Author: Andy

Call for Papers 2024

20th November 2023

Here it is – all the information you need on this year’s Call for Papers for our 11-13 June 2024 conference in Cambridge…

This year’s theme:
The chosen theme of UXLibs8 is ‘Curiosity and empathy’ so we are inviting presentations that respond to questions such as the following:

  • How might we engender more empathy for our users when conducting User Experience Research & Design techniques?
  • How might we become more curious about both our users, and the data we gather from them, with a view to increased understanding of their needs and behaviours, now and in the future?
  • How might we have more self-empathy, protecting ourselves from the emotional labour of researching and designing user experiences?
  • How might we decide when our research curiosity is too curious? Where are the ethical lines and boundaries?
  • How might we show more empathy for staff and colleagues when we/they are conducting UX work?
  • How might we select and conduct more empathic and curious UX techniques?

Your presentation does not need to respond directly to the above questions, but should ideally relate to the themes of empathy and curiosity in some way.

Do I have to follow this year’s theme?
Although the theme is important, don’t get hung up on it. You may persuade us to include a paper on something not connected with this year’s theme (criteria-wise it only gets you 3 points out of 30).

Anticipated/planned UX research
Your paper may be about work that has been completed or that you anticipate conducting between now and the conference. This is absolutely fine. It is also OK if your paper ends up diverging somewhat from your initial abstract – within reason obviously. A good UX Research & Design process often sees the practitioner end up at an entirely different destination.

What do I need to do? Give me all the info!
Paper proposals are due by end of Friday 2 February 2024. After this deadline, we will follow a blind peer review process with the submitted papers and will let you know if you have been successful by Friday 16 February. If you are invited to present you will have around 20 minutes in which to present your paper at the conference. You will be speaking to 30-50 people in total.

What happens if my paper is selected?
If your paper is selected you will receive a 10% discount on this year’s delegate rate in recognition of your contribution. If the paper is going to be co-presented then the 10% discount will be split between you and the other presenter. Post-conference you will be invited to write up your paper for our yearbook publication. Important note: Prior to the conference, use of the word ‘paper’ does not mean you need to provide an academic written paper, we are simply using ‘paper’ to refer to your presentation – there is sometimes confusion around this!

Best paper prize
Once again, we will be presenting a prize for the best conference paper (a free place at next year’s conference), won last year by Alison Sharman.

Scoring Criteria/Submission advice
This year we will follow the same blind review scoring criteria as in previous years. Once the paper has been anonymised by the UXLibs Administrator the markers will score each paper (out of 30) accordingly:

  • How intriguing/exciting/engaging does it sound? (out of 10)
  • How unique/innovative is the topic and/or the approach? (out of 5)
  • Evidence that UX has taken place/strong UX content/specific UX methods cited (out of 5)
  • Does it fit this year’s theme: curiosity and empathy (out of 3)
  • Valuable learning outcomes (out of 3)
  • Discretionary points to account for aspects not covered in the above categories (out of 4)

How academic and formal should my paper proposal be?
UXLibs is an informal and friendly conference – this doesn’t mean that we are not interested in research rigour and due process, but if your paper is dry and overly academic it may not be the best fit for our conference.

Our definition of User Experience work…
The UX in Libraries definition of UX work embraces both physical and digital, in fact all aspects of library services. We see UX as about engaging with users more deeply and meaningfully than is possible through transactional surveys (i.e. questionnaires) or simply by gathering statistical data. If your paper is only about these data collection methods it is unlikely to get through. We also encourage that UX design (the prototyping and iteration of new spaces and services with users) takes place as a result of UX research, so papers which additionally demonstrate this process will also score more highly.

