International Symposium on User Experience (UX) 2023

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/92819

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Now showing 1 - 12 of 12

Conceptions of student engagement : putting our students at the heart of the 'people-centered' 'academic library
(University of Pretoria, Department of Library Services, 2023) Appleton, Leo
The user experience opportunity : researching and designing more relevant and user-centric library services
(University of Pretoria, Department of Library Services, 2023) Priestner, Andy
In this keynote talk Andy will demonstrate the value and purpose of User Experience (UX) work in libraries. As well as detailing some of the specific techniques for researching the needs and behaviours of your users (behavioural mapping, user research interviews, photo elicitation), he will explain how you process and respond to research data by creating, testing and iterating prototypes. Andy will illustrate his talk with stories gathered from academic libraries all over the world and hopes to encourage attendees to build on the excellent UX work already undertaken in South African University Libraries. He passionately believes that this work is primarily about genuinely connecting and collaborating with your users - only then can you be certain that your library services are truly relevant and user-centred.
User research, a strategic priority : why your library needs a UX team
(University of Pretoria, Department of Library Services, 2023-09) Kgarosi, Kabelo
Libraries are increasingly recognizing the role of User Experience (UX) in shaping their services. This presentation advocates the establishment of a dedicated UX team within academic libraries and delves into the compelling reasons behind it. In a dynamic information environment, user-centeredness is no longer an option but a strategic imperative. By developing a specialized UX team, libraries can harness the power of systematic user research to inform decision-making, service design, and technology implementation. Through real-world case studies and practical insights, this presentation will equip librarians with the knowledge and motivation to advocate for and establish a UX team, making user research a strategic priority that transforms libraries into dynamic, user-centric hubs of knowledge and information.
Exploring user experience through eye-tracking : the case of UP Medical Library
(University of Pretoria, Department of Library Services, 2023) Adebesin, Funmi
The importance of incorporating user experience (UX) design into the development of interactive systems is well established. What is less discussed is the vital role of incorporating UX design into the design of physical spaces like a library. Following a refurbishment of the University of Pretoria (UP) Medical Campus library, a UX evaluation using eye-tracking technology was conducted to determine the extent to which students would be able to use the library spaces unaided. UX evaluations using eye-tracking involve measuring the movement of the eyes, particularly on a computer interface, to pinpoint where a user’s eyes are focused at a specific point in time. Ten students were involved in the UX evaluation using the Tobii Pro 2 glasses eye tracker. Each participant completed six tasks that required them to find a particular library space, using only the library signages as a guide. The overall impression of all participants was positive with respect to the new facilities that are available and the modern design of the library. However, most participants struggled to find the library spaces without assistance due to lack of, and sometimes confusing signages. The provision of clear and intuitive signages will go a long way to improve the UX of the students who use the library.
Towards a user-centered library design : the case of Daystar University, Kenya
(University of Pretoria, Department of Library Services, 2023) Wambua Yobera, Jane
The 21st-century teaching and learning environment calls for a library that can meet library users' evolving and varied needs. This is at the core of user experience (UX) design, whereby the user is at the center. Studies and experiences from several best practices have shown that for any library UX design project to have an impact, it has to be preceded by a deep understanding of what the user truly values and requires the user's involvement in the process. Between October 2022 and July 2023, Daystar University executed several redesign activities of its Main Campus Library, including the provision of more comfortable and flexible furniture, reorganized library spaces to cater to varied user needs, and provision of sufficient laptop and phone charging points, among others. The aim of these changes has been to make the library a space where users can have delightful and meaningful experiences. It is worth noting that this is not the end of the planned changes, as more are underway. This study will trace the redesign, including how the specifics of the process were arrived at, and highlight the changes that came with the redesign. Further, the study will seek feedback from the users on the redesign and their insights and preferences on future design. To obtain feedback and insights in an enriching way, a mixed methods approach will be used to collect both qualitative and quantitative data. The target of the study will be undergraduate students since they are the major users of the Main Campus Library. The study findings are expected to inform towards providing physical and digital user-centered spaces, services, and products.
