INDUSTRY:
SERVICE LEARNING
CLIENT:
AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARY
TIMELINE:
12 WEEKS; SPRING 2025
ROLE:
UX RESEARCH & DESIGN
Austin Public Library
about.
The Austin Public Library (APL) is a vital hub that has proudly served Austin for more than a century. With over 20 branches serving communities across Austin, TX, customers have access to not only books and literature, but also to technology, art galleries, events, and even employment resources
challenge.
The man challenge for this project was to original Austin Public Library (APL) Youth page offers a wealth of resources, but the dense, text-heavy layout makes it difficult to navigate—especially for parents and caregivers using mobile devices.
The scope of this project was limited to designing for parents and caregivers of children aged 0 - 12. We were also required to make no changes to the main navigation of the APL website.
process.
Stakeholder Kickoff
This project began with a meeting with our stakeholders at Austin Public Library, Sarah Cronin and Tatiana Gonzalez.
They identified several issues they were having with the Youth page:
Text-heady design
Difficulty in keeping content updated due to a small and decentralized team
They didn't understand what their users actually needed from this page
Additionally, our stakeholders were interested in developing new personas from our research.
Project Scope:
Redesign was limited to the Youth page (Events and Homepage were out of scope)
No changes to main navigation - This included not adding a secondary navigation
Target users - Parents & Caregivers of children 0 - 12
As this was a student-led project, we had a limited timeline with which to work. Other challenges my group and I needed to work around involved the pre-existing widgets on the Youth page that could not be redesigned.
Competitor Analysis
The man challenge for this project was to original Austin Public Library (APL) Youth page offers a wealth of resources, but the dense, text-heavy layout makes it difficult to navigate—especially for parents and caregivers using mobile devices.
The scope of this project was limited to designing for parents and caregivers of children aged 0 - 12. We were also required to make no changes to the main navigation of the APL website.
The Austin Public Library (APL) is a vital hub that has proudly served Austin for more than a century. With over 20 branches serving communities across Austin, TX, customers have access to not only books and literature, but also to technology, art galleries, events, and even employment resources
User Interviews
Interviews began haphazardly. In a rush to get the project underway, a couple of group members headed to library branches across Austin to interview parents and caregivers attending children's events.
I quickly recognized the need for structure and convinced my team that we needed to be organized before moving forward with more interviews. With input from my team members, I drafted our interview guide, creating versions for both moderated sessions and guerilla-style interviews.
22 Participants
Mix of Parents, Caregivers, and Youth Librarians
Insights
My team and I learned that our
Visual Design
Information Organization:
Accessibility/Language:
results.
The finished model and photographs produced for STONE MIND exceeded expectations. The product photos delivered a powerful visual impact, highlighting the unique texture and structure of the stones under varied lighting. The model became a striking artistic centerpiece, serving both as an art piece and an effective marketing asset. The images were later used in campaigns and as inspirational visuals within design and art communities.
The Austin Public Library (APL) is a vital hub that has proudly served Austin for more than a century. With over 20 branches serving communities across Austin, TX, customers have access to not only books and literature, but also to technology, art galleries, events, and even employment resources
User Interviews
Interviews began haphazardly. In a rush to get the project underway, a couple of group members headed to library branches across Austin to interview parents and caregivers attending children's events.
I quickly recognized the need for structure and convinced my team that we needed to be organized before moving forward with more interviews. With input from my team members, I drafted our interview guide, creating versions for both moderated sessions and guerilla-style interviews.
22 Participants
Mix of Parents, Caregivers, and Youth Librarians
reflection.
The STONE MIND project is a stunning, textured centerpiece in our portfolio, with every detail of the 'stone head' meticulously crafted.
