AMA design director David Jenkin has contributed to a new
book about the way users experience library spaces and services. David,
together with Bea Turpin, Deborah Harrop, Edward Oyston, Maurice Teasdale and
John McNamara, considers what makes an informal learning space, based on work
for Sheffield Hallam University.
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| Sheffield Hallam University Adsetts Centre. Image © AMA |
AMA won a competition to help Sheffield Hallam upgrade the
Adsetts Learning Centre at the heart of the campus. As part of a three year, multi-phase project, AMA’s designs
integrated exciting and engaging social learning and group study spaces into a
wider mix of learning facilities. Increasing clear views across spaces and
adding colour highlights further enhanced the environment. Helpdesk facilities
were improved and new worksettings, including shared meeting booths and
presentation rooms, were positioned in prime space liberated by relocating
staff.
Commenting on the project, David Jenkin said: “Using
evidence from occupation surveys and involving both students and staff in the
process allowed AMA to transform the building into a totally student-focussed
facility, providing a whole range of different places for study.”
Sheffield Hallam students responded very positively to the
upgraded Learning Centre. In the 2013 National Student Survey, 89% of SHU’s
students praised the library and its resources with one commenting: “It's a
place you really want to study in - as soon as you walk in you're in the
mindset to work, in a really comfortable environment.”
The editors of User
Experience in Libraries point to growing interest in building a more
complete picture of user experience: “Librarians are now employing ethnographic
and human-centred design techniques to explore how users are interacting with
library services. These methods involve us observing our users, participating
in their environments and recording their choices, activities and culture in a
more holistic and detailed way than ever before.”
User Experience in
Libraries, subtitled Applying
Ethnography and Human-Centred Design, is edited by Andy Priestner of
Cambridge University and consultant Matt Borg. Incorporating contributions from
librarians, anthropologists and designers from the UK and the US, the book offers
guidance, analysis and case studies of user experience research and seeks to
ignite interest and enthusiasm in this “emerging and game-changing field” that
has the potential to make a significant impact on the way librarians currently
deliver services. It will be published by Ashgate in April.
