Highlights
My Role: UX Researcher & Product Designer (Collaborated 1-on-1 with the library founder in Chicago Art Department).
The Core Challenge: I needed to build a flexible 12-genre framework that is ready for a future rental system, while navigating some wild community challenges like book security, constant book donations, and physical shelf limitations.
Tools & Methods: Google sheets, cardboard prototyping, Thunder laser cutter, woodworking & assembly, acrylic painting, stakeholder interviews.
Organizing an Activist Library
Original library concept created by Chicago Art Department’s resident Fabrizzio Subia. My design is an interactive, color-coded pull-tab system designed to turn a constant wave of book donations into an easy-to-navigate community space while learning the purpose of the library.
An ongoing work which will feature 12-genre system that is easy to navigate on finding books, and laser-cut pull tabs that slide right out of the shelves to show a short description of how each genre relates to the library.
What I’m solving
A vibrant, community-run library is experiencing an influx of book donations, making it incredibly difficult for Fabrizzio to organize the inventory, secure books against theft, or help visitors navigate the library efficiently.
Goal
- Create a super low-maintenance physical system so a single volunteer can manage a constant wave of book donations without getting overwhelmed.
- Help visitors easily navigate the space and understand how each of the 12 genres connects to the library’s mission.
- Make the shelf design future-proof so it is completely ready to transition into a book-rental and checkout system later on.
Research Methods
Content Audit
Digging into the existing book inventory and spreadsheet data Fabrizzio has made to map out a 12-genre system.
Stakeholder Interview
Interviewing the library founder Fabrizzio 1-on-1 to uncover his current challenges and constraints to help improve the library.
Physical Prototyping
Testing and ideating cardboard shelf layouts to find ergonomic issues (like tabs being too big for large books) before building the final version.
Research Images
Process
We originally planned to build a digital book-renting system using Google Sheets to track everything. But after interviewing Fabrizzio, we decided to focus on the genre tab first since a complex digital system was way too overwhelming for a single, busy volunteer to manage on a daily basis.
Through countless sketches and cardboard laser cut to paper prototypes, I decided to make my first wooden prototype from scratch to test on the shelf!
Wood Work
Painting
Next Steps
Collaborate with Fabrizzio
I plan to continue to work with Fabrizzio during my free time and refine the design layout of the space before making more prototypes. Even attending to in-person events for the library displays.
Changing Placement of Genre Tab:
Instead of placing the prototype below of the shelf of each section in the library, I will mount the interactive tabs directly to the side of the shelves where more books and zines of any size can fit.
Adding 11 more Genre Tabs
Once Fabrizzio and I lock down the final pull-tab design, the next step is to make the remaining 11 genre tabs for each shelf section with their own unique descriptions explaining how each category connects back to the library’s mission.