Brainstorming exercise results for unsolved user needs - from UX meeting 8/11/10

Category: How to get help

  • What to do when our systems don't work (ex., a book is out of call number order)
  • Instant tech help in person & online
  • Different levels of help at all times of day

Category: Awareness of services

  • Users should be aware of feedback mechanisms to tell us how to make things better
  • Way to find out about resources within their own space/lab/computing environment
  • Users need to know about the wide variety of services offered
  • Be able to find out what they need, where they are/work, without knowing who to ask
  • Easy way to share info with colleagues

Category: Physical space needs

  • Access to expensive equipment (scanners, GPS devices, etc.)
  • Basic navigational help in physical space
  • Physical spaces that inspire
  • Places to sit & think or study quietly
  • Different lighting settings
  • Different sound
  • Different smell
  • Comfortable soft physical spaces
  • Need space that doesn't smell
  • Natural light & fresh air (comfortable conditions)
  • Logical organization of physical materials

Category: Trusted information network

  • Trusted sources (people or sites)
  • Information conduit --> help navigate to new info and/or trusted info/data
  • Library staff as members of trusted community networks
  • Trusted information network

Category: Data & information

  • Manage info/data
  • Access info/data
  • Use data
  • Find info/data
  • Quick access to full text we don't own/subscribe to

Category: Help with research (either self-service or through staff) & miscellaneous

  • Speed, quick turnaround
  • Build connections between systems; no 1 system for everything
  • Help with publishing
  • Users need to be able to discover alternate ways of doing things (email rather than copy in libs)
  • Need librarians/staff to be fun & approachable
  • Need library research to be more creative/fun process
  • Self-service for easy things
  • No labels