Submission requirements
You should follow ALL the requirements set out below:

  • A presentation title
  • An abstract of no more than 300 words
  • A brief summary of no more than 50 words
  • A brief biography (of each author) of no more than 50 words
  • Your email address
  • Learning outcomes for attendees
  • Submit as a Word or Pages document (not a PDF please) by email to admin@uxlib.org by end of Friday 2 February 2024
  • Papers may be co-presented but by no more than two people (additional named co-authors are fine, but only a maximum of two can actually present at the conference – please indicate who this will be if applicable)

Please feel free to contact Conference Chair Andy Priestner if you want to discuss any aspect of this year’s Call for Papers.

Thank you!

Andy, Bryony, Andrew, Julie (The UXLibs Committee)

Presentations and Photographs from UX in Libraries 7

10th June 2023

The following presentations were delivered at our 7th annual conference in Brighton in June 2023.

Delegate presentations:

Workshops:

And these photographs taken by David Scott:

UXLibs 7 – Speaker Biographies

1st February 2023

MARIE ØSTERGÅRD (Keynote 1)
As Library Director of Aarhus Public Libraries, Marie oversees the highly-acclaimed Dokk1 main library and 17 other branches. Dokk1 is the largest public library in the Nordic Countries and won the Public Library of the Year Award in 2016, renowned for its rethinking of library spaces, partnerships, participation in city development and the involvement of users. Since the beginning of her career in 2001 Marie has been part of Aarhus Public Libraries’ development of the library as a democratic space – a non-commercial arena that empowers citizenship, sustainable communities and human growth. Focusing on user-involvement, partnerships, design thinking and rethinking of library space, she has investigated new technologies, involvement processes and organisational learning in library development. Marie has also worked intensely with co-creation and partnerships – nationally and internationally – to push development, network and innovation in the library sector. She engages in international conversations and co-operation across the world about library development, democracy, advocacy and leadership. She serves as a member of ALA Business Advisory Group and as chair of the board of PL2030 – a non-profit European organisation aimed to put public libraries on the EU agenda and strengthen international network. She also serves on the board of the Danish Association of Library Directors and the Danish National Association of Digital Libraries.

ARUN VERMA (Keynote 2)
Dr Arun Verma is a leading figure in implementing and integrating intersectionality in systems, policy and programmes both nationally and internationally. He is a Senior Manager for Diversity and Inclusion at the Royal Academy of Engineering, Academic Tutor (University of Dundee) and Fellow of the RSA. He completed his doctorate exploring intersectionality in healthcare students’ learning, retention and success. He has led the integration and embedding of intersectionality and anti-racist practice in government commissioning, national and global programmes development and education through developing and implementing intersectional and inclusive policy and praxis interventions. Arun has also been granted a number of awards supporting and facilitating his research including the Nuffield Science Bursary, HEA Doctoral Fund and was recently nominated as  Diversity and Inclusion Leader 2022 by d&i leaders. He is a Trustee for Getting on Board working to diversify governance and his edited collection ‘Anti-racism in higher education: An action guide for change’ is already influencing the debate and accelerating action for inclusion in higher education.

EMMA THOMPSON (Plenary 1)
Emma Thompson is Head of Academic Engagement and Teaching Services at Manchester Metropolitan University Library and Cultural Services. She loves working in universities because she’s surrounded by thousands of smart people: the students and the staff. Emma started out as a teenage Saturday assistant in a Belfast public library and later switched to academic libraries. She’s now a library senior leader and Senior Advance HE fellow, with experience across four UK university libraries. Her experience includes working with business schools to achieve accreditation, leading on research services and launching a learning development service. At Manchester Met, Emma has responsibility for student information and digital literacy development and education focused innovation and strategy. She’s currently working on a strategic project to transform the university library for the 2030s and beyond, where UX is at the heart of the programme.

VICTORIA OLANIYAN (Plenary 2)
Dr Victoria Olaniyan is a Senior User Researcher at Methods, a UK-based transformation partner for public services, who deliver end-to-end business and technical solutions that are people-centred, safe, and designed for the future.  She also works with Fintech and Public Health clients as both a hands-on UX researcher and strategic consultant/advisor. Prior to this, she has worked with a number of UK medical research charities where she led on the development of analytical approaches for health-focused programmes and partnerships. She is passionate about research that centres around bringing the voices of underrepresented groups upfront. Her PhD research focused on understanding the barriers to accessing mental health services for ethnic minority groups on university campuses. Her most recent work, ‘Just ethnic matching? Racial and ethnic minority students and culturally appropriate mental health provision at British universities’, explores how university staff and researchers can utilise reflexive person-specific approaches when engaging with and including minoritised communities in their work.

