Digital space development

SM

Sketches of an website design we discussed yesterday in our meeting. We diverged to our own designs and draw up what we thought we should do to progress our idea and then converge the next day to see if we were all on the same page. It was great that Laura, Megs, and I all came up with very similar ideas both style and layout so we've decided to move on with the digital space and Ethan and Phillip moving on with the physical space. All while coming together to make sure the digital and physical connect in a number of ways.

MoSCow Meeting

In our meeting today we figured out what we want to go on the website. We also laid out a MoSCoW system with all the parts we thought Must, Should, Could, and Wont be on the website.

Site and digital to physical brainstorming

We were thinking changing the site to behind the escalators as this is only a large print non-fiction space and might fit better up stairs, this would also create a gradient right to left in the space from younger to older audience recommendations.

Site photos

This social space isn't quite in the area, but it doesn't have to be so segregated I guess, could make a good transition point.

These solo pods could become more comfy and could use less space...

Physical / Digital space explorations and connections

A main point from the client meeting this week was that anything we do can't stand out, it has to blend in with the rest of the library. With this in mind it's hard to take a lot of our original design further as it'll stand out a lot. However the ideas behind our space can continue forward, most importantly the idea of comfort. I had the idea of incorporating large comfortable chairs into the space between shelves to make them a little bit more private. I also thought, as the metal shelving units are rather industrial and harsh, that wood panelling could be added to the sides just to soften the area a little bit without totally changing the shelves and making them different to the rest of the library.

My other idea involved the organisation of the books - how to find books more easily. The library already has yellow dividers for each letter of the alphabet, these could be developed and connect the digital space with the same navigation/categorisation system.

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I also quickly mocked up some ideas I was having to do with the website. Relating to the way users would use the digital/physical system. The top three, recommend search and find book are all digital, and then go to library find book check out and read are all physical. We need to make the flow from digital use to physical use almost none existent. Obviously this still needs a lot of work but the underlining idea is what we need to achieve.

Research into the blending on Online and physical space.

LINK to article

"• People respond positively to faces and other indications of community member identity, including names and contact information;
• People are attracted to large central displays as a focus of attention; • People respond positively to having an overall sense of the content in the display;
• People respond positively to the poster-board format and the poster genre of information presentation; and
• People respond positively to changing content and are sensitive to the rate of that change; too quick is distracting or disturbing; too slow makes it appear static and less interesting."


Possibly have a live feed in the physical space of what is happening online (i.e, trending books, online conversations, etc.)

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LINK to article

Learner-based approaches, the increased availability of learning management systems tailored to individual use, the importance of group learning, and the growth of social networks have led to fundamental re-thinking of all spaces provided in libraries and learning institutions. The increasing use of mobile technology is causing further re-examination of space design. Common themes have developed which emphasize the need for flexibility, the importance of accommodating e-learning and m-learning, spaces for groups and areas for individual quiet study, and the emergence of self-service points, as well as those providing assistance. High tech still requires the high personal touch.

Perspectives from Australian, Canadian, European and Turkish experience.

Picon's statement “An illusion must be first discarded: the notion that cyberspace entails the collapse of physical space........ this notion of a collapse of space caused by the development of telecommunication is one of the oldest myths of the industrial modernity” at the University and Cyberspace Conference elegantly sums up the naivety of some of the claims about the disappearance of libraries with the growth of online access to information (Picon, 2010).

Physical space can help make cyber life richer and more productive. Physical space can be designed as an extension of the virtual space and vice versa. If the two spaces are perceived 3 as complementary and interconnected, the design will bear this out and allow users of libraries to make the most of each seamlessly.
The Information Commons concept when first introduced in libraries was conceived as “glorified computer labs” with rows of computers and related hardware and software, unwieldy chairs, and library and/or IT staff on duty to provide some help and assistance. Such facilities were usually open for longer hours. Today‟s version is the Learning Commons and involves hybrid spaces facilitating communication and interactive group and individual activity. These spaces are conducive to learning, social networking, peer and project work and community activities, and often include food and drink facilities.

