About the Website Redesign
Posted: March 13th, 2015Welcome to the first in a series of updates about the Library Website Redesign project. We hope that these updates will help you to better understand the process. We invite you to contact us with your questions about the project by emailing us at library@queensu.ca
About the project
In accordance with the current Strategic Priority to “Transform Queen’s University Library’s virtual environment of information services and resources”, the redesign project charter was approved November 2014. The charter states:
The project will result in a redesigned web presence with defined processes for ongoing governance, development and content management, based on regular engagement and consultation with users and analytics as indicators of user behaviour and as key elements of an evidence-based process.
In particular we are aiming to develop a web presence that is:
- Streamlined and simplified
- Clear and intuitive to navigate
- Accessible
- Responsive (mobile)
Progress
To date, we have:
- Conducted a site inventory, identifying all the current content with appropriate analytics
- Interviewed 84 random library users in Stauffer, Douglas, Bracken, Law and Education libraries about general site usage
- Interviewed 13 faculty members about how they use the site for teaching and research
- Tested our current website with 5 users and a set of common scenarios
- Begun collecting information about graduate students though a survey published in the lated SGPS newsletter
- Begun working with our staff on process of developing a content strategy
- Set up and tested a new virtual hosting environment at Queen’s ITServices
Next Steps
In the next few weeks we plan to:
- Conduct a card sorting test with up to 10 users in order to help refine our information architecture
- Begin discussions with our staff on the next phase of research guides
- Consult with Library staff on workflow requirements
- Work to archive and remove current content that is no longer needed
- Refine our initial user testing into a set of personas
Featured Resource
Each week we would like to feature a resource that has proven valuable to us during the redesign process. This week we would like to point to the book User Experience (UX) Design for Libraries by Aaron Schmidt and Amanda Etches. This book has really helped us to understand key concepts such as how to develop a content strategy and proven techniques for consulting with library users.
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