Flowcharts are similar to user journey maps. This allows us to understand how the user gets from point A to point B. We are then able to assess and make adjustments to the user's flow when needed.
Based on conversations with stakeholders there was a clear need to ensure that new students to the University of Missouri-Kansas City knew how to find pertinent information needed for academic success. Meaning we wanted to know if students could easily find popular services offered at the library and can easily navigate the library website to find this information.
As of now the flowchart for how you find student space/facilities is the following:
UMKC library homepage>Locations>Miller Nichols Library.
The links for each of the student spaces/facilities are found within the Miller Nichols Library’s singular web page. However, there is a faster way to find “reserve a study room”, through a link found directly on the homepage of the library website. However, you can still find the link from the Miller Nichols Library page as well as the other library locations pages found in the “Locations” tab. The current flowchart for finding these spaces/locations appears to be simple and direct, so it was interesting to observe how it took some people a lot more clicks through web pages to find the correct information.
From the main page of the library website, I asked three different users that fit the persona type (new students/transfer students) to find different library spaces/locations. I asked them to find the “Digital Collaboration Studio”, “Computer Lab”, and “Reserve a study room”. All three of these spaces/locations are found within the Miller Nichols Library (the school’s main academic library) at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. I observed and made note of their navigation choices.
UMKC library homepage>Digital Exhibits>UMKC library homepage>Special Collections and Archives>Locations and Services: plan your visit>Miller Nichols Library floor plans>ground floor>locations>Miller Nichols Library>search bar “digital collaboration studio.”
Key takeaways:
User 1 thought that the large search bar on the homepage was a search bar to search the site, not a search bar to search for articles and catalogs in the library databases. They tried multiple times to search using that search bar before asking me why it wasn’t pulling up anything they wanted. They didn’t notice the smaller, site search bar located at the top of the page until the very end. The site search bar is how they ended up locating the information. User 1 did find the Miller Nichols Library page and did scroll through the whole page skimming the information. They missed that “digital collaboration studio” is linked on this page. When asked why they did not notice the link the first time they scrolled through the Miller Nichols Library page, they stated they were skimming because it was a lot of information to read and they only wanted to know about the digital collaboration studio. When they did not find the information right away they resorted to using the website's search bar to locate the information.
UMKC library homepage>Locations>Miller Nichols Library
Key takeaways:
User 2 also tried to use the search bar for the article and catalog database on the homepage to locate the information and also asked me for help. This user was able to find the information easily and effectively. However, were not successful in finding information for the computer lab. They were hoping to find a page or some written information that would explain what students needed to access the computers, or other information needed for the library computers. They found no link or further information other than they are mentioned under the paragraph “technology” found on the Miller Nichols Library webpage. This person mentioned that they like that all the information a student could need is located on one page and is organized by what’s on each floor, but that the information could be presented in a more effective way. They said the site cares more about the noise level on each floor instead of the “destinations” found on each floor. This person thought that it would be more important to know what’s located on each floor first, before knowing the little details like noise level.
UMKC library homepage>locations>Miller Nichols Library
Key takeaways:
User 3 also tried to use the search bar for the article and catalog database to locate the information. Once on the Miller Nichols Library webpage they were able to locate the needed information I tasked them with. They did try to find more information on the computer labs, but they were unsuccessful, much like user 2. The only difference is that they clicked on the link "floor maps" found within the sidebar of the Miller Nichols Library webpage and were able to locate the location of the computer lab, but they were hoping to find more information on what they as a student would need to have in order to use the computers. They did try to search for "computer labs" using the website search bar at the top of the page, but it brought them to a 404 error. They said they would want to know computer lab information before going to the library. When the user was viewing the webpage, they were happy to have found that the library had a café. I then asked this user what other spaces/locations are important for a student to know. They mentioned that as a student they would want to know Wi-Fi information, computers/printers, research librarians, and a café.
After gathering this information we would want to make minor changes to how the information is presented within the Miller Nichols Library webpage. We also would like to change what information is included in the "Locations" tab found on the homepage of the library. I believe that the only locations needed are Miller Nichols Library, Health Sciences Library, and Leon E. Bloch Law Library. It would make it even clearer for users to have some sort of title of "main campus library" to go along with the Miller Nichols Library. The 4 other listed items from the "locations" tab would be included within the Miller Nichols Library webpage.
User's liked having all the pertinent and useful information accessible from one page. However, we would want to change it so that you do not need to skim so much information just to find a small piece of info. On the Miller Nichols Library webpage, we would recommend a floor map of the school library where you could select a tab for each floor that would then include the major student resources and where they are located on that floor. At the top of the page there should be a navigational menu of important information that includes: the 4 main destinations in the library (the 4 items listed from the locations tab), reserve a study room, along with a menu heading for student resources, i.e., printers, computer labs, guest access, cafe, and also including the library tour videos found on the About Us page.