Redesigning Aix-Marseille University's library website around students' key tasks
A redesign of the Aix-Marseille University Libraries website focused on the tasks students perform most — finding a document, checking opening hours, accessing services — tested with more than 20 students on a real end-to-end task before production.
The Challenge
The existing library website had become increasingly difficult to navigate and maintain. Its visual design felt outdated, and the growing amount of content and services made it harder for students to quickly find essential information.
Key tasks such as checking opening hours, accessing services or finding a document required too much navigation and lacked a clear hierarchy.
Key challenges:
- An outdated interface that no longer reflected the university's digital ecosystem
- Complex navigation across a large amount of content and services
- Low visibility of essential practical information
- A document search relying on an external system, outside the main website
- A content-heavy environment mixing resources, services, news and institutional content
The redesign needed to modernise the interface while preserving the structures that already worked for users.
My Approach
The redesign started with an analysis of the existing website rather than a complete departure from it: the goal was to keep what was familiar and useful, and remove what created friction.
1. Research & Benchmark
I benchmarked comparable university and library websites, and analysed the existing site in depth.
Analysis focus:
- Navigation and information architecture patterns
- Search experiences and service discovery
- Existing structures worth keeping
- Redundant or difficult navigation paths
The research set a clear direction without breaking patterns already familiar to users.
2. Information Architecture Built Around Key Tasks
The new structure brought the most frequent student tasks closer to the surface.
Priority tasks:
- Finding a document
- Checking library opening hours
- Accessing library services
- Understanding available resources
- Discovering training and support
Navigation was reorganised around clearer categories and explicit entry points, reducing the effort needed to reach frequently used services.
3. Designing Around an External Search System
The catalogue and reservation journey relied on a complex external search system, not fully integrated into the main website and outside the project's direct scope.
Design response:
- A prominent search entry point on the homepage
- A clearer transition between the library website and the search environment
- Consistent cues so students understand where they are in the journey
Rather than redesigning a system it could not change, the project focused on making the path to it as clear as possible.
4. Wireframes & UI Design
Wireframes were created for the main pages in desktop and mobile formats, then translated into a contemporary interface appropriate for an institutional environment.
Design principles:
- A colour hierarchy built on the library identity: primary red (#D0224A) and primary blue (#1568D5)
- Jost for headings and Mulish for body copy
- Strong hierarchy and clear calls to action
- Colour contrast and readable typography, following RGAA / WCAG principles
The interface kept consistent patterns across very different types of content.
5. Stakeholder Alignment & Drupal Constraints
I worked closely with the project manager, developers, librarians and the administrative staff managing the website.
Key considerations:
- Librarians' knowledge of services and day-to-day content management
- Institutional and operational constraints
- Technical feasibility within the existing Drupal environment
This collaboration kept the design realistic to build and maintain.
Validation
A first developed version was tested with students in the Aix-en-Provence university library.
Test setup:
- More than 20 student participants over one day
- A realistic end-to-end task: find a specific book and attempt to reserve it
- Evaluation of both the visual approach and the structure
The test was conclusive: students understood the new interface and reached the requested resource. It also revealed opportunities to refine the interaction with the document search system, which were incorporated into the next design iteration before production.
Outcome
The redesign delivered a more modern and structured experience, while preserving the services and structures users were already familiar with. Validated by students on a real task, the new interface makes essential information easier to find and reduces friction across common library tasks.
Key improvements
- Faster access to opening hours and key services
- A more prominent and clearer document search
- Simplified navigation with explicit entry points
- Content prioritised by student needs
- Modern, accessible and responsive interface
- Design validated with more than 20 students
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Key Learnings
This project reinforced the importance of designing within an existing ecosystem rather than treating a redesign as a blank canvas — balancing user expectations, institutional requirements, technical constraints and content complexity.
Testing with more than 20 students was particularly valuable: it showed how quickly design assumptions can be confirmed — or challenged — once real users interact with the product.
Working within Drupal and around an external search system also taught me to focus on what design can improve within a given scope, rather than on what lies outside it.