All library physical space must be equipped to access cyberspace. Easy navigation without obstacles is required, e.g. power and cable connectivity. Too many clicks, too much intermediated activity, time spent physically going from one place to another will irritate the user. Increasingly, the front door of the Library is not the physical entrance but the home page of the Library‟s website. The design of websites must match the physical provision. Website design is challenging and many libraries employ professional web agencies and use sophisticated and expensive content management systems with an army of graphic designers and content creators to ensure their cyberspace is user friendly, easy to navigate and contains relevant and rich information to cater for all.

It is well known both from previous studies (e.g. OCLC, Pew Research, JISC etc.) and from local research done at various universities that most people prefer Google as their first point of call to search and access information. The library catalogue often plays a minor role during the research process. Users undertake many activities in libraries using social networking media with smart hand-held devices, watching movies, listening to music or podcasts, reviewing resources available from a wide range of sites (including YouTube), chatting with friends, family, teaching staff,or even complete strangers using any number of media. Users collaborate on projects, research problems, upload photos, videos, multimedia, create presentations individually or with others, use specialist tools e.g. Mathlab, Mathematica, SPSS, Adobe software etc. They play games. Physical space design must accommodate this wide-ranging variety of uses.

The final new space must not be launched as a complete surprise to its users. The users are and will remain the ultimate owners of the library and learning spaces. Web 2.0 social networking tools are increasingly used to engage students in space planning activities. For example at San Jose University, students representing a variety of groups on campus were invited to complete a learning spaces survey, which they undertook with a disposable camera to identify their favourite spaces. They then identified the least and most favourite campus places and interpreted peer responses resulting in a dialogue amongst the students and planners (Somerville & Collins, 2008). The outcome yielded the following student priorities:  Open unconfined environment  Comfortable, reconfigurable furniture  Functional, inspiring space; and  Ubiquitous mobile technology




Summary:

• Some sort of live feed within the space to connect it to the online environment
• There is a need for flexibility to accommodate for different people's needs (i.e. individual and group spaces)
• "Physical space can help make cyber life richer and more productive. Physical space can be designed as an extension of the virtual space and vice versa. If the two spaces are perceived 3 as complementary and interconnected, the design will bear this out and allow users of libraries to make the most of each seamlessly." (p.2)
• "Too many clicks, too much intermediated activity, time spent physically going from one place to another will irritate the user." (p.3)
• The final new space must not be launched as a complete surprise to its users.
• The outcome yielded the following student priorities (San Jose University students): 

1. Open unconfined environment 
2. Comfortable, reconfigurable furniture 
3. Functional, inspiring space; and  
4. Ubiquitous mobile technology

Class time - Tutor help

We were slightly struggling with breaking down the feedback we got in order to move on with our project. Personally we felt that our client's weren't really saying what they wanted. However Meg in class helped us to break down the feedback we actually got and see what it meant.
Turns out it wasn't as negative as we thought.

• Overall concept - stay the same
• Concentrate hugely on the digital / physical connection 
• Some aspect of the project must address an increase in revenue 
• More 'formal' dossier. 
• Always consider both Library and Council views.

Anna also helped us move forward in the way of our presentation. None of us were really hugely happy about how our presentation went but this non graded formative assessment presentation was able to give us a huge insight into what to improve or remove for our final marked presentation. 

• "We've spent x amount of hours in the library and we've learnt this..."
• What can we see that they can't see?
• How can we change behaviour?
• Show how we would do it. Plan it. Short term - mid term - long term.
• Talk about feedback in presentation. 

Speaker Series, LT200: Brian Lucid

The UX and interaction designer from the US discussed his 'death of the web' opinion. This was quite an interesting speaker as he prefers to design and evaluate the processes of systems and tools for designers opposed to 'designing' so much. For example designing systems that translate code writing into a more accessible tool for visual thinkers and designers like Blueprint which makes code look more like working with old school electronic parts.