SHELLEY GULLIKSON (Plenary 3)
Shelley Gullikson did her first usability tests for a Human Computer Interaction course in 1998 and has been thinking about what does and doesn’t work for users ever since. Her varied library career has included forays into newstape cataloguing, law libraries, art libraries, information literacy, and government libraries, but she has spent the last decade at Carleton University Library, Ottawa, Canada, initially as Web Librarian and since 2021 as Web & UX Librarian. She’s still not quite sure what she wants to be when she grows up.

ANDY PRIESTNER (Opening Address & Pre-Conference Workshop)
Andy is a full-time freelancer in UX research and design who works with academic and public libraries all over the world, helping them to embed user experience methodologies. He is the author of ‘A Handbook of User Experience Research & Design in Libraries’ and creator of UX in Libraries, which he has organised and chaired since its inception in 2015.  He has recently taught UX courses at ten different universities in Australia and New Zealand, delivered online courses to the NHS and the Welsh Government, and led training at the House of Lords, the University of Leeds and Stockholm Public Libraries. He was a librarian for 20 years in academic and public libraries, principally at Oxford and Cambridge Universities. He is passionate about the value of libraries and making them more relevant and user centred.

Call for Papers 2023

12th December 2022

Here it is – all the information you need on this year’s Call for Papers for our 6-8 June 2023 conference…

This year’s theme:
The chosen theme of UXLibs7 is ‘Connections & Collaborations’. It recognises that user experience (UX) work should be a collaborative effort that is about truly connecting and working with our users, otherwise we cannot hope to deliver relevant and valuable library and information services.

The theme also extends to how we should be collaborating with stakeholders outside of libraries when engaged in UX Research & Design: whether they be staff in IT, estates & buildings, marketing & communications, learning technology, senior management, or people separate to our organisations, including fellow UX practitioners.  We are therefore seeking talks and presentations that speak to this opportunity. 

Specifically, we would like our speakers to respond to the following questions:

  • How might we collaborate in order to make our services more useful, usable and desirable to our users?
  • How might we work with specific user groups to establish and co-create more relevant and inclusive library services?
  • How might we forge connections with external groups or individuals in order to improve both our processes and results?

If you have something to share that responds to this theme – an initiative, relevant research insights, a new approach or process – then we want to hear from you through our Call for Papers.

N.B. However, as usual we will also consider papers on wider UX topics if the theme doesn’t work for you.

Anticipated/planned UX research
Your paper may be about work that has been completed or that you anticipate conducting between now and the conference. This is absolutely fine. It is also OK if your paper ends up diverging somewhat from your initial abstract – within reason obviously. A good UX Research & Design process often sees the practitioner end up at an entirely different destination.

What do I need to do? Give me all the info!
Paper proposals are due by end of Friday 3 February 2023. After this deadline we will follow a blind peer review process with the submitted papers and will let you know if you have been successful by Friday 17 February. If you are invited to present you will have around 20 minutes in which to present your paper at the conference. You will be speaking to 30-50 people in total.

What happens if my paper is selected?
If your paper is selected you will receive a 10% discount on this year’s delegate rate in recognition of your contribution. If the paper is going to be co-presented then the 10% discount will be split between you and the other presenter. Post-conference you will be invited to write up your paper for our yearbook publication. Important note: Prior to the conference, use of the word ‘paper’ does not mean you need to provide an academic written paper, we are simply using ‘paper’ to refer to your presentation – there is sometimes confusion around this!

Best paper prize
Once again, we will be presenting a prize for the best conference paper (a free place at next year’s conference), won last year by Julie Willems.

