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MINH NGUYEN

Work

About

Resume

MINH NGUYEN

Work

About

Resume

Revamping the Cooper Union Library Website

I collaborated with a team of designers from Pratt Institute to consult the Cooper Union Library on improving the student experience while using library online sevices.

DURATION

6 weeks (Feb - May, 2024)

TOOLS

Figma, Figjam, Tableau, Google Survey

TEAM

Minh Nguyen (me), Pujan, Shikha, Giaochu, Chiu

SKILLS

Usability Testing, User Interview, Presentation, Design Consulting

TEAM

Minh Nguyen (me), Pujan, Shikha, Giaochu, Chiu

TEAM

Minh Nguyen (me), Pujan, Shikha, Giaochu, Chiu

TEAM

Minh Nguyen (me), Pujan, Shikha, Giaochu, Chiu

DURATION

6 weeks (Feb - May, 2024)

DURATION

6 weeks (Feb - May, 2024)

DURATION

6 weeks (Feb - May, 2024)

TOOLS

Figma, Figjam, Tableau, Google Survey

TOOLS

Figma, Figjam, Tableau, Google Survey

TOOLS

Figma, Figjam, Tableau, Google Survey

SKILLS

Usability Testing, User Interview, Presentation, Design Consulting

SKILLS

Usability Testing, User Interview, Presentation, Design Consulting

SKILLS

Usability Testing, User Interview, Presentation, Design Consulting

Overview

Balancing Student Needs With System Constraints

Cooper Union Library reached out to Pratt’s DX Center for a team to enhance the homepage and improve the search experience, while working within the constraints of a third-party system. Our team had six weeks to develop a solution that addressed student needs and usability challenges.

Overview

Balancing Student Needs With System Constraints

Overview

Balancing Student Needs With System Constraints

Constraints of the library search engine (PrimoVe)

Engaging and intuitive for students.

Sneak Peak

Our team delivered 3 solutions to improve the usability of the cooper union library site

Sneak Peak

Our team delivered 3 solutions to improve the usability of the cooper union library site

Sneak Peak

Our team delivered 3 solutions to improve the usability of the cooper union library site

01

Improving Hierarchy with a Fresh New Look

Redesigned the homepage and introduced quick links, due-date tracking, and featured collections to make browsing more intuitive and student needs easier to manage.

02

Faster Searches with a Clean, Focused Visual System

By reducing heavy text blocks, the design highlights only what matters most for a student’s research journey.

Lighter Search Flow

Unnecessary filters are hidden to reduce clutter and speed up results.

Clearer Icons

Explanations added so icons don’t confuse or limit the search.

03

Reducing In-Person Help with a More Prominent Chat Feature

By moving the Chat Feature into a more intuitive position, the design reduces the need for in-person assistance.

Quick Prompts

Guide students toward common questions and remind them of available services.

Read Receipts

Keeps students informed and reassured by confirming their messages were seen.

Librarian Profile Images

Builds trust and encourages engagement by showing students they’re talking to a real person.

Status Indicator

The green status sets clear expectations, reduces frustration when staff are offline.

Outcome

We received highly positive feedback, and the Cooper Union team implemented all three of our recommendations.

Our clients noted that we transformed their vague concerns into clearly defined problems and delivered targeted solutions—all within just six weeks.

Outcome

We received highly positive feedback, and the Cooper Union team implemented all three of our recommendations.

Our clients noted that we transformed their vague concerns into clearly defined problems and delivered targeted solutions—all within just six weeks.

Outcome

We received highly positive feedback, and the Cooper Union team implemented all three of our recommendations.

Our clients noted that we transformed their vague concerns into clearly defined problems and delivered targeted solutions—all within just six weeks.

Now that you’ve had a peek, let’s go behind the scenes.

Discovery

Who Our Users Are & What Our Clients Need

First, we hopped on a call with our client: Lisa, James, and Dale. After reviewing the brief, we prepared questions to clarify the project’s priorities.

Discovery

Who Our Users Are & What Our Clients Need

First, we hopped on a call with our client: Lisa, James, and Dale. After reviewing the brief, we prepared questions to clarify the project’s priorities.

Discovery

Who Our Users Are & What Our Clients Need

First, we hopped on a call with our client: Lisa, James, and Dale. After reviewing the brief, we prepared questions to clarify the project’s priorities.

Defining Success

Student-centric, intuitive design that guides users to the right resources, while also seeking student feedback on usability, aesthetics, and overall experience.

Project Goals

Support students’ research needs by ensuring quick access to resources. Search functionality is the top priority, with aesthetics enhancing clarity and usability.

