2021 • user research, UI/UX design, prototyping
Solo Project
book
A workspace booking system for the MIT Libraries.
Overview
School libraries often have workspaces that serve as great study spots. During peak hours, however, finding an open space can be time and energy-consuming. In order to make finding a place to study less stressful for students, I conceptualized Book, a workspace reservation app for easy availability checking and booking in the MIT libraries.
User research and synthesis
To build a better understanding of how students view workspaces in the university libraries and how they approach finding one, I conducted 10 one-on-one interviews with MIT students. When recruiting research participants, I was mindful of getting a diverse range in class years and frequency in which they use the libraries.
From the interviews, it became evident that students using library workspaces largely fell under one of three categories: 1. those doing individual work who prefer to sit alone, 2. those doing individual work who prefer to sit with friends, and 3. those doing group work. Several pain points also came to light, identified below.
Ideation
Based on the findings, I defined my project goal: an app that allows busy students, who have varying needs and preferences, to intuitively find and secure library workspaces that match their needs. I then drew up a storyboard for how Book could fit in to address some frustrations, and started thinking about the app's structure and actions.
Logo and splash screen animation
As a booking app for a library, it seemed fitting to make Book's logo a book. Formed by 7 lines, it's a simple logo with a unique feature - by shifting 2 lines, the book transforms into a desk. These two symbols represent the purpose of the app, which is why I animated the splash screen to showcase this transformation.
View bookings and check-in
In the Bookings tab, which is represented by the book icon, users can check their upcoming bookings. At the start of the allotted time of their booking, they are required to check-in to confirm that they're there. Booking details are displayed on cards, which can be expanded to show more information. Once expanded, users can also edit, cancel, or share their bookings; when they check-in, their edit button changes into an extend button, which gives them the option to extend the duration of their reservation.
Create a new booking
Also in the Bookings tab is an action button to create a new booking. The button container expands into a screen where users can enter preferences for their booking and workspace. Then, the system will find a workspace that best matches the user's input. Before confirming the booking, users can go back and edit their preferences if they wish. Once confirmed, the new booking will be added to their upcoming bookings.
