Hack Dibner
Annual New York University library hackathon open to all students.
“To enhance the user experience within NYU libraries through technology.”
- Hack Dibner challenge statement
Timeline
September - December, 2021
Team Role
I contributed to the user experience research, UI/UX, written proposals, and presentation slides. I also spearheaded project management throughout the process, organizing and creating target goals to ensure project deliverables. During the pitch, I presented the project.
Inspiration
Through research, we found that students were frustrated by the inaccurate reservation system at New York University's Dibner library. We wanted to create a system that helps to lessen waiting time spent looking for an empty room or receiving multiple errors when scanning the QR code on room doors.
What It Does
The Kiosk is a system that will provide high efficiency for maximum room utilization and will help patrons way find around the library much easier. It is feasible as it loads the reservation software on a tablet placed in high traffic areas, has an easy ID tapping box attached, and requires only an electrical plug for power.
User Experience
Location consideration. There are two main locations in which the Kiosk can be placed to maximize room reservation and usage.
Accessibility consideration. The Kiosk should be accessible for all bodies.
Feasibility consideration. The Kiosk should be intuitive and easy to understand. Hardware and implementation time has also been considered. This project requires the use of Arduino sensors in each study room in order to detect accurately room usage.
Reservation consideration. A timeline has been thought about for how the reservation process would look like from start to end.
User flow consideration. Designing paths that the Kiosk would show depending on the student's reservation status.
Scenario consideration. The Kiosk shows a minimalist User Interface design and unifies the UI design style of NYU's website, APPS, and the Tandon MakerSpace.
Scalability consideration. The Kiosk can be expanded to many NYU facilities as well as other university systems.
Challenges
During the process, our team came up with multiple scenarios and ways to make the experience as accessible as possible. We found that the system in place does not notify students whether the reserved space is occupied. This made it difficult to determine whether a student could use a seemingly open space and cause them to wander around without promises of finding an open study room.
Accomplishments
I spearheaded this project and our team won first place in this hackathon!
Take Aways
Through this project, I learned much about user experience. By designing from a methodology and analysis approach, I created an easy to understand user interface, unified the UI design style of NYU's website, and implemented accessibility practices.
Pitch Deck
This is what my teammate and I presented that won us first place.
Media
that's me!