EBSCO Mobile app

Project Overview

EBSCO’s mobile app provides seamless access to library resources, allowing users to search, download, and read e-books, articles, and journals on the go. It offers personalized features like saved searches, offline reading, and syncing across devices for a convenient research experience.

Problem

EBSCO was developing a mobile app for seamless access to library resources, but it was unclear if it met the needs of students and librarians. Key questions included:

  • What features were essential for mobile research?
  • How could the design support efficient search, reading, and organization?
  • What concerns did librarians have about access, authentication, and usability?

Approach:

  • Co-Design Sessions with Students: On-campus workshops to understand workflows, pain points, and feature preferences.
  • Focus Group with Librarians: Gathered feedback on access, authentication, and resource management.
  • Collaboration Between Product & UXR: Partnered with product managers to integrate research findings into the app’s design.

Outcome:

  • Seamless Syncing: Users wanted saved searches and articles to sync across devices.
  • Personalized Experience: Features like suggested topics and push notifications improved research efficiency.
  • Offline Access: Downloading articles for offline use was a key expectation.
  • Easy Search & Save: A streamlined search experience with saving and organizing options was essential.
  • Collaboration Tools: Students valued easy sharing via email, text, or Airdrop.
  • Smart Recommendations: “Discover recent subjects” helped users explore related topics.
  • Flexible Reading: Options to read or listen improved accessibility.