Scope of Redesign

Focusing on redesigning the homepage and search page (changes compatible with PrimoVE) to create an experience that encourages students to return to the library site.

Research

Understanding Student Pain Points on the Cooper Union Library Website

We focused on three research methods—competitive analysis, user surveys, and interviews—to uncover student pain points and better empathize with the target user.

Research

Understanding Student Pain Points on the Cooper Union Library Website

We focused on three research methods—competitive analysis, user surveys, and interviews—to uncover student pain points and better empathize with the target user.

Research

Understanding Student Pain Points on the Cooper Union Library Website

We focused on three research methods—competitive analysis, user surveys, and interviews—to uncover student pain points and better empathize with the target user.

Competitive Analysis

Spotting best practices and gaps across libraries

User Surveys

Gathering broad insights on language, icons, and search use.

User Interviews

Exploring user behaviors and pain points in depth

Competitive Analysis

Learning How 5 Competitors Address Student Needs

We first examined the two libraries within the Cooper Union consortium (NYU and The New School) since they share resources and systems with Cooper Union, making them the most relevant points of comparison.

Competitive Analysis

Learning How 5 Competitors Address Student Needs

Competitive Analysis

Learning How 5 Competitors Address Student Needs

Quick Links

The usage of icons as visual helps students quickly navigate to the desired resource.

Clear Hierarchy

Easily digestible content divided into section with large, bold headers.

Brand Identity

Branded elements integrated naturally into the site, creating a cohesive experience.

Aside from the libraries in the Cooper Union consortium, we also looked at other academic libraries to see what they did well on their homepages, gathering ideas for navigation, search, and overall usability.

Pratt Institute

Highlights operating hours
Uses clear icons for quick navigation
Prominent search bar

Harvard Libraries

“How to” section top the page supports new and novice users
Simplifies complex structure

New York Public Library (NYPL)

Graphical approach to the homepage
Personable "Staff Picks" section with eye catching user/staff quotes

Usability Testing

Unmoderated user testing with 7 individuals who are familiar with music apps and interact with them daily

Usability Testing

Unmoderated user testing with 7 individuals who are familiar with music apps and interact with them daily

Usability Testing

Unmoderated user testing with 7 individuals who are familiar with music apps and interact with them daily

✅

Users love the overall idea and design/aesthetics.

❌

Some features needed further clarifications

❌

Increase discoverability for certain features

The key user testing insights are:

User Survey

Key to Our Study Was Uncovering Students’ Understanding of Site Language and Iconography

The survey reached beyond Cooper Union, including undergrad and grad students from other schools with prior library experience. This helped surface broader patterns in site understanding.

User Survey

Key to Our Study Was Uncovering Students’ Understanding of Site Language and Iconography

The survey reached beyond Cooper Union, including undergrad and grad students from other schools with prior library experience. This helped surface broader patterns in site understanding.

User Survey

Key to Our Study Was Uncovering Students’ Understanding of Site Language and Iconography

The survey reached beyond Cooper Union, including undergrad and grad students from other schools with prior library experience. This helped surface broader patterns in site understanding.

The 13 questions were split into:

General use (2 multiple choice)
Icon interpretation (8 multiple choice)
Task performance (3 checkbox-based)

We learned that there is a mismatch between library use and device usage

Students use devices daily but rarely visit any library websites. More online use could reduce in-person help, allowing librarians to focus on higher value tasks.

We learned that there is a mismatch between library use and device usage

Students use devices daily but rarely visit any library websites. More online use could reduce in-person help, allowing librarians to focus on higher value tasks.

We learned that there is a mismatch between library use and device usage

Students use devices daily but rarely visit any library websites. More online use could reduce in-person help, allowing librarians to focus on higher value tasks.

"What's that pin icon?"

Most assumed the pin would move articles to the top, but it actually saves them for later. This highlights the mismatch in expectations.

"What's that pin icon?"

Most assumed the pin would move articles to the top, but it actually saves them for later. This highlights the mismatch in expectations.

"What's that pin icon?"

Most assumed the pin would move articles to the top, but it actually saves them for later. This highlights the mismatch in expectations.

Unclear citation icon = more in-person help.

Citation tools are valuable for research, but the unrecognizable icon drove students to seek in-person help.

Unclear citation icon = more in-person help.

Citation tools are valuable for research, but the unrecognizable icon drove students to seek in-person help.

Unclear citation icon = more in-person help.

Citation tools are valuable for research, but the unrecognizable icon drove students to seek in-person help.

User Interviews

3 scouting methods to find 15 users, 13 from Cooper Union, and 2 from The New School.

