biblio
Overview
Biblio is a community-centered app designed to help adults aged 22+ access career development resources through their local libraries. As technology and automation continue to disrupt the job market, Biblio connects users with workshops, mentors, and courses in a supportive digital space. With features like virtual classes, mentor matching, and easy onboarding, Biblio transforms libraries into modern learning hubs, making career growth more accessible, personal, and engaging.
Role
UX Designer
UX Competitive Analysis, Research, Information Architecture, Wireframes, Prototype
DURATION
6 Weeks, April 15, 2020
THE PROBLEM
Libraries as third-place institutions need to help communities navigate the social and technological changes brought on by automation and unemployment risks.
Research & Discovery
User Insights
Information Architecture
Design Process
Testing
Research & Discovery
How are libraries evolving and impacting society today?
To truly understand the library space, I looked into how libraries are functioning today, the scale of their use, and their wider impact. From millions of visits to increasing automation, libraries are changing fast—and these shifts affect both community engagement and job markets.
Libraries welcomed over 1.5 billion in-person visits in the U.S. in 2016, showing their continued relevance in communities.
Public libraries hosted 4 million programs with over 92.6 million attendees, highlighting their role beyond just books.
With over 271,000 public access computers and 340 million user sessions, libraries are hubs for digital access, rising automation also raises concerns about job loss.
Who’s Already Out There?
A look into direct & indirect competitors
To design a solution that stands out, I analyzed 4 direct competitors and 4 indirect competitors. I focused on feature sets, gaps, and emerging patterns.
What I Discovered
Community is Key
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Competitors are heavily focusing on creating learning spaces that exist both online and offline—people want connection.
E-Learning is Evolving
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There’s a strong shift toward self-paced online learning, with more users choosing to reskill from home.
App Overlap
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Many direct competitors rely on indirect competitors' tools—they integrate 3rd-party platforms instead of building in-house.
What Are the Experts Saying?
We reached out to people who live and breathe libraries, past volunteers and staff from:
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Boonton School & Public Library
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Story Corner Library
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William Carey University Library
These insiders shared what’s actually working in today’s learning spaces, both online and offline. Here's what stood out
✅ Pop-up chat support helped users feel less lost and more connected
✅ Job-related events brought purpose-driven traffic to the platform
✅ On-demand learning (lectures, videos, mentors) made content more accessible
✅ Flexible formats (in-app or in-person) gave users freedom to choose
✅ Real community was built through ongoing events, seminars & meetings
We realized it’s not just about reading, it’s about connecting, learning, and growing.
🎯 These insights gave us a strong foundation to design something meaningful.
What Do Real People Need?
We spoke to 8 adults from different walks of life to hear their real stories and struggles. Here's who they were:
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Adults (22+) switching careers or upgrading skills
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Entrepreneurs needing guidance for new ideas
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People at risk due to automation & tech job shifts
Virtual learning is a must. People prefer workshops or classes they can attend from home.
Mobile access is key. Users want library resources on their phones and tablets.
Local libraries feel distant. Many have barely used their community library, some, not at all.
They want to connect. There's real interest in meeting like-minded professionals virtually.
Free learning = big draw. Workshops and classes are a strong motivator for engagement.
How We Synthesized Our Research: Affinity Diagrams
To make sense of the data gathered from interviews, SME insights, and competitive analysis, we created Affinity Diagrams. This method helped us categorize and synthesize the information, allowing us to uncover patterns and themes that shaped our understanding of the users' needs and pain points.
Affinity Diagram for Problem Statement
Affinity Diagram for User persona
USER INSIGHTS
FRUSTRATION
They often miss out on valuable workshops due to poor communication from the library. Their busy schedule also makes it hard to attend sessions regularly.
GOALS
The user wants flexible access to live, prerecorded, or in-person classes that fit their schedule. They aim to use these sessions to grow in their career and stay current with industry trends.
Profession:Education
Age: 28
Career Refreshing Technical Reader
Steven Broderick
FRUSTRATION
She often misses out on available programs. She's also worried about not finding a mentor who aligns with her goals.
GOALS
She wants to find a mentor who can guide her and help her decide if a career path is right. She also hopes to take flexible classes or workshops to gain skills and boost her resume.
