the participants’ experience, their academic history, and how comfortable they felt using Koha and similar types of software they may have encountered in the past.
User Interviews
Questions were ordered to begin first with basic demographic questions, then about the
acquisitions process, and finally about the accessibility needs of users. The interview questions
were asked of each participant and additional questions specific to each participant’s role were
created to better understand their roles and responsibilities.
User interviews were conducted in-person and audio and/or video recorded on personal cell phones.
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Demographic questions
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Acquisitions process
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Accessibility needs of users
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Roles and responsibilities
📄Documents
Site Observation
Site observations were conducted in-person and were audio and/or video
recorded via Zoom or recorded with personal cell phones when Zoom was not available.
Data Analysis (Thematic Analysis)
First, all audio and video were transcribed verbatim using the transcription software, Trint. Our researchers then developed a coding scheme and coded key lines throughout each transcription according to the coding scheme.This scheme was designed with research in mind, specifically to point out key aspects of each user’s experience with Koha.
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Audio and video transcribed verbatim using Trint software.
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Developed a coding scheme for analysis.
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Coded key lines in transcriptions based on the coding scheme.
Coding scheme designed for research to highlight key aspects of Koha user experiences.
Affinity Maping
Affinity diagrams are a valuable tool for organizing and extracting insights from your data. They enable you to visually identify recurring themes in your research without the need for strict categorization of qualitative responses, which can save time and align better with industry practices compared to academia.
🔎Main Findings
Compatibility Issues Between Koha and MARCEdit:
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Koha lacks clear error messages when encountering issues with MARC record imports.
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Koha often necessitates the use of external software like MARCEdit to make necessary changes.
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This finding underscores the need for Koha to improve its error reporting and resolution capabilities within the software itself.
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Koha does not recognize strange and special characters like an accent mark which means the item can get stuck in the uploading process and sometimes the ISBN is missing from the MARC record which can make tracking difficult.
2.User Variability in FTP Access:
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Users' experiences with Koha vary based on their operating systems, with PC users requiring FileZilla to access FTP servers.
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This highlights the need for platform-specific enhancements within Koha to streamline FTP access for all users and provide a consistent experience.
3. Lack of Budget Tracking System:
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Koha often relies on external software like Excel for budgeting, indicating a lack of inbuilt budget management tools within the system.
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Items arriving late are deducted from the following year's budget, complicating budget tracking, particularly when managed using spreadsheets.
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Koha's absence of a dedicated budget tracking system highlights the necessity for improved, integrated budget management features to streamline processes and enhance efficiency.
Journey Map
Two Journey Maps were created, one focusing on accessibility and the other on the acquisition process. These visualizations depict fictionalized users' journeys in the Koha software.
The first Journey Map follows Angela Horn, a library patron with impaired vision, as she attempts to order books through Koha. It highlights the challenges she faces due to limited software accessibility, emphasizing the importance of optimizing Koha for users with accessibility needs.
The second Journey Map is a flowchart illustrating the end-to-end workflow of library book ordering and receiving. It provides an overview of the processes, highlighting the points of user joy and frustration. This map aids in understanding the complexities of the acquisitions process and its intersections with patron holds.
Persona
Our scenarios were written to represent some of the users' feelings and thought processes as they use Koha. We hope this will help you understand what users value in library acquisition software. Likewise, the personas are meant to expand upon who your users are and further explore their thought processes and feelings.
Client Feedback
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BookSystems expected to see more women and LGBTQ+ representation.
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They wants more concrete detail & specificity, especially in personas.
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They wants more joy. (what the users liked, enjoyed, or desired in software)
💭Reflections
🌱Personal Takeaways
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I learned how to meet the client's specific requests while also providing additional relevant findings.
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Putting user needs at the forefront is crucial. Incorporating user feedback into development improves product usability.
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The software world is ever-changing. Adapting to user requirements and consistently improving the software is essential for long-term success.
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Designing software with accessibility in mind is essential. Ensuring everyone, regardless of abilities, can use the software is both ethically and practically important.