Everyone wants our online tools and services, library services, and spaces to be relevant and easy to use. The User Experience & Web Services (UX) program brings our knowledge of design, usability, and user research to provide a fresh and holistic perspective to improving the user experience.
Staff: See User Experience & Web Services in the staff directory
Email lists:
- web-lib@mit.edu - Use this list to ask questions, send feedback, or request updates for the public web site, or ask about adding new sites or areas of content. Please note: this email is for staff use only. The public should use Ask Us, and questions will be routed to the web staff as appropriate.
- ux-lib@mit.edu - Use this email if you have a request for UX assistance not related to the web or online interfaces or tools.
- ux-lib-all - Same as ux-lib@mit.edu list, but also includes admin assistants.
Web Services
The User Interface Group (UIG) within UX leads the development and maintenance of our web and mobile interfaces, and performs usability tests.
UX Studies & Initiatives
Studies:
- Digital Scholarship at MIT: Spring 2011
Volunteers from the MIT community (undergrads, grads, & TAs) were asked to record their own research behavior over the course of a one-week period using their own digital camera and taking notes in any format they wished. The photos and notes were used to help each person tell their story in detail during in-depth interviews with members of the libraries user experience group. The goal of the study was to investigate how new technologies and formats are having an impact on how MIT scholars find, use, and share information for their study, research, and publishing. - Library space: Spring 2011
The space study in spring 2011 resulted in a number of reports. Aside from the presentation above, there is also a short summary, a summary of the qualitative data, and the task survey tool. A study of how library spaces are used in real time, in order to inform the discussion about extending library hours and to gather baseline space usage data. The study consisted of three parts: observations, a Task Inventory Survey, and three open-ended flip-chart questions. In addition, other existing data, such as gate counts and circulation trends, was gathered to further inform the hours decision process. - Library Hours - Space Study Spring 2011
- Patron for a Day: Fall 2010 (PDF)
This test was designed as an opportunity for staff to learn what it is like to be a user by performing a series of tasks patrons regularly perform in our physical spaces. Outcome: some good ideas for improvements that were easy to make! - Information-Seeking Behavior photo diary study: 2006
Initiatives:
Past initiatives:
