Process Highlight

Challenge and responsibilities overview

Overview

What is MINDS@UW?

MINDS stands for Multidisciplinary Institutional Network for Data and Scholarship. It is an open access institutional repository, designed to gather, distribute, and preserve digital materials related to the University of Wisconsin's research mission. Researchers, faculty, staff and students from the University and others use the platform to explore and deposit:

• Research papers, reports, and datasets
• Pre-prints, post-prints, and theses
• Student capstone projects and instructional materials
• Conference papers and presentations

It is managed and supported by the University of Wisconsin - Madison Libraries.

Problem

Users feel lost and uncertain about how to engage with the platform.

The current MINDS@UW web platform struggles with discoverability and user engagement. First-time users, as well as occasional visitors, find it difficult to navigate the page, locate relevant resources, and perform essential tasks, such as depositing or searching for academic works. The site's complex layout, lack of clear task flows, and overwhelming amount of scattered information create frustration, making the platform feel more like an internal staff tool rather than a user-friendly, accessible repository.

Research

Competitor Analysis

I began my research by conducting a competitive analysis of open-access institutional repositories from Duke University, Cornell University, and Syracuse University. The goal was to identify effective features and design patterns from these repositories that could enhance the user experience of MINDS@UW. Below are the key findings from each repository:

• Duke University
• Cornell University
• Syracuse University

DukeSpace

Simple and minimal design with a hero image, a prominent search bar, and recent submissions.

Upfront and easy to use search bar.

"How to Deposit" button for critical action.

Focus on the functionality with less content.

No visible option to deposit work/collection.

No task flow for users who do not have a Duke ID.

eCommons

Clean and readable design with a strong focus on helping users deposit their work.

"Make a Deposit" section provides quick and necessary information.

Clear call-to-action as “Submit your work” button.

Options available for both NetID and non-NetID users.

A brief but informative description of the website's purpose.

Content that explains the benefits of submitting work.

Surface

Engaging design with a major emphasis on data visualization.

Interactive homepage with data visualizations.

Hero image, side and top navbar stand out.

Prominent CTAs for upload and browse.

Prominent CTAs for upload and browse.

Prominent CTAs for upload and browse.

Research

Target Population

MINDS@UW serves a diverse group of users across different roles and institutions. To ensure the platform meets the needs of all its users, I categorized them broadly to capture the various functions they perform. Each group interacts with the system in unique ways, from administrative tasks to data submission, and their requirements are crucial to the design process.

Research

Research Questions

I framed the research questions to focus on understanding how different user groups interact with the platform, identifying usability challenges, and exploring ways to enhance the information architecture.

Research

User Interviews

I interviewed 9 users belonging to different groups of the target population, which included department admins, researchers, librarians, assistant directors and more to gain first hand experiences of their interactions and understand their perspectives of improvements and current challenges.

Synthesis

Affinity Mapping

With all the insights, I organized all my data points (170+) through affinity mapping. I put my participants quotes and thoughts within an affinity map, trying to find like trends together, eventually forming 9 main insights.

Synthesis

User Persona

I created two personas to represent two different categories of users : admins and depositors(researcher, faculty, staff etc). By segmenting these personas, I was able to understand their unique motivations, pain points, and interaction patterns, ensuring that design improvements address the specific need of both backend administrators and content contributors/searchers effectively.

Synthesis

Defining the Problem

After concluding my research, I curated the How Might We statement to narrow down the design solutions to best meet the research insights.

Ideation

Developing a Solution

After concluding the affinity mapping, 9 major insights emerged. I discussed and brainstormed with my team to prioritize the much needed insights and proceed with working upon them. The selection process was based on urgency of requirements and technical feasibility. This prioritization guided our next steps, ensuring we focused on the most impactful improvements.

Ideation

Screen Designs

After prioritizing the insights, I designed new screens and improved existing pages. My focus was on addressing key pain points identified during user interviews like having clear call-to-actions CTAs and navigation while maintaining visual consistency with MINDS@UW's existing design language.

Ideation

Wireframes

The screen designs guided me to create wireframes. The wireframes were focussed towards better navigation particularly from browsers perspectives. I made sure to recognize all UW schools and their contributions via the wireframes. The initial designs also focussed to simplyfy user education about the platform and value-add of the repository.

