TOOLS FOR CO-CREATION IN SERVICE DESIGN Lynn Koh, Joti Upadhya Public Libraries Singapore, National Library Board Singapore NextLibrary Festival 2015 I Parallel Interactive Sessions Lynn Joti @cowandbullfight @lightmusing
Agenda for the session o Singapore Public Libraries Activity 1 Be the Interviewer o Service Design [Research Phase] Tools of User Engagement Activity 2 Plan your User Engagement o Sharing by YOU! Design Challenge and user engagement plan o Question & Answer
Singapore Files
Public Libraries Singapore Enriching Lives, Building Communities via Reading & Lifelong Learning. Across our network of 26 Public Libraries
Last year at our Public Libraries 23.8 million library visits 33.7 million loans More than 85,000 new members
Serving a Wide Range of Users Develop greater empathy with the communities we serve and provide fresh insights to their challenges.
NLB s Libraries of the Future Masterplan The Public Libraries of the future will be a network of inspirational and creative learning spaces that promote reading and are accessible and community supported. To progressively revamp our public libraries over the next 15 years, to address o Changing learning behaviours and types of content, and needs of different groups of library users o Aging libraries, rising public expectations and competition from other lifestyle facilities.
Enhanced Library Experiences Key Design Outcomes 1. Differentiated learning spaces For different demographic groups, to inspire reading and facilitate learning, collaboration and creation 2. Engaging promotion of content Visual displays and reading spaces featuring an integration of physical collections and digital content for a more immersive experience 3. Better accessibility and navigation And leveraging on technology to increase convenience for library users
New Libraries library@orchard Is a niche library with design, applied arts and lifestyle focus, and was designed to appeal to teenagers and young adults. Sembawang Public Library serves the general community, with a focus on families with young children in view of its catchment profile.
Engaging our users through Design Thinking Working with a local polytechnic, we engaged our users in the design process through User Empathy and Ethnographic Research Public Feedback on Concept Design & Prototypes
Located in Singapore s iconic retail belt, library@orchard s focus is on the cosmopolitan and younger crowd that visits Orchard Road. This presented an opportunity to provide an inspiring library design that appeals to mobile young adults.
User Insights from Ethnographic Studies An Immersive bookstore experience enhanced with new technologies. o Users are increasingly drawn to overall experience of the library o A dual view of the library as both an escape and as a productive/work space o Print is not dead; however, there is potential for integration with functional digital elements that are intuitive to use Cocoon Book Tree
Concept Design & Prototypes of Spaces were exhibited in a library for public feedback
Translating insights into Spaces The 3rd storey, where the main entrance was located, was designed to draw in new users from the outside. Social spaces encourage collaboration and creativity, creating an atmosphere of activity and buzz The library s higher level is a quiet retreat offering a more immersive and personal reading experience, and is home to the bulk of the library s print collection
User Engagement and Research Sembawang Public Library 500% 400% 300% 200% 100% 0% -100% -200% -300% -40 1 2 Environmental Scanning Location information (history, character of the place) Scanning of local and international trends Data Analytics Demographic and user profile research Loan trends of the existing library or nearby libraries Other available data for example, geospatial, education, dwelling types 65 & above 5160 240% 1519 60-64 3220 330% 748 55-59 4570 453% 827 50-54 5560 285% 1445 45-49 5960 165% 2245 40-44 7470 137% 3152 35-39 7510 114% 3516 30-34 6600 81% 3638 25-29 5020 41% 3557 20-24 4530 160% 1744 15-19 4600 116% 2130 10-14 5370 129% 2348 5-9 5470 192% 1873 0-4 4550 56% 2920 9000 7000 5000 3000 1000 1000 3000 5000 700 3 On-site Observations and User Interviews
Located in the suburbs, Sembawang Public Library serves a large number of families. This provided an opportunity to design a general use community library for its residents, but at the same time focusing on creating a space conducive to the needs of the growing number of young families.
User Insights from Observations and Interviews A space for all, serving a growing pool of families. o Clearer zoning to aid navigation in the libraries o Need for differentiated spaces to accommodate different functions in the library. o A children s space able to accommodate parentchild interaction/bonding. Hope to see a section for both parents and children to read together parent reads her own book, child reads hers. Will read in the library [if I can] find seats in the Adult Section on weekend afternoons.
Translating insights into Spaces From the entrance foyer, a clear view of signage indicating different sections allows users to easily locate and head to the right part of the library. Built a range of spaces for working and reading, including casual seating areas with higher tolerance for noise and movement, as well as more quiet reading areas nestled within the collection. Differentiated spaces to accommodate children at various stages of development. Designed as a casual reading area where children could read and learn in the company of their caregivers, the Reading Deck features open, arena-style seating as well as a few reading nooks.
