Service Design for Better UX

Joe J. Marquez, MLIS Annie Downey, PhD, MLS Reed College Library

Services and UX UX is not just about UI

What is a service?

Services are these intangible, co-created exchanges that cannot be possessed.

They are contextual. They exist in an ecology.

They have purpose/function.

They have interactions.

They are human centered.

What is a service?

They can only be experienced.

Everything is a service.

What are services and where do services happen?

What are services and where do services happen?

What are services and where do services happen?

What are services and where do services happen?

What are services and where do services happen?

What are services and where do services happen?

What are services and where do services happen?

What are services and where do services happen?

Library as System Libraries are tightly coupled

systems.

Libraries are tightly coupled systems

“A system is a set of things interconnected in such a way that they produce their own pattern of behavior over time.” (p.2)

“Once we see the relationship between structure and behavior, we can begin to understand how systems work, what makes them produce poor results, and how to shift them into better behavior patterns.” (p.1)

-  Donella Meadows, Thinking in Systems

Meadows, D. H. (2008). Thinking in systems : a primer. White River Junction, Vt: Chelsea Green Pub.

Service Design What is it?

Service Design, a definition

“Service design is a holistic, co-creative, and user-centered approach to understanding customer/user behavior for the creation or refining of services.”

-  Marquez & Downey

Marquez, J., & Downey, A. (2015). Service Design: An Introduction to a Holistic Assessment Methodology of Library Services. Weave: Journal of Library User Experience, 1(2). http://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.3998/weave.12535642.0001.201

Service Design Mindset

●  Holistic ●  Empathetic ●  Focus on User Needs and Expectations ●  Co-Creative ●  Confirming the Evidence ●  Open minded, or No Devil’s Advocate ●  Ability to Make the Intangible Tangible ●  A Willingness to Evolve

Phases of Service Design

Pre-Work

Observation

Understanding / Thinking

Implementing

Maintenance and Continuing Feedback Loop

Phase: Pre-Work

●  Buy-in ●  Communicate ●  Create teams ●  Create scope (goals) ●  Begin scheduling ●  Ground rules ●  Assign roles ●  Draft activities

Phase: Observation

Goals

●  Gather initial insights ●  Initial interviews to create a sense of how services/resources are being used ●  Survey

Tools

●  Ethnography ●  Surveys ●  Space Analysis ●  Personas

Phase: Understanding/Thinking

Goals

●  Co-create solutions ●  Visualize behavior ●  Prototyping ●  Testing ●  Refining ●  Synthesizing

Tools

●  Customer Journey Mapping ●  Journaling ●  Scenarios ●  Prototyping

Phase: Implementing

Goals

●  Implement & test ●  What metrics determine success?

Tools

●  Blueprints

Maintenance and Continuing �Feedback Loop ●  The project does not end at implementation. ●  Continue to measure efficacy of service delivery ●  Test often, refine as needed

Reed College Space Usage

Study & Findings Students are creatures of habit,

they have favorite spots, and they have sacred beliefs.

Reed College Study, Overview

Goal •  Understand how students use the physical library and library services/

resources. Scope •  Defined by College Librarian •  Changed and refined over time to focus more on space usage

Timeline •  Two+ years •  Plan in fall / implement in spring / data analysis and report writing in summer

Two groups •  Library Usability Group (LUX) = staff •  Student advisory group = users

What did we learn from the students?

•  students are creatures of habit •  wayfinding •  culture of the library •  hierarchy •  library spaces are consecrated spaces •  naming conventions •  additional services: refilling stations, printing, better website •  chairs, uneven •  small repairs needed throughout library

What did we learn about the process?

•  Plan early •  Test often •  Get buy-in early •  Communicate about the process – explain what you are doing and what you

are NOT doing •  Don’t be afraid to ask questions •  Leave all preconceived notions about your students (users) at the door –

approach the process with an open mind

Any Questions?

???

The Article

Thank you!

Joe Marquez e: jmarquez@reed.edu

t: @joughm

Annie Downey e: adowney@reed.edu