Scoring Criteria/Submission advice
This year we will follow the same blind review scoring criteria as in previous years. Once the paper has been anonymised by the UXLibs Administrator the markers will score each paper (out of 30) accordingly:

  • How intriguing/exciting/engaging does it sound? (out of 10)
  • How unique/innovative is the topic and/or the approach? (out of 5)
  • Evidence that UX has taken place/strong UX content/specific UX methods cited (out of 5)
  • Does it fit this year’s theme: connections and collaborations (out of 3)
  • Valuable learning outcomes (out of 3)
  • Discretionary points to account for aspects not covered in the above categories (out of 4)

How academic and formal should my paper proposal be?
UXLibs is an informal and friendly conference – this doesn’t mean that we are not interested in research rigour and due process, but if your paper is dry and overly academic it may not be the best fit for our conference.

Do I have to follow this year’s theme?
Although the theme is important, don’t get hung up on it. You may persuade us to include a paper on something not connected with this year’s theme (criteria-wise it only gets you 3 points out of 30).

Our definition of User Experience work…
Our definition of UX work embraces both physical and digital, in fact all aspects of library services. We see UX as about engaging with users more deeply and meaningfully than you can through transactional surveys or by gathering usage data at a distance. In fact, we see relying solely on serve and statistical data as the antithesis to good UX. If your paper is simply about a survey you have done or statistical data it won’t get through.

Submission requirements
You should follow ALL the requirements set out below:

  • A presentation title
  • An abstract of no more than 300 words
  • A brief summary of no more than 50 words
  • A brief biography (of each author) of no more than 50 words
  • Your email address
  • Learning outcomes for attendees
  • Submit (preferably as a Word doc) by email to admin@uxlib.org by end of Friday 3 February 2023
  • Papers may be co-presented but by no more than two people (additional named co-authors are fine, but only a maximum of two can actually present at the conference – please indicate who this will be if applicable)

Please feel free to contact Conference Chair Andy Priestner if you want to discuss any aspect of this year’s Call for Papers.

Thank you!

Andy, Bryony, Andrew (The UXLibs Committee)

UXLibsVI Workshops

13th February 2020

We are excited to reveal the content of this year’s interactive conference workshops which, as ever, will be led by a talented range of facilitators curated from around the world. Nearer the time attendees will  choose to attend two of the six workshops detailed below.

Note: These workshops take place during the conference, are included in the conference fee, and are separate to the two pre-conference workshops led by Andy Priestner and Magalie Le Gall/Maud Puaud.

Dr Arun Verma – Integrating intersectionality: Re-imagining Journeys, Places and SpacesHow can we utilise intersectionality to dismantle individual and community journeys through the higher education system and develop a programme of interventions that prevent racial inequality, with a focus on tackling anti-blackness?Marie Engberg Eiriksson – From Accessibility to Universal DesignHow Universal Design can be interpreted in a library context: exploring the barriers in libraries faced by persons living with sensory, mental or physical disabilities and how we can build universally equal library services.Natasha den Dekker – Pandemic Palaver: Agile User ExperienceApplying UX research and design techniques to explore a pandemic-style situation. You will learn how to operate in an ‘agile’ way as well as how to utilise different types of UX methodologies. David Clover – Mapping UX in Organisational CultureMapping both current and desired culture in relation to how well UX is embedded in services, based on Johnson and Scholes elements of culture and the Cultural Web. How can change be implemented to embed UX within the culture of the organisation?Ange Fitzpatrick – Sorry. Not Sorry: Identifying, Quantifying, and Revolutionising Damaging Workplace CulturesUtilising UX, EQ and design thinking techniques to assess the culture of organisations, departments, and teams. How to recognise positive cultures in other industries, import them into your workplace and  identify those areas that are ripe for change.Luis Moßburger – Getting the Message Across: Data Visualisation for BeginnersExploring the basics of data visualisation: how to decide on the right data to visualise and the appropriate visualisation form, with best and worst practice examples. You will learn how to use visualisations to generate impact with presentations.