Interviews IN-DEPTH
Conducting Empathic Interviews Use it When Ideal to do this at the start of your project You need a basic understanding of the user s needs, values, and beliefs It is useful to Identify general areas of interest to help think of questions and prompts for the interview Begin with orienting questions to put interviewee at ease Questions don t need to be directly related to the library
Some Tips? Use open-ended questions so that the conversation is more fluid. For e.g., starting questions with Give me an example of Tell me a time when Could you explain Tell me more about Be conscious of interviewee s body language Set aside at least 30 minutes per interview Have a separate note-taker so you can focus fully during the interview Let interviewee elaborate on their responses; probe further for underlying reasons Review interview notes for key learnings, what it means for the library and so what s
Activity I Be the Interviewer It s your turn now! Imagine YOU are planning a new library Interview the person sitting next to you! [5 mins] What would you want in the new library?
SERVICE DESIGN Service Design is a systematic approach to problem solving, using design as a strategic tool to engage with users and foster innovation. We are here! DISCOVER DEFINE DEVELOP DELIVER Qualitative Research to insights around the users needs and challenges Insights give birth to opportunity areas for innovation and change. New Ideas are sparked. Prototyping tests new Ideas and assumptions. Iteration improves them until ideas are mature and ready for the market. Through design refinement the validated solutions are taken towards execution and implementation.
Engagement Level Tools of User Engagement Just some of the many tools at your disposal Resources Observations X Interviews X Participatory X
Balancing Resources to achieve desired levels of User- Engagement Observations Low Engagement Level + High Resources User Observations Immersive Experience Interviews Mid-Engagement Level + Mid-Resources Focus Group Interviews One-on-One Interviews Questionnaires Participatory High-Engagement Level + Low Resources Journey Maps Mood-Boarding Journal ing Photo essay
Challenge we face Users finding it hard to navigate around libraries Wanted to foster an environment that facilitated independent completion of tasks, for eg. Searching for a book, fine payment. Crafted an Action Plan made up of a combination of tools such as Journey Mapping, Immersive Experiences, and User Interviews.
Challenge we face Making libraries more relevant to certain target use groups o Wanting to encourage closer interaction with the collection in the teen space. Identified both the focused problem and user group. o Crafted an Action Plan made up of a combination of tools such as User Interviews, Observations and Mood-boarding to amass informqtion.
Activity II Plan Your User Engagement It s your turn now! 1. In groups, share challenges your library faces. Collectively pick 1 challenge to work on. [10 mins] 2. Craft an Action Plan [10 mins] - Identify User Group(s) - Think about engagement frequency/duration and resources required - Which research tools to use and why? - Any difficulties/constraints to consider? 3.Sharing [5 mins per group]
What Next? Next! Define your design challenge from your key learnings: How might we by? DISCOVER DEFINE DEVELOP DELIVER Qualitative Research to insights around the users needs and challenges Insights give birth to opportunity areas for innovation and change. New Ideas are sparked. Prototyping tests new Ideas and assumptions. Iteration improves them until ideas are mature and ready for the market. Through design refinement the validated solutions are taken towards execution and implementation.
ANY QUESTIONS?
END, THANK YOU. Lynn_koh@nlb.gov.sg @ @cowandbullfight Joti_omprakash@nlb.gov.sg @ @lightmusing Public Libraries Singapore @publiclibrarysg
SUPPLEMENTARY SLIDES
User Observations While interviews help you understand values and beliefs, observation can reveal actual behaviors. o We observed users browsing patterns in the library. o When observing, we realized taking note of a person s facial expressions, body language, walking style, and how he/she interacted with others were helpful. Use it when You want to better understand the user s actual needs and behaviors.
Immersive Experiences By immersing yourself in a new experience, you can better understand the motivations, thoughts, and feelings of the user in the moment. o For example, if you were designing for the blind, you could immerse yourself in that experience by trying to perform simple tasks while blindfolded. Use it when You want to gain deep empathy for your user, and to see your library through their eyes.
Journey Mapping o We wanted to understand how our users found wayfinding in a particular community library. o We mapped out the possible journey of different types of users. We thought about how they would feel at different points along the way. o We noted down any breaks/interruptions in the journey and used the map as a visual jumping-off point for conversation. Use it when You want to discuss a system/process or series of interactions with a user. (The process of reserving an item from a Specials Collection for eg. Archival footage from 1930s)
Journal ing o This gives them time for personal and uninterrupted thinking, and gives you an interviewee s thoughts captured in their own words. Use it when You want to learn about a user s experience over an extended amount of time. You want to compare and contrast the different daily experiences and realities of a set of users.
PICTURES OF YOU!