User Experience at the UP Library
(University of Pretoria, Department of Library Services, 2023) Snyman, Elmar
The Department of Library Services at the University of Pretoria established a User Experience (UX) unit in 2020. Since its inception, the UX unit has conducted several user-centered studies. I will be focusing on four of these studies. The first study in collaboration with the library Marketing office, focused on assessing the adequacy of our library's online services for users during the pandemic. To gather user data, we adopted a dual approach, employing both a survey and an observation study. During the observation study, we selected five users from three distinct user groups and tasked them with completing predefined activities while under observation. This enabled us to gain valuable insights into how our users interacted with our online services and identified areas for improvement. In the second study, conducted in collaboration with the Department of Informatics, we evaluated our library website in the UX Lab using eye-tracking technology. Users were asked to navigate the library the website's usability. The third study was an observation study conducted during the lockdown period to analyse how user behaviours evolved in the new library environment. In conclusion, I will highlight the wealth of valuable information gathered throughout our focus group sessions.
Radiography user experience : a fresh perspective through the eyes of the facilitators
(University of Pretoria, Department of Library Services, 2023-09) Mbonambi, Linda; Kekana, Mable
Teaching communication in Radiography presents unique challenges, requiring a focus on various forms of communication for different patient categories and their specific needs. However, communication education should not be confined to healthcare professional and patient relationship, but should encompass the development of scientific writing skills. Typically, radiography research trends tend to concentrate of the patient view point and neglect user experience This presentation sheds light on a frequently disregarded perspective on the role of the facilitators and underscores the importance of collaboration and co-creation. It also covers the diverse aspects of the experiences of radiography facilitator and information specialist. Further delves into a novel approach to teaching and learning that encourages students to actively seek information rather than passively receive it. This presentation contributes to a comprehensive understanding of the broader user experience, a fresh perspective that is opening doors for future study.
Exploring user-centric training and service enhancement in library digital platforms
(University of Pretoria, Department of Library Services, 2023-09) Mushaisano, Mulalo
In today's digital age, libraries must adapt to provide accessible and user-friendly platforms for information and knowledge sharing. This presentation explores strategies to maximize user engagement and improve service delivery in library digital platforms. The first part highlights the importance of user-centric training to empower patrons with the skills needed to navigate complex digital environments. By tailoring training programs to individual needs, libraries can ensure a seamless and enriching experience. The second part emphasizes the integration of user experience (UX) design principles in library platforms. Through intuitive navigation, clear information architecture, and responsive design, libraries can create visually appealing and efficient environments, leading to increased accessibility, improved information retrieval, and greater user satisfaction. Additionally, the presentation explores the benefits of incorporating gamification into learning. By using game design elements in training modules, libraries can make the learning process interactive and enjoyable, resulting in higher user participation and knowledge retention. By combining user-centric training, UX design principles, and gamification strategies, libraries can fully leverage their digital platforms, enrich the educational experience for patrons, and reinforce their role as a key facilitator of accessible knowledge dissemination.
The user experience of an institutional repository
(University of Pretoria, Department of Library Services, 2023-09) Kalimashe, Hanoria
User experience (UX) is gaining significant traction in academic libraries as it is important and useful to assess library services from a user-centred perspective. Academic libraries play a vital role in meeting the information needs of their users by ensuring, among other things, that scholarly research outputs produced within their institutions are available and accessible through institutional repositories (IRs). This paper will report on a study which evaluated an IR from an end-user perspective through the application of UX. The qualitative study sampled a small group of postgraduate students at a university to explore the extent to which they are aware of the IR, their expectations of and attitudes towards the IR, their utilisation of the IR, as well as challenges they encounter in relation to the use of the IR. UX studies use various ethnographic research methods to collect qualitative data. Data was collected through semi- structured interviews, which comprised open-ended questions which allowed participants to share their opinions and experiences of the IR, and structured observations, which applied the ‘think-aloud protocol’ which allowed participants to verbally express their thoughts and feelings while interacting with the IR on certain tasks. Findings which will be presented include the following: while some participants knew about the IR and were utilising it, others were not aware of its existence; the IR meets most, but not all, of the group’s expectations; participants generally had positive attitudes towards the IR but there were various usability challenges associated with the search functionality which were barriers to navigating the resource effectively. Recommendations to improve the user experience of the IR will be shared.