 

Call for Papers – UXLibsVI (June 2020)

17th November 2019

This year, in response to our theme of UX and organisational culture we want our speakers to explore the following:

  • How have you acquired the support that UX needs at your place of work?
  • What challenges have you faced and how did you overcome them?
  • How did UX prove itself within your organisation through specific projects/initiatives/services?
  • What techniques have you employed to get people on side?
  • How have you made UX part of everyday library operations?
  • How have you influenced and developed a user-centred culture?

If you have something to share that responds to these questions and issues – a project, an experience, a toolkit, an approach – then we want to hear from you through our call for papers. N.B. As ever, we will also consider papers on wider UX topics if the theme doesn’t work for you.

Anticipated/planned UX research
Your paper may be about work you anticipate conducting between now and the conference. This is absolutely fine. It is also OK if your paper ends up diverging somewhat from your initial abstract – within reason obviously! A good UX research and design process often sees the practitioner end up at an entirely different destination.

What do I need to do? Give me all the info!
Paper proposals are due by Friday 31 January 2020. Once this deadline has passed we will follow a blind peer review process and will let you know if your paper has been successful by Friday 14 February. You will have 20 minutes in which to present your paper at the conference and will be speaking to around a quarter of delegates (40-50 people).

If your paper is selected you will receive a 10% discount on this year’s delegate rate in recognition of your contribution. If the paper is going to be co-presented then the 10% discount will be split between you and the other presenter. If we produce a 4th annual yearbook, you will be invited to write up your paper for publication. N.B. Prior to the conference, use of the word ‘paper’ does not mean you need to provide an academic written paper, we are simply referring to your presentation.

Best paper prize
Once again, we will be presenting a prize for the best conference paper (a free place at next year’s conference), won last year by Nathalie Clot.

Scoring Criteria/Submission advice
This year we are trying to be more open about the blind review scoring criteria. Once the paper has been anonymised by the UXLibs Administrator the markers will score each paper (out of 30) accordingly:

  1. How intriguing/exciting/engaging is it? (out of 10)
  2. How unique/innovative is the topic and/or the approach? (out of 5)
  3. Evidence that UX has taken place/strong UX content/specific UX methods cited (out of 5)
  4. Does it fit this year’s theme: overcoming the challenge/influencing org. culture? (out of 3)
  5. Valuable learning outcomes (out of 3)
  6. Discretionary points to account for aspects not covered in the above categories (out of 4)

Also remember that:

  • UXLibs is an informal and friendly conference – this doesn’t mean that we are not interested in research rigour and due process, but if your paper is dry and overly academic it may not be the best fit forour conference.
  • Although the theme is important, don’t get hung up on it. You may persuade us to include a paper on something not connected with this year’s theme.
  • Our definition of UX embraces the user experience of physical and digital, in fact all aspects of library services
  • We see UX as about engaging with users more deeply and meaningfully than you can through surveys. In fact, some of us see the default survey as the antithesis to good UX. If your paper is simply about a survey it won’t get through.
  • You should follow ALL the requirements set out immediately below.

Submission requirements

  • A presentation title.
  • An abstract of no more than 300 words.
  • A brief summary of no more than 50 words.
  • A brief biography (of each author) of no more than 50 words.
  • Your email address.
  • Learning outcomes for attendees.
  • Submit (preferably as a Word doc) by email to admin@uxlib.org by Friday 31 January 2020.
  • Papers may be co-presented but by no more than two people (additional named co-authors are fine, but only a maximum of two can actually present at the conference – please indicate who this will be if applicable).

Please feel free to contact conference chair Andy Priestner on andy@uxlib.org if you want to discuss any aspect of this year’s Call for Papers.

Finally, good luck!

