Works

Resume

About Me

Let's Connect

Works

About Me

Resumé

Let's Connect

Back to Works

Turning GSU’s Library website into an app

GROUP PROJECT

GROUP PROJECT

PROJECT

PROJECT

Personal

Personal

ROLE

ROLE

UX Designer

UX Designer

DESIGN

UX/UI

UX/UI

DURATION

1 Month

Project Overview

Research

Define

Final

Project Overview

Georgia State University has an expansive Library that not only houses books, but it’s a student community space to rent technical equipment, reserve study rooms, and print appropriate papers.

Georgia State University has an expansive Library that not only houses books, but it’s a student community space to rent technical equipment, reserve study rooms, and print appropriate papers.

Despite the expansive platform, it lacks a mobile-friendly version. Inspired to do better for my college peers I want to create an app that fills that mobile gap.

Despite the expansive platform, it lacks a mobile-friendly version. Inspired to do better for my college peers I want to create an app that fills that mobile gap.

Project Overview

Research

Define

Final

Research

Since the website was becoming an app, this was a great opportunity to hear from students on pain points they had using the library services – this way I’m not just converting the web into an app but solving user problems along the way.

Since the website was becoming an app, this was a great opportunity to hear from students on pain points they had using the library services – this way I’m not just converting the web into an app but solving user problems along the way.

After surveying 12 GSU students their main frustrations were:

Unclear Navigation

Double Booked Rooms

Disoriented Printing Process

1

Unclear Navigation

Students voiced that it’s difficult to find the website in the first place and often resort to digging within the schools website or just giving it a google search.

Analysis

Analysis

The library website is nested in the main site, a source not resourced frequently by enrolled students.

The library website is nested in the main site, a source not resourced frequently by enrolled students.

The issue with finding the library’s website is it’s only connected to GSU’s main website. The main site is geared toward those who want to attend the school and find out information about the opportunities the school provides.


So enrolled students don’t reference the main site on a regular basis. In fact, their time is spent within their student dashboard or classroom portal.


This makes it difficult for enrolled students to find a source they need.

The issue with finding the library’s website is it’s only connected to GSU’s main website. The main site is geared toward those who want to attend the school and find out information about the opportunities the school provides.


So enrolled students don’t reference the main site on a regular basis. In fact, their time is spent within their student dashboard or classroom portal.


This makes it difficult for enrolled students to find a source they need.

Where Students Spend their Academic Online Time at GSU

Time

Student

Dashboard

Classroom

Portal

GSU Main

Site

2

Double Booked Rooms

Most frustration blooms from students finding out their room

has also been booked and hinders their study time.

Student Experience with Doubled Bookings

Booking the Room

Seeing a student in your room

Conversing with the student on

who has an official reservation

Giving up and searching for

another space to study

OR

Won their space, but is upset

about the mix-up with rooms

Analysis

Analysis

The library has limited study rooms, which explains double bookings. It’s the lack of communication to the students is what peaks frustration.

The library has limited study rooms, which explains double bookings. It’s the lack of communication to the students is what peaks frustration.

In an ideal circumstance, I would’ve partnered up with a corresponding software engineer to see if double booking was a backend issue. However considering my limits, I looked at something I could control.


When doubling booking occurs, neither student is aware the room has been booked twice and both are prepared to study during that time.


Without communication, the students don’t know it’s an issue until faced by another student. Overall double booking evolves into unexpected and tense user on user interaction, this is where our pain point lies.

In an ideal circumstance, I would’ve partnered up with a corresponding software engineer to see if double booking was a backend issue. However considering my limits, I looked at something I could control.


When doubling booking occurs, neither student is aware the room has been booked twice and both are prepared to study during that time.


Without communication, the students don’t know it’s an issue until faced by another student. Overall double booking evolves into unexpected and tense user on user interaction, this is where our pain point lies.

3

Disoriented Printing Process

Students say the printing process is tedious and takes a long time because of the extensive steps it takes to print a few sheets of paper.

Analysis

Analysis

GSU offers two main printing methods, but both require many steps to obtain the paper.

GSU offers two main printing methods, but both require many steps to obtain the paper.

GSU offers Mobile Print, printing from school computer, and many printers for accessibility but since they all require their own particular process, it takes the convenience out of the multiple options.

GSU offers Mobile Print, printing from school computer, and many printers for accessibility but since they all require their own particular process, it takes the convenience out of the multiple options.

Method 1: Mobile Printing

12

clicks

11

mins to complete

Method 2: School Computer Printing

14

clicks

12

mins to complete

Project Overview

Research

Define

Final

Define Statements

Unclear Navigation

Problem Statement

When students want reserve a room or equipment they struggle because they aren’t certain how to find the library’s website internally and what is available to checkout leading to aimless searching for the correct site or product.

HMW

How might we make a clear pathway internally for students to reach the library technologies so that they can reserve the room or equipment of their needs and focus on their work?

Double Booked Rooms

Problem Statement

When students are ready to focus on their homework in their study room, the friction comes in when another student claims the room is also theirs. Which leads to tension on which student has to sacrifice the room and their work time.

HMW

How might we make a clear pathway internally for students to reach the library technologies so that they can reserve the room or equipment of their needs and focus on their work?

Disoriented Printing Process

Problem Statement

When students try to print papers for their class they are overwhelmed by the variety of tedious methods leading to a tiring and long process to print a few papers.

HMW

How might we make a clear pathway internally for students to reach the library technologies so that they can reserve the room or equipment of their needs and focus on their work?

Project Overview

Research

Define

Final

Final Solutions

From Unclear to Organized Navigation

Within the app, each major function of the library was fit into it’s own page on the navigation bar at the bottom. Including a resource page of FAQ.

Homepage

Resources

Room Resevration

Printing Page

Resources

From Double Booked to Concise and Communicative Booking

Students were given a smoother room reservation flow to see room availability, as well as functionality to edit their booking and receive updates about it.

Filter Screen

Selected Room, Day, and Time

Confirmation

Success

New Room Reservation

From Weird Printing to Streamline Printing

We condensed book printing methods into a one-stop printing tab, keeping all functionalities within a shorter flow. The flow improved from 12 - 14 clicks to 7 clicks and the time cut from 13 - 12 to 5 minutes.

Printing Homepage

Adding Documents

Selecting Print Details

Send to Printer

Next Projects

Editoral

How to Atl

A guide booklet on Piedmont Park for new residents in Atlanta.

Motion Design

My UX Process

Showcasing my UX Design process through motion design.

Let’s Connect

Let’s Connect

Let’s Connect

LinkedIn

LinkedIn

contact@michellealtine.com

contact@michellealtine.com

All Rights Reserved. Michelle 2026.