When it comes to complex problems like designing library orientations, less means more. Fewer words, simpler storylines, and commonplace activities are often what the job calls for.
We have created a self-guided library orientation for freshman students with an engaging story, team-building activities, and a convenient web app. We will share our experience designing, building, and testing this activity with students. This design process has taught us lots of design principles, such as:
- Individuals engage more with group activities that are easy to interact with
- A simple, well-written narrative can add value to an orientation experience
- Designers lose sight of their end goal when they are inflexible in the design process and develop personal attachments to specific solutions
Participants will:
- Learn to apply the learning experience design principles of self-expression and individual involvement to stimulate positive social interaction effectively.
- Learn how to effectively introduce library resources using simplicity and narrative to prompt future visits to the library and usage of its resources.
- Be able to adopt the principle of separating design from technology in the experience design process to create learning experiences that fulfill their exact purpose.
