iSchool Space Usage

Re-designing iSchool Spaces @ UMD

Overview

The College of Information Studies (or iSchool) at the University of Maryland recently got new spaces at the Hornbake Library. Our aim is to uncover and understand students' current lived-experience with learning spaces within and beyond the classroom.

Role

Researcher

Team Members

Entire INST 710 Class

Duration

3 months

Motivation & Contribution

The College of Information Studies at the University of Maryland is seeking to re-design its spaces to make them more usable for students. We, students of the User Experience Research (INST 710) class, gathered stories of when and where students' encountered spaces that:

were welcoming, engaging, and inspiring
were accessible, accommodating all student needs
supported their group and team projects
supported their unplanned, serendipitous meetings, collaborations, etc
enhances their sense of community and identity
were inviting places for spending time before, between, and after classes

Our aim was to uncover a diversity of perspectives about how existing physical spaces fit into the larger context of the day-to-day learning routines of students and reveal patterns in their preferences.

Methodology

interviews & interpretation

Conducted 13 contextual interviews in groups of 2
Interviews were taken on campus
Population
- iSchool students
- Masters and Ph.D. students
Post interviews, interpretation sessions were held with 2-3 more students of the class

affinity diagram

Performed affinity diagramming to identify challenges, user needs, and expectations from health literacy sources online
Performed a wall walk post this

experience model

Created 4 different models that cover the collected data
- Identify model
- Sensation board
- Day-in-the-life
- Physical model

CONTEXTUAL INTERVIEW

I conducted one contextual interview as the main interviewer along with another classmate who was the secondary interviewer and main note-taker. Our interview lasted for roughly an hour and was audio-recorded. An outline of our interview questions can be seen below:

How do you reach the University of Maryland-College Park?

Which buildings do you have classes in most?

What do you do when you reach said building first?

What time of day do you usually spend on campus at the building?

What do you usually do or where do you go: before class, after class, in-between class/breaks?

What places on campus do you spend your time when you are not in class? Any particular reasons why? Do these places have some specific facilities or environment that you like?

Anything you dislike about these?

How easy/difficult is it for you to reach these places and find space for yourself?

Do you have difficulty in way-finding? Finding class, knowing the space or route within this building? Do you think this could be better portrayed or depicted?

Do you plan beforehand which place you would be going or is the decision spontaneously? On what factors does your decision depend?

How do you feel about the clarity of information and access to equipment/labs and facilities? Do you feel the flow of information could be better expressed?

What do you usually do in these places? Particular activities? Why they may be your favorable choice for these activities?

Does your choice for a space change depending on if you are:

Alone vs in a group?
Working vs eating vs based on activities?
Working on a team project vs working alone?

If yes, then how and why? What are some specifics you look at when finding spaces for group work/studying alone/other activities?

Is there any place on campus that you feel is an essential part of your day?

Do these places make you “feel” a particular way?

How do you feel about the safety and security of this place?

Would you say that you feel more “accepted” at (these) certain places? If yes, why do you feel so?

Do you have any recommendations for changes you’d like to see in your workspace?

Any suggestions to improve spaces on campus you hangout in or would like to hang out in?

Any particular place out of campus where you like to hang out or work? What do you like about that place? (Culture, quiet, music, physical aspects such as space, seating etc)

AFFINITY DIAGRAM

Key Findings (In the user's voice)

"My preference for study spaces"
- "I like privacy when studying alone"
- "I want an open space where I don't feel like I'm disrupting other's activities"
- "I'm motivated when I study where people are"
- "I avoid noises"
- "I prefer places that are not crowded"
"I prefer to be surrounded by natural elements"
- "I like natural lighting when I working"
- "I prefer to be outside during breaks"
- "Ventilation is important"
- "I prefer to see the outdoors while I work"
"I want reservable rooms to be accessible and painless"
"My experience navigating campus is disjointed"
- "I want clear and prominent signage"
"I need convenient access to food"
- "We need coffee to be available any and everywhere"
- "I feel like the experience of getting food or drink on campus is frustrating"
"I want convenient access to collaborative spaces"
- "I'd like a space in which I can exchange information"
- "I don't like using reservable rooms that are too big for just me"
"I want access to tech resources/equipment"
"I have safety concerns"
- "I do not feel safe at night / in the dark"
- "I do not feel safe leaving my belongings unattended"
"Charging ports matter to me"
- "I place myself near charging ports"
- "Existing charging ports do not work"
"I practice emotional decision making"
- "If a space or building makes me feel emotionally bad, then I don't spend my time there"
- "Dark spaces are depressing"

EXPERIENCE MODELS

As a class, we created 4 experience models: Day-in-the-life model, Identity model, Physical model, and Sensation board.

I worked on the identity model which can be found below. This model reveals multiple identity elements that the target users have in relation to the target activity.

I am...

I do...

I like...