Service Design for Cambridge University Libraries.
We reimagined the service ecosystem, connecting digital services, physical spaces, and institutional processes into a cohesive experience across all 108 libraries.
Impact. We designed a tiered service strategy grounded in research, involving 162 students and 47 academics, moving from 108 disconnected experiences to one integrated vision that launched the FutureLib initiative.
My role. Service design, user research, UX/UI, architecture.
108 libraries, one service strategy.
The library ecosystem served a wide variety of users, from undergraduates to researchers. Each library offered different services and varied in how users accessed materials and spaces. To understand the complexity of the system, we ran a 3 months research phase.
This project was conducted in collaboration with Modern Human, a small boutique design studio created by Paul Jervis Heath and Chloe Heath.
Initial research.
We used a range of methods to explore how people engaged with the library system. This included 90 interviews and on-site shadowing of academics to understand navigation patterns and barriers. We conducted diary studies, walk-in interviews, and in-depth interviews with 162 students, while contextual interviews helped us capture academic needs. Insights were shared regularly with the University’s committee, supporting a human-centred and collaborative design process.
Findings and strategy.
Researchers, academics and students felt a strong lack of integration between the physical and digital services, which led to confused and fragmented experiences.
Together with the University of Cambridge, we started to outline the future of the Library services with a focus on integration between physical and digital services, with the objective to source the infinite resources that the libraries have, and to support the lively Cambridge scholarly community.
The strategy introduced a four tier service model designed to accommodate the diversity across 108 libraries. Each tier was mapped to different user needs, staffing models, and levels of digital integration. This modular approach provided a scalable foundation for future improvements across borrowing, access, and space design.