Profession: Recently Laid off
Age: 32
Career Switching Enjoyment Reader
Susan Comby
How Do Users Currently Navigate Their Goals Without Our App?
To deeply understand our users’ pain points and motivations, we created Customer Journey Maps. These maps visualize how users currently try to reach their goals without the app, and highlight where our solution can make their experience smoother, faster, and more fulfilling.
Steven’s Journey: Leveling Up His Career
Steven is looking to earn a certificate to advance in his job. His current path is time-consuming, scattered, and lacks personalized support.
➡️ Our app streamlines this by offering guided certification paths, direct access to resources, and progress tracking — all in one place.
Susan’s Journey: Breaking Into a New Industry
Susan is an aspiring professional trying to switch industries. Finding a mentor online is overwhelming and unreliable.
Information Architecture
How Will Users Flow Through Key Features?
Task flows help us visualize how users interact with the app step-by-step. They show the path a user takes to complete specific goals—from starting the app to getting what they came for.
What Does the Whole App Look Like?
To understand the full structure of the app, we created an App Map that outlines all the main features and how each screen connects. It gives a big-picture view of the user experience.
Design Process
Bringing Ideas to Life:
Paper Prototyping
Onboarding
This sketch illustrates the first step of the user journey, the Onboarding process. It focuses on introducing the user to the app’s features and guiding them through an easy sign-up process.
Download a Course
Here, we designed the process for users to Download a Course. This allows them to access course materials, track progress, and engage with the content offline, making learning more flexible.
Find a Mentor
This design step explores the Find a Mentor feature. It focuses on helping users search for mentors in their desired field, connecting them with experts for personalized guidance and support.
How Did Early Wireframes Shape the Design Direction?
Onboarding
When new users open Biblio, they’ll be welcomed with the choice to quickly sign up using their existing library card or create a new one digitally. By doing so, the app auto-fills personal details from the library’s system, making sign-up a breeze. As part of the onboarding process, users will also share their interests and career goals, enabling Biblio to recommend tailored workshops, courses, and mentors. This personalized touch ensures that users dive into the app with relevant content right from the start!
Find a Mentor
Meet Susan—recently laid off, but she's seizing this as an opportunity to pivot her career. She’s looking for guidance from experienced mentors to explore potential new fields before making her final decision.
While browsing the library’s offerings, Susan discovers the “Find a Mentor” feature on the Biblio app. With this function, she connects with professionals in her areas of interest, gaining expert insights to make an informed choice about her future career path. It’s the perfect blend of education and mentorship at her fingertips.
Find a Course
Say hello to Steven, a dedicated teacher always looking for new ways to enrich his students’ learning experiences. One day, Steven decides to check out what his local library has to offer, hoping to discover fresh resources and techniques to enhance his lessons.
Through the Biblio app, Steven easily finds a variety of courses on topics that interest him. From teaching techniques to subject-specific workshops, the course selection aligns with his professional goals, making it the go-to tool for continuous improvement in his field.
Usability Testing
We tested the app's features with 8 users to gather valuable feedback on their experience. This helped us identify what worked well and areas that need improvement to enhance overall usability and user satisfaction.
WHAT WORKED
WHAT DIDN'T WORKED
The app was easy to use with a logical, user-friendly flow.
Users wanted the option to skip login/sign-up to explore the app first.
Personalized advices were well-received, enhancing user experience.
Messaging mentors before connecting was unavailable and needed.
The voice search feature was convenient and liked by users.
Offline course downloads were cumbersome and needed improvement.
Users enjoyed the freedom during onboarding and felt in control.
The "Next" button on the interests screen was too subtle
Navigation was intuitive; users knew exactly what to do right away.
Personalized advices were well-received, enhancing user experience.
FINAL ITERATION
Based on the valuable insights from our usability test, we’ve made some exciting updates to enhance your experience! We’ve transitioned the design to full greyscale for a cleaner layout before handing it off for high-fidelity UI development. Plus, the icons on the bottom toolbar are now clearly labeled for better navigation.
We’ve also improved features like "Find an Event," making it easier to stay up-to-date on local events and workshops at your library, and "My Profile," which provides quick access to all your saved items, mentors, courses, and account information. These updates ensure you can easily manage and update your interests, making your journey smoother and more personalized.
Greyscale design, labeled toolbar icons.
Search, discover, and add library events
Access, update, and manage profile easily