Andy Priestner, Bryony Ramsden, Helen Murphy
The UXLibs Committee

UXLibsVI – Sponsored places

29th January 2019

We are aware that the cost of our conference might be out of reach for library staff working in public libraries and further education. This year we are once again offering 2 sponsored delegate places in recognition of this fact. As an organisation that also actively seeks to support diversity, we are also offering an additional sponsored place to a BME delegate (from any sort of library) who otherwise could not attend.

What do the places cover?
The sponsored places cover attendance at both the full conference and one of  the pre-conference workshops, but excludes accommodation and travel.

How to apply
Please send an email to admin@uxlib.org titled ‘Sponsored place application’ or ‘Sponsored place application – BME’ by Thursday 31 March 2022.
In the body of the email detail in 300 words or less why you wish to attend the conference and also how you hope to put your learning into action afterwards.

When will I hear if I have a place?
We will email the successful applicant(s) by 15 April 2022.

If you have any questions about sponsored places please email Andy Priestner.

 

UXLibsIV – Invited Speakers

11th April 2018

We are excited to incorporate two keynote speakers and two plenary speakers into this year’s UX in Libraries conference programme. All four will be talking to our chosen theme of inclusive UX, exploring different experiences of using libraries and the opportunities that exist to make our services better for everyone. The titles and abstracts of their talks are detailed below. There is still time to book a place at UXLibsIV however there are now only a limited number remaining.

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS:

SARA LERÉN
Director of Agile Development and Inclusive Design at inUse, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Title: ‘Inclusive design – all about the extremes’
Abstract: There is no such thing as an average user, but still lots of time is spent trying to create great products by designing for those illusive average users. When trying to design for the normative users we risk creating a product that’s neither here nor there and that doesn’t create any real value for anyone. If we instead focus on the extreme users who differ from the norm it can help us design innovative solutions that work better for everyone. The environment dictates the norm, and whenever we are placed in a situation where we differ from the norm we become extreme users. Becoming extreme increases our awareness of the enviroment, making us better equipped to describe our needs and solve problems. Some people spend their lives being extreme in many aspects of their lives, making them experts. Their expertise can make a world of difference. Inclusive design can be as easy as you want it to be, and there are plenty of examples of successful mainstream products that were initially designed for extreme users or extreme situations. I will give you stories from the trenches and hands-on tips to take home and try out yourselves.

CHRISTIAN LAUERSEN
Director, Roskilde University Library, Faculty Library of Social Sciences, Administrate Library at the Royal Library, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Title: ‘Do you want to dance? Inclusion and belonging in libraries and beyond’
Abstract: The Great Wall of China, the Berlin Wall, the fence between USA and Mexico and Offa’s Dyke. For all time humankind has been obsessed with walls, fences, dykes and ditches. They are a material manifestation of the desire to manage inclusion and exclusion in our institutions and communities, e.g. universities, are founded as exclusionary places and on a daily basis conscious and unconscious acts of exclusion take place. (Inclusive) UX in theory and practice should always be seen in the context in which we operate and in his talk Christian will outline why inclusive communities are crucial for healthy societies and what obstacles are hindering inclusion on different levels. Moreover, Christian will explore how inclusion and diversity can empower a sense of belongingness and finally why and how, libraries and librarians should be leaders in advancing this cause on campus and in communities.

PLENARY SPEAKERS:

DR JANINE BRADBURY
Senior Lecturer in Literature and Learning and Teaching Lead for Humanities, Religion, and Philosophy, York St John University, UK.
Title: ‘Safe spaces, neutral spaces? Navigating the Library as a Researcher of Colour’
Abstract: Drawing upon her experiences in libraries as a teenager in South London, a student in Yorkshire, a study abroad student in the Southern United States, and – more recently – as a lecturer, academic, and learning and teaching specialist, in her plenary talk, Janine will reflect on what it means to move into and out of the library space as a woman of colour who additionally researches the experiences of women of colour. Janine has spent the majority of her academic life in the UK, but studied abroad in the United States almost 15 years ago in 2004. While she was there, she encountered the library in the Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Black Culture and History at The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. This, she found to be a pivotal experience that shed light on the fact that libraries had, to her, rarely felt as though they were safe or racially neutral spaces. Taking inspiration from this year’s paper presenters, and drawing upon literary representations of library usage alongside her personal narrative of learning and reading, Janine looks to celebrate the radical possibilities of the library space for black readers and researchers – especially as this links to attainment and widening participation in Higher Education.

