Discovery
An initial audit of the Blogs pages uncovered the following usability issues and design opportunities:
Blogs: Main index page
The old design had a basic chronological feed without visual hierarchy or clear affordances for browsing different types of content. The card layout lacked compelling imagery and strategic use of white space, creating a dense, uninviting interface that failed to showcase the variety and quality of librarian-curated content, resulting in shallow engagement where most visitors never progressed beyond the first few posts.
The sidebar menu had inconsistent organizational logic and ambiguous labels that failed to clearly communicate the available content types. The "Subject" and "Channel" pages compounded these issues with layouts that weren't designed for efficient scanning, forcing users to work harder than necessary to understand their browsing options and locate relevant content.
Blogs: Subjects and Channels
Blogs: Individual blog page
Individual blog posts overwhelmed readers with dense, poorly structured content that made reading difficult. The lack of clear visual hierarchy, insufficient contrast between elements, and cramped spacing created a reading experience that discouraged engagement with the valuable content.
Research
I gathered input from both library patrons (blog readers) and staff (writers) throughout this project. Conversations with staff revealed their content creation workflow and pain points, while usability testing with patrons helped validate my design decisions.
The prototype I tested maintained the existing site structure but introduced a more focused navigation with only options that seemed helpful to the user and used cleaner, updated components from the NYPL Design system.
Blogs prototype for usability testing
Solution
Internal reviews with Engineers, other Designers, and stakeholders helped to refine the final designs, condensing the amount of pages and steps required for the user to find and browse content, and establishing more consistent pattern across the entire Library website.
Throughout the process, I made sure to design for responsiveness and inclusivity, considering different screen widths and consulting with an Accessibility specialists along the way.
The redesigned index page provides clear starting points through featured content, then naturally introduces browsing options like popular Channels and Subjects as users move down the page. This approach helps visitors understand where to begin while encouraging continued exploration.
The new blog cards features images more prominently and removes unnecessary information, focusing on elements that actually helped users decide which posts to read.
Redesign: Blogs main index page (desktop and mobile)
Redesign: All blogs view (desktop and mobile)
Filter sets replaced the sidebar menu as the core navigation tool for discovery. The addition of an "All blogs" view offers users a curated set of filtering options that they could adjust according to their preferences, giving them greater control over their browsing experience and making it easier to find relevant content.
The redesigned layout breaks up dense content blocks and showcases images in a cleaner, more engaging format to make content more digestible and retain user interest throughout lengthy blog posts.
Related posts are added at the bottom of each blog, using subject tags to surface relevant content that keeps readers exploring more of what the Library has to offer.
Redesign: Individual blog post (desktop and mobile)
