NYPL Linkup
An app concept to help library patrons keep track of events and stay connected with their communities.
Timeline October - December 2023
Role
Product Designer
Tools Figma
Team
Sasha Slavashevich
John Wang
PROBLEM
Most people think of the library as a quiet, solitary place, when in reality libraries host a wide range of free community events that most patrons never hear about.
Libraries, at their core, are more than just spaces to study or check out books. When we talked to the children’s librarian at Ottendorfer Library in the East Village, she emphasized the idea of library as community center.
“A library is really one of the only spaces in a community open to anyone, free of charge, where people of all ages and demographics can congregate and benefit from the shared resources.”
This idea of a social library experience really inspired us, as we felt that it had been overlooked in preliminary interviews and other libraries we had visited.
children’s activities, author talks, makerspaces, concerts, etc.
We wanted to find ways to introduce more community engagement within libraries, and open up opportunities for socialization and conversation.
USER RESEARCH
We visited libraries across the New York Public Library (NYPL) system and cold-interviewed patrons on the spot.
We focused on interviewing parents and caregivers, as we felt they were most likely to benefit from a community-oriented library experience. In total, we spoke with nine people: four caregivers (babysitters, nannies) and five parents.
We found that many of them already used the library socially — attending weekly storytime, playtime sessions, outdoor concerts, film festivals — and valued it as a space for their kids to develop interpersonal skills outside of school. But even the regular attendees struggled with the logistics of staying informed and planning ahead.
We also talked to parents who had never attended a library event at all — not because they weren't interested, but because they simply didn't know they existed. Currently, they are only advertised through physical flyers in the library and a hard-to-use event search page on the NYPL website.
USER PERSONA
We created a user persona based on the parents we interviewed, to summarize their needs and pain points and guide our thinking in the design phase.
We created a user persona based on the parents we interviewed, to summarize their needs and pain points and guide our thinking in the design phase.
How might we help parents and their kids better connect with their communities through library events?
CURRENT NYPL CALENDAR
Before we could design an improvement, we had to research the current event search interface on the NYPL website.
The existing NYPL calendar was a long, text-heavy list — hard to browse casually, and requiring users to re-apply filters every visit. It assumed you already knew what you were looking for.
GOALS
Rather than redesigning it, we wanted to build something new based on three goals.
1. PERSONALIZATION
Surface events most relevant to each user.
Surface events most relevant to each user.
2. SOCIALIZATION
Help patrons connect with each other.
Help patrons connect with each other.
3. ORGANIZATION
Help parents plan events around their busy schedules.
Help parents plan events around their busy schedules.
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
We analyzed event apps and social apps to understand how similar platforms handled discovery and community.
BRAINSTORM
We went wide with our brainstorming, generating as many ideas as we could through post-it ideation exercises.
STORYBOARD
To further explore our initial ideas, we sketched out what the user journey of a parent using our app might look like.
USER FLOW DIAGRAM
After getting positive feedback on the storyboard from parents we interviewed, we continued by mapping out specific features and pages we wanted in the app.
LOW FIDELITY WIREFRAME
We laid out what each page in the user flow might look like through creating simple wireframes in Figma.
CRITIQUE & CHANGES
At this stage, we presented our app concept and wireframing progress to four guest critics.
The class session with the UX designers helped draw our attention to a few key gaps in our designs so far.
MOODBOARD & IDENTITY
For the visual direction, we leaned into bright pastels and rounded shapes, turning event discovery into something to get excited about rather than a chore.
We wanted to design an app that felt fun for parents and children to use together. To make sure we had a unified view of the app's look and feel before fleshing out the designs, my group collected images that inspired us.
FINAL DESIGN
Our final product was an interactive prototype of an app, organized into the four features broken down below.
I took on most of the work in transitioning from low-fidelity wireframes to the final prototype, and applying a consistent visual language throughout all screens.
PERSONALIZATION
When you first log in, you can help the app get to know you better by inputting your interests and event preferences in a short quiz.
EVENT DISCOVERY
In the browse page, you can view event highlights in the categories most relevant to you. You can also further refine the search or favorite events for later.
In an individual event page, you can view the event description, accessibility notes, tags, registration button, and other related events. You can also share the event and see which of your friends are going.
In the browse page, you can view event highlights in the categories most relevant to you. You can also further refine the search or favorite events for later.
In an individual event page, you can view the event description, accessibility notes, tags, registration button, and other related events. You can also share the event and see which of your friends are going.
COMMUNITY INTERACTION
In the Friends tab, you can direct message your friends, see what groups they are in, and see what upcoming events they’re going to.
In the Groups tab, you can message groups you’ve joined to connect with people who share things in common with you, and see what upcoming events the group is planning to go to.
In the Friends tab, you can direct message your friends, see what groups they are in, and see what upcoming events they’re going to.
In the Groups tab, you can message groups you’ve joined to connect with people who share things in common with you, and see what upcoming events the group is planning to go to.
ORGANIZATION & SCHEDULING
In the event calendar, there’s both a monthly view and weekly view. In the weekly view, you can input your availability and have the app generate event recommendations that fit your schedule. You can also view your existing event plans and accept invitations from friends.
TAKEAWAYS
1. WHY PROCESS MATTERS
This was my first time working within a formal design thinking framework, so I got to see how each step helps designers create a more compelling and useful product. I got firsthand experience with the process of going wide with research and ideation and then narrowing in during prototyping, as well as using tools like immersive research, post-it/whiteboard exercises, and storyboarding to generate and explore ideas.
2. LET THE USER TELL THE STORY
I learned how to properly conduct user interviews. It was extremely important to my group that we fully understand the user’s story by asking open-ended questions and not just go into the interview trying to confirm our assumptions. I’m also proud of my efforts to go beyond my own network by cold-interviewing strangers I met in the library, since it led to more diverse and insightful perspectives.