DR KIT HEYAM
School of English, University of Leeds, UK.
Title: ‘Creating trans-inclusive libraries: the UX perspective’
Abstract: As trans people become increasingly visible in the media, and many organisations develop new trans policies, awareness of the legal rights of trans library users is growing. But how are those users experiencing our libraries, and what can we do to make those experiences more positive? In this talk, Kit moves beyond the legal aspects of inclusivity to consider the factors that make a real difference to trans library user experience. What anxieties might trans customers bring to the library, and how can we allay them? How can we make our library buildings trans-inclusive? How can we make interpersonal interactions with library staff work better for trans people? How can we work towards making our service not just inclusive, but intersectionally inclusive? And just as importantly, how can we support library staff to make those positive user experiences happen?

UXLibsIV – Workshops

9th April 2018

In addition to the pre-conference workshop presented by Andy Priestner and Matt Borg, there will be 5 workshops presented during the conference proper on Day 1 by (from left to right above): Bryony Ramsden, John Jung, Eva Jirjahlke, Carl Barrow, Shelley Gullikson. Delegates will be able to attend 2 of these workshops (we will ask for your selections next month). The workshop titles, summaries and anticipated learning outcomes are as follows.

Workshop 1: Bryony Ramsden (UXLibsIV committee member from the University of Huddersfield, currently concluding a UX-related PhD)

Title: Daunted by data? An introduction to analysing qualitative data

Summary: Collecting data with your new-found UX techniques is all well and good, but what do you do with the data once you have it? Data analysis can be an intimidating process, particularly if it is a long time since you qualified, or if your education didn’t cover research methods or data analysis. This workshop will introduce some basic manual techniques to help you get started on analysing qualitative data, covering how to code data and organise findings thematically. You will also have the opportunity to put these techniques into practice by analysing and organising some sample data. Attendees will be provided with some UX data to work with.

Learning Outcomes: Attendees will learn the different ways of analysing qualitative data (manually or using computer software (CAQDAS)); how to manually code data; organising codes into themes; the pros and cons of collaborating to analyse data; the challenges of dealing with large sets of data.

Workshop 2: John Jung (Programmer and design thinking expert, University of Chicago)

Title: Speculative Design: Design as Conversation

Summary: So often, designers work to create products that are sleek or interfaces that are easy to use. The underlying values behind this kind of work are often highly commercial – the goal of design is to encourage consumerism. Speculative design offers an alternative. If you are familiar with television programs like Black Mirror, Westworld, or Humans, you are already familiar with some elements of speculative design- the thought-provoking narratives in these shows are designed to spark conversation around current technical and social topics. Designers doing speculative design projects are using design as a way to ask questions and facilitate conversations around challenging topics. At their best they are using design to incorporate diverse perspectives around possible, shared futures.
In this workshop we will look at some examples of speculative design and we will participate in an activity inspired by speculative design. All the while the workshop will be a chance to ask, “How might techniques like these help facilitate conversations about inclusivity? How might they be useful in libraries?”  These projects incorporate objects, narratives, games, and more- so workshop participants who are interested in the creative aspects of art, writing, and design may find speculative design especially inspiring.
Additionally, because speculative design is so often incorporated into design workshops, participants who create UX workshops and activities for end users will find useful material here as well. These projects experiment with ways to create engaging workshop experiences. They offer a huge range of approaches to borrow from or build upon.
All are welcome, and no prior knowledge of speculative design is required.  People with diverse backgrounds, and who bring diverse perspectives, are especially invited to participate. Let’s have a conversation about speculative design.
Learning Outcomes: Participants will: become familiar with speculative design as an area of practice; experience a workshop activity inspired by speculative design; reflect on possibilities for speculative design in libraries, as a group; receive a list of secondary resources to explore this topic further.

