Search History and Saved Search Alerts
Case study
Goal
Develop a responsive design for search history and saved search alerts within the library discovery platform that enables users to easily access their search history, receive timely notifications, and enjoy seamless user experience across different devices. This will enhance user satisfaction, improve search efficiency, and promote library resource utilization.
Problem statement
As a reference librarian, faculty member, or researcher, I want to quickly access my search history and easily re-run a search without having to input search parameters a second time. This will save me both time and wasted effort in relocating resources I had already uncovered.
As a secondary issue, I also want to be alerted when articles I have searched for may have been updated or are no longer available. This allows me to quickly update materials I may have included in the research, a syllabus or have provided to others so the information I provide is timely and correct. Creating alerts for myself will allow me to receive regular updates to literature I'm interested in and so provide me with a resource to keep me current in my profession.
Lessons learned
Our challenge was improving the search history and saving the search process for researchers. Users were not signing in to their search session, and we suspected we needed to explain why signing in would benefit the user. We conducted focus groups with libraries in the US and Canada to understand their pain points and expectations with search history and saved searches before we started designing. We discovered users expected similar search history experiences from Google, PubMed, and other library discovery platforms. Based on these insights, we created a login message to persuade users to enhance their user experience by logging in to save their search history. As a result, we saw an increase in sign-in and use of search history and saved search. I learned the importance of clear communication and visual cues in personalization.
My Role
UX Research
UX Design
Usability
Accessability
Timeline
Research Phase (4 weeks)
User interviews, competitive analysis, and data gathering
Design Phase (8 weeks)
Paper prototypes, user flows, wireframes, and UI designs
Implementation (10 weeks)
Development support and final refinements
Skill & Tools
User Research
Information Architecture
Figma
Miro
Discovery, Design & Iteration
Conducted in-depth user interviews and analyzed competitor products to identify pain points and opportunities. Used a Miro board to capture pain points and opportunities for sessions held with academic librarians in the US and Canada.
Created paper prototypes and wireframes and conducted multiple rounds of user testing to refine the experience.
