Improving the user experience of professional researchers: Applying a user-centered design framework in archival repositories

Abstract

User-based evaluation of archives has evolved significantly over the past three decades. However, existing frameworks rely almost exclusively on surveys and questionnaires, which address users' self-reported perceptions of quality of user experience in the archives. In this paper we propose a user-centered design (UCD) framework for the systematic improvement of the in-person archival user experience for professional researchers that borrows from service design, user experience design and usability. Using existing archival literature on use and users as our point of departure, we will discuss building professional researcher personas, the application of usability performance metrics to encourage greater efficiency for infrastructural archival activities, and UCD tools for enabling professional researchers to take on active roles in the re/design process as experts of their experience.