Workshop 3: Eva Jirjahlke (User Researcher, Citizens Advice, London)

Title: Challenge accepted: how to solve a UX problem

Summary: By now you have done some user research and have identified a few problems that disrupt your users’ experience. But how do you best solve them? How do you make sure you’re solving “the right thing”? And what do you do about those stakeholders who think they already know what the right solution needs to look like? Find out how to tackle a problem and rapidly prototype ideas to solve it in this interactive workshop.

During the workshop we’ll be thinking about:

  • User needs: What needs are you trying to meet with your product or service?
  • User goals: What are the users trying to achieve?
  • Constraints: What are the constraints (budget, user behaviour, stakeholders) we might need to consider while designing our product or service?
  • Context: Where and when are users using your product or service?

Learning Outcomes: By the end of the workshop you will know how to: approach and break down a problem; rapidly prototype your ideas and consolidate them into a solution; communicate your ideas. You’ll get the opportunity to explain the problem and your solution to the group which will help you think about how you might sell it to your stakeholders later on. …And of course have fun while doing it.

Workshop 4: Carl Barrow (Student Engagement Manager, University of Hull, UK)

Title: A collision of two worlds

Summary: We live in two worlds, the physical and the digital. Most of us possess hand held devices that move us between those worlds. We can travel the globe with our friends and colleges without even leaving our homes or offices, we can be part of their experiences and they part of ours.  We hear what they hear and see what they see, we interact with and enhance their experiences.  We transition between these worlds with ease, and are even present in both simultaneously as they layer up and collide. This is also true for our library users.  Our knowledge and understanding of how they use and experience technology, alongside that of their behaviours and feelings is an integral element of service and space development.

The workshop will introduce two UX methods:

  • A digital day diary
  • A cognitive map

And along with group discussion, help participants reflect on their own practices and the positive and negative impact that technology and electronic devices have on their lives. We will consider how these tools can be used to gain a deeper insight into the behaviours of our library users and the impact that technology has.  We will also consider how, by cross-referencing with other data sets and other UX methods we can build insightful user stories to inform the decisions we make,  allowing us to deliver our services with the right entry points and our worlds collided.

Learning Outcomes: Attendees will: reflect on their own UX research activities; consider the impact of technology on user experience; learn how to conduct cognitive mapping and diary study research effectively; learn how to build user stories to inform decision making.

Workshop 5: Shelley Gullikson (Systems Librarian, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada)

Title: The Path of Some Resistance: Adding Useful Friction to Library UX

Summary: Much of our work in library UX involves trying to create a smoother user experience. Our users are too often slowed down by the unnecessary friction of our overly complicated processes. They chafe against wordy and jargon-filled websites. They struggle to navigate spaces with overwhelming and unhelpful signage.  Sometimes it seems like there is an unending amount of friction to remove in our libraries.

However, there are times when friction can actually be a good thing. A bit of friction added to a process can slow down users at the right moment. Think of the false alert of a missile attack in Hawaii earlier this year. A bit of extra friction in the interface design of the notification system might have prevented it. Your users won’t ever make an error this enormous in your library, but still, there are times when you might want to shift them out of autopilot and have them pause.

Many of our processes don’t require that pause, but it may be that what seems to be a smooth UX isn’t smooth at all for certain groups of users; a little design friction may help create a more inclusive user experience. You also might use friction to slow down your staff in order to improve things for your users. Finally, friction can also be beneficial not just in UX design, but in your user research.

This workshop will help you explore where adding a little friction could help improve the user experience in your library.

Learning Outcomes: Attendees will: understand how friction can be useful in both online and physical UX; explore useful friction in library UX by rethinking current services, workflows, and spaces; explore improvements to inclusion in libraries by adding friction; explore appropriate situations and techniques for adding friction to user research.