Show Your Goods!

Revamping Bibliotheca's website

Year Project Type Platform Role
2024 B2B Desktop Product Designer
UX Designer
New version of Bibliotheca's web. Link to Hi-Fi Prototype

Shelf improvement

Bibliotheca is a global leader in library technology, with solutions installed in over 30,000 libraries in more than 21 countries. They are specialized in improving visitors' experience, staff productivity and library security. It's been a while since they redesigned their .com (2020), and now we were asked to give it a go!

The whole process included: stakeholder interview, research, ideation, usability testing, wireframing and prototyping. And took two weeks to get done.


Stakeholder interview

After a meeting with Bibliotheca's stakeholders and going through their site, we put together these notes:


First looks matter

Stakeholders mention they were not happy with their hero section because " it doesn't communicate well what we do".

Where are things?

Stakeholders got some feedback on the navigation menu. Users couldn't find products quickly.

Good content bad Storytelling

Most images, videos and blog posts are great, just not well organized.

No metrics!?

The team at Bibliotheca couldn't say what metric would be measured to validate the design changes.

A big red flag raises in any designer's mind when working on a project where success metrics are not set. This means either the stakeholder doesn't trust you or they don't even track performance. A project without success metrics will fail because: Unclear goals, scope creep, limited accountability, reduced team motivation and inefficient resource allocation. I really recommend having some success metrics and goals!

Competitor analysis

These are three of the direct compeptitors of Bibliotheca. Was interesting to focus on three things from them:

  • How they explain/show what they do.
  • How they organize their megamenus.
  • How they talk about the products.

    • Video carousel helps to communicate quickly what this company does. Check it out!
    They also use isometric illustrations to explain how their products work.
    The mega-menu from Exlibris, gave us the idea to use subcategories, icons and collapsable menu points.


    Two Problems:

    1. Homepage Needs a Makeover

    As soon as we saw other competitors' pages we realised Bibliotheca's needed an update.

    Hero Section


    The existing images were showing general views from the libraries they worked on, but not showing what they did there. So we picked images where the products were always present or being used.
    Images used in the hero carousel.
    New images proposed for the hero carousel.

    Solution Boxes


    Grouping products in categories and adding icons will help users recognize the services and products Bibliotheca sells. This was a stakeholder suggestion and we also saw it in some of the competitors.
    Some of the new categories and icons proposed.

    Product Catalog


    A product catalog on Bibliotheca’s homepage would make it easy for librarians and decision-makers to explore solutions right away. It offers a clear overview, improves search visibility, and lets visitors quickly find what they need—creating a welcoming, straightforward experience for anyone seeking library innovations.
    Product catalog on the Homepage.

    2. Lost in Navigation


    Since users couldn't find the products or services that they were looking for on the existing menu, we thought on readjusting or reorganizing it conserving the original structure or items. But soon realized the menu followed the structure of the company's departments or teams and not made for the users. Naming was not clear for outsiders and items were repeated.
    Existing Navigation bar.
    New proposal for navbar.

    Outsider's POV: Card sorting and new categories

    We decided to make an inventory of all their products and services. Then grouping them in new categories:

    Library Users: For all products that benefit customers or are used by them.

    Staff members: For the library employees.

    Library Protection: For products or services related to the safety and security of the building and its contents.
    New groupings and categories for the Navigation bar.
    Steps made until the last version for the menu. Take a look at the Hi-fi Prototype!

    Applying Hick's Law, we reduced and group items in the menu to improve the user experience. We also kept the dropdowns closed so we could have Progressive Disclosure of them.

    User Test and Prototyping

    From a sketch to a usability test

    Steps made until the last version for the menu. Take a look at the Hi-fi Prototype!

    With our mid-fidelity prototype ready, we ran usability tests with 7 non-target users to gather some fresh insights.

    💎 Key Takeaways:

    • Users loved the solution cards — they helped make the site’s purpose instantly clear.
    • The mega menu felt overwhelming with all product names shown at once; it needed a more gradual reveal.
    • Some labels, like "pick-up services" and "extended access," were still causing confusion.
    • The hero section (carousel) could use better visual cues to show it’s interactive.

    Hi-Fi Prototype

    We made additional tweaks to our prototype and brought it to 4 target users for usability testing. Their reactions were incredibly encouraging:

    “It’s straightforward and easy to understand.”

    Gwyneth, Head of Global Customer Education

    “It’s more product-driven, and I like it. That’s how it should be.”

    Lori, Customer Education Specialist

    Compare the original design against the new propossal!

    Conclusions:
    In the perfect world...

    Metrics

    Setting success metrics from the start keeps everyone focused on what really matters and makes it easy to see if the design is hitting its goals. Not having any metrics is wasting money and time from everyone involved.

    User Journey

    Knowing how the company attracts clients and understanding their user journey helps the team design experiences that truly connect with users, meeting their needs every step of the way. Creating new business opportunities through all the touchpoints.

    A bit more radical

    Talking about design here: Being this a group project and as we had to decide on what kind of solutions and visual directions to take. I found myself agreeing to concepts or designs that I'd rather not use. But for the sake of moving on and meeting the deadline, I agreed to do.
    First, I think our proposal is functional and meets the expectations, but doesn't look 2024 to me. And less if we think on the kind of company Bibliotheca is. I would have picked a more tech/future/science look. For the funtionality of the homepage: I'd go further and explore solutions like a catalog/menu interface. Try to unify the menu, the solution boxes and the product catalog. And maybe in the near future work on features like: a budgeting tool, training portal or a 3D planner.

    Niche doesn't mean boring

    Working as a designer for Bibliotheca gives you the chance to impact how libraries engage with their communities and enhance access to knowledge. While you might think it could be dull since it’s all about libraries, you’ll find it’s a rewarding way to channel your creativity into something that genuinely makes a difference!