So this 'death of the web' is about that all websites are starting to look the same because website designers and programmers are relying on the basic default layouts, rather than trying to experiment and make their website stand out from the crowd. This is mainly because: 

- Designing a website will always be challenging and quite technical
- They know certain design formulas that already work well and easier to create
- The web used to be seen as a playground for experimentation, but know we take it much more seriously
- There has been a division between process of designing how the website will work and function, which often come first and then designing how it looks later on. This process leads to a lot of samey websites and apps that end up just having different colours.
- A focus on what tests well rather than what could succeed (e.g. Helvetica ending up everywhere)
- These generic website designs are considered 'good' in the industry

Another important point was raised discussing when to use a similar design to other websites as this has the perk of familiarity. This is good when the user is wanting to get something done at a satisfying speed (like paying for something with a credit card), but when the user is browsing you want them to have an 'experience' and this is where speed is less important. Same goes for physical spaces.

So this talk has definitely inspired us to rethink our website design and will give us the chance to integrate the visual language between website and the space.

- EW

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Brian Lucid 
Associate Professor of Design, Coordinator, Post Graduate Design

Thinking about designing a website:
- How do we explain what wants to be known?
- Need to define the way the system works (via wireframing)

Death of the web:

All websites at the moment look the same, I created a WCL New Adult version to explain this - large graphic with type overlaid, small navbar that will take you further down the page, defined sections instead of different pages. We need to think about this when redesigning our scrolling website and make sure that it's different than most new websites on the internet, whilst thinking about how we can include some features to keep the familiarity and make the website user friendly. "Web was seen as a playground before," we need to bring this back and try new things.

UX - How it works - Userflow, Wireframing, Prototyping 
UI - How it looks - Type, Colour, Layout, Graphics
CX - (not featured in this lecture but also important to think about) How the user will use it - user testing, journey mapping, users POV

Responsive web design - we need to do this, make our website fluid not static, similar to those above its a similar design but with small changes such as a simpler navbar on the phone. 

Activate white space! 

Design web experiences that are appropriate to the user and their needs. 

Integrate UX and UI. Experiences are holistic 

Treat performance as design, be modular.

Use a framework that supports your vision, don't modify your vision to fit the framework. 

Grids are armatures for content, not containers, don't restrict yourself - maybe grid isn't for web anymore.

Web is not print! Consider new forms that print cannot do. 

Engagement is the problem 

Could be about slowing things down - rather than making a website that's really quick and easy to use you may want to slow some parts down so that the user is engaged for longer. 

Complexity needs to be managed right. 

This lecture came at a really great point in this project, we're just about to redesign our website design and the tips and ideas from this lecture really will help. Really inspired me to just get stuck in and go back to the wireframing point. 

- SM

Survey Results

The link to our survey results is here.

Presentation video

Verbal feedback from presentation: 
Tutor feedback:

• The names quite nice
• Recategorisation sounds good just let them know how this would work spatially. (Eg do action titles impact the space, type of book = physical look)
• Video has nice personal engagement, need to show how it feels though. make them feel what it feels like to be in the space. 
• Music is out of sync with the video
• What are the stats based on? base them on something 
• Dig deeper with research/analysis 
• SHOW HOW THE DIGITAL AND PHYSICAL SPACE CONNECT

Client Feedback:

• Liked the 'tester' site idea and that it can be used to improve the existing site if it works
• Liked the idea of internal advertising to get into all of the space. 
• Liked the overall idea of the space.
• Find out if we do this will it actually improve memberships 
• More site visuals for next time. 
• MORE STATS 
• Make it more clear what is different about the new space compared to the rest of the library.
• Why did we make these decisions. Back up the ideas with STATS. 

Physical email feedback:

Video Development

Study break

Laura, Sophie, and I have had a busy study break doing the dossier and imagery for the presentation. We traced all the type for the presentation as well as a bunch of drawings. We then refined and proofread the dossier text before designing and laying it out. It's been printed and is now in the process of being bound.
Our group met about six times over the break, hopefully this will set us up well for interim and the rest of the semester.