Navigating the digital groove : crafting a user-centric odyssey for libraries
(University of Pretoria, Department of Library Services, 2023-09) Van der Walt, Isak D.
This presentation explores the dynamic landscape of digital scholarship within libraries, emphasizing the critical importance of a user-centric approach. With a keen focus on enhancing the user experience (UX), the talk delves into the definition and evolution of digital scholarship, highlighting its transformative impact on academic research and the pivotal role libraries play in this context. The presentation navigates through the crafting of a user-centric digital scholarship environment, featuring key elements such as Digital Scholarship Centres and Maker Spaces, alongside cutting-edge technologies and interdisciplinary workshops. It also addresses challenges in this pursuit, including resource constraints and digital literacy gaps, offering practical solutions to overcome these obstacles. Ultimately, this presentation advocates for libraries to pivot with purpose and persevere in their commitment to delivering user-centric digital scholarship services, shaping the future of academic engagement.
A research support framework for p ostgraduate students : WITS libraries’ UX strategy
(University of Pretoria, Department of Library Services, 2023) Matizirofa, Lazarus
At the postgraduate level, success often depends on the ability, capacity and research support provided by librarians to promote a good foundation for a robust research culture to masters and doctoral students. This case study is user research or UX design intended to enhance postgraduate research support for first year postgraduate students at the Witwatersrand University. The study aims to seek information about research support services offered by research librarians, evaluate the categories of services offered and tools used, to measure the quality of services, and to establish the academic qualifications and information literacy skills of research librarians. Overall, the study’s objective is to benchmark the services offered by faculty research librarians at the WITS libraries against other international universities, particularly the University of Adelaide, University Library Research Support Framework. The study will use two survey questionnaires with close-ended questions. The first questionnaire will target a cross-faculty, cross-discipline group of postgraduate students, and the second one, will target research librarians. The study will gather data from these two groups, with the first group using a convenience sampling technique and the second group will be all inclusive participation. A descriptive analysis will then be used to explore the data and to describe the study variables in this UX research study. The study findings will be used to improve research productivity of postgraduate students and research support offered by librarians at the University. The data will also be informing the development of a Research Support Framework to enhance the research support framework for postgraduate students at WITS. The relevance of this study is its value aid to the UX research implementation at the university.
Library user experience through time : a cross-generational analysis
(2023-09) Ntshabele, Zenzile; Soyizwapi, Lindiwe
The Department of Library Services conducts quality surveys as one of the tools to assess the quality of services, library spaces and resources. LibQUAL has previously been used to assess the user’s expectations and perceptions. However, in 2022 the Library started a journey to explore user experiences by using the Library Life Pulse Survey which measures impact and experiences rather than perceptions. The literature offers the use of the generation lens as an analytical tool to fit for the higher education environment which invests in multi-generations. There is no consensus if generational differences will not just result in stereotyping and generalizations. We are of the view that this lens offers a great opportunity for user segmentation and understanding users’ preferences in order to develop services tailored for their specific needs. We compare differences in library users experience across generations using the Kruskall-Wallis Test. The results show significant differences across difference library facets among generation, with the biggest disparities among generation X and generation Z. We therefore conclude that one size doesn’t fit all, and that libraries must consider the variations in preferences and behaviors of different generations when engaging, designing, and providing services to different user groups to avoid unintentional exclusion.

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