Final Designs

Final Screens

Refining the wireframes based on user insights provided greater clarity for the final designs. I crafted the final designs for MINDS@UW with a focus on clarity, accessibility, and user guidance. The goal was to create an intuitive and efficient platform that serves both researchers and administrators while also making it easier for new users to navigate.

MINDS@UW Homepage Redesign

Clear Calls to Action (CTAs)

• Prominent "Make a Deposit" and "Browse Communities and Collections" at the forefront.
• Encourages users to either contribute to the repository or explore its contents.

Value-Add and User Education

• "How to Deposit" section added for step-by-step submission guidance.
• "Benefits" section clearly communicates the advantages of contributing to the repository

Recently added and Repository Stats

• User feedback indicated recently added was not heavily accessed, hence it was simplified without losing relevance.
• "MINDS@UW Analytics" section added to give sense of repository's impacts and scale.

Communities Page Redesign

Contributions of All UW Schools

• The "Browse Our Communities" section with a visual tile ensures all UW schools' research contribution is represented and accessible.

Accessible Contact Information

• A "Contact Us" section allows users to quickly reach the right person, reducing unnecessary traffic to UW-Madison and improving response efficiency

Better Navigation

• The "Sub-communities" section now allows users to easily navigate through specific departments, research groups, or faculty collections within each university.

About Us Page Design

What Are We

• The "About MINDS@UW" section now provides users with a clear understanding of the platform's mission and its role within the UW System.

Who We Are

• The "Meet the Administrative Team" section introduces the key team members responsible for supporting and managing MINDS@UW.
• Users now know who to turn to for assistance, fostering a sense of approachability and personalized support.

Help Page Design

Comprehensive Help Section

• The Help Page now includes extensive sections on key topics such as How to Deposit, FAQs, Metadata etc making information easily accessible to users.
• This ensures users have the necessary resources at their fingertips, reducing confusion and support requests.

Recent Updates Section

• A "Recent Updates" section has been added to the Help page, providing real-time information about ongoing issues and suggested fixes.
• This feature informs users about current problems, allowing them to troubleshoot, reducing administrative burden while keeping users informed.

Final Designs

UX Writing

I was also responsible for writing the copy and microcopy across the platform, ensuring that all text was clear, concise, and aligned with the user experience. This included writing for various elements such as cards, CTA buttons, headings, and informational text across the pages. Key steps in the UX writing process included:

• Clear and Actionable Copy: Focused on direct and task-oriented texts, with CTA buttons like “Make a Deposit” and “Browse Collections”.
• Iterating with Feedback: Refined copy through multiple feedback rounds from managers, adjusting tone, simplifying language, and improving clarity.
• Microcopy Focus: Crafted text for error messages and descriptions to provide helpful guidance without overwhelming users.

Final Designs

Design System

To streamline the process, I built Figma components and variants using auto-layout for all UI elements, including cards, buttons, and dropdown menus. This component-based approach allowed for efficient design updates and ensured consistency across the application, supporting smooth collaboration between design and development.

Reflection

Learnings

This project provided valuable insights into user-centered design and the importance of addressing both functional and emotional needs of users. Through the redesign of MINDS@UW, I learned the following key lessons:

• The Power of Clear Navigation and CTAs: Prominent, well-placed calls to action (CTAs), such as "Make a Deposit" and "Browse Communities", significantly enhance usability by guiding users toward their main tasks and reducing confusion.
• User Education Enhances Engagement: Providing clear, concise guidance, like the "How to Deposit" and "Benefits" sections, empowers users, builds trust, and reduces frustration by helping them understand how to use the platform effectively.
• User Feedback Drives Design Decisions: Iterative design, based on direct user feedback, was essential in addressing pain points such as navigation difficulty and lack of visibility for other UW schools' contributions, resulting in a more intuitive and inclusive experience.

Reflection

Next Steps

The next steps involve conducting user testing to validate the new design, ensuring the improvements in navigation, CTAs, and contact accessibility meet user needs. Additionally, focusing on enhancing content personalization and streamlining the submission process will further improve user engagement and ease of use. Regularly reviewing platform analytics and gathering ongoing feedback will allow for continuous iterations, ensuring MINDS@UW evolves to better serve its diverse user base.