In alignment with our client’s goals, we decided to focus our research on the student body, as they are the primary. During recruitment, we collected participant consent forms and offered $15 gift cards as a thank-you for their time and input.

User Interviews

3 scouting methods to find 15 users, 13 from Cooper Union, and 2 from The New School.

User Interviews

3 scouting methods to find 15 users, 13 from Cooper Union, and 2 from The New School.

Leveraging Cooper Union Social Platforms

Created a social media post template to be shared by the Cooper Union library team.

In - Person Recruitment

Visited the library to talk to students in person.

Social Media Scouting

Direct messaging students on social media, primarily Linked in and Instagram.

❌

In-person recruitment: highest responses with gift card incentive.

✅

Social & school outreach: low engagement and frequent ghosting.

Key Insights

Cluttered Homepage + Complex Search + Unclear Icons = Students Seeking In-Person Help

Through 15 student and faculty interviews, we uncovered recurring usability issues using affinity mapping. This process surfaced the key insights that shaped our focus areas moving forward.

Key Insights

Cluttered Homepage + Complex Search + Unclear Icons = Students Seeking In-Person Help

Through 15 student and faculty interviews, we uncovered recurring usability issues using affinity mapping. This process surfaced the key insights that shaped our focus areas moving forward.

Key Insights

Cluttered Homepage + Complex Search + Unclear Icons = Students Seeking In-Person Help

Through 15 student and faculty interviews, we uncovered recurring usability issues using affinity mapping. This process surfaced the key insights that shaped our focus areas moving forward.

87% of Users Overwhelmed by Homepage Content

The homepage’s dense text and weak visual hierarchy left students feeling lost and disengaged.

87% of Users Overwhelmed by Homepage Content

The homepage’s dense text and weak visual hierarchy left students feeling lost and disengaged.

87% of Users Overwhelmed by Homepage Content

The homepage’s dense text and weak visual hierarchy left students feeling lost and disengaged.

100% of Users Confused by Site Language and Icons

Unclear wording and inconsistent icons caused students to misinterpret features or miss them entirely.

100% of Users Confused by Site Language and Icons

Unclear wording and inconsistent icons caused students to misinterpret features or miss them entirely.

100% of Users Confused by Site Language and Icons

Unclear wording and inconsistent icons caused students to misinterpret features or miss them entirely.

80% of Users Missed “Ask a Librarian”

Poor placement, color, and rotation made the “Ask a Librarian” box nearly invisible, pushing students to seek in-person help instead.

80% of Users Missed “Ask a Librarian”

Poor placement, color, and rotation made the “Ask a Librarian” box nearly invisible, pushing students to seek in-person help instead.

80% of Users Missed “Ask a Librarian”

Poor placement, color, and rotation made the “Ask a Librarian” box nearly invisible, pushing students to seek in-person help instead.

Final Design

We provided Cooper Union with 3 solutions to target the priorotized problems

Final Design

We provided Cooper Union with 3 solutions to target the priorotized problems

Final Design

We provided Cooper Union with 3 solutions to target the priorotized problems

❌

87% of users felt the homepage was cluttered and unclear

✅

Revamp the homepage to improve clarity and hierarchy

❌

100% of users found icons and language hard to understand

✅

Simplify icons and language on search result

❌

80% of users frequently ignored the “Ask a Librarian” button

✅

Make the "Ask a Librarian" feature more visible

Issue 01

Dense Homepage Design Pushes Students Away

Students felt overwhelmed by the homepage. Although resources were available, the heavy text, dull color scheme, and weak hierarchy made it hard to find what mattered.

solution 01

A Brighter, More Organized Homepage

Bright & Clear

Vibrant color palette highlights key actions and breaks up text for quicker scanning.

Stronger Hierarchy

Content is reorganized to guide attention and reduce cognitive load.

New Features

“Quick Resources,” “Track Your Due Dates,” and “Featured Collections” streamline access.

Issue 02

Confusing Site Elements and Language

Many features in the Cooper Union Search were overlooked because of unclear styling and terminology. Low contrast, lengthy filters, and misleading icons made navigation harder and slowed down the search flow.

solution 02

A Clearer, More Intuitive search flow

Reduce Cognitive Load

Unnecessary features are hidden to make searches smoother.

Match User Expectations

Confusing icons were redesigned to clearly show their function.

Simplify Language

Complex terms were clarified to cut down on errors and confusion.

Issue 03

“Ask a Librarian” Box Overlooked by Students

The button’s odd placement, rotated text, and weak contrast made it nearly invisible. Poor hierarchy also drew users’ focus to the page center, causing them to miss this key feature.