In Progress
Adding friction to the card renewal process
Problem
Patrons accidentally block location sharing permissions, making them ineligible for card renewals
BPL Help Desk staff were fielding a surge of calls from patrons struggling to renew their Library Welcome Cards. This card, granting instant access to digital resources, is exclusive to New York residents. To verify residency, the library requires location sharing during the renewal process. However, many patrons were inadvertently blocking location access, leading to frustration and help desk inquiries.
Screenshots of current screens during the card renewal process
Goal
Guide focus by adding friction
Through conversations with Help Desk staff, we had a good understanding of user behavior. Patrons were likely rushing through forms and habitually clicking "block" on permission requests, not realizing that request is vital to completing their flow. I decided to address this by:
Guiding patron attention: Visually highlighting the location sharing prompt would help patrons identify this step.
Emphasizing informed consent: Clear and concise wording would explain why location verification is necessary.
Helping patrons course-correct: Providing easy-to-access links would empower patrons who accidentally blocked access to rectify the issue independently.
Highlighting alternative paths: We don't want to force patrons to share their location if uncomfortable. Solutions should highlight alternative paths.
Research & Discovery
Using staff insights and competitive reviews to identify a way forward
Before jumping into design, I mapped out the existing flow to identify specific touch points where we could add friction and improve copy for better clarity. I thought about what worked well? What could be improved? Did we need a design overhaul or simply clearer wording?
This process, coupled with reviewing how other companies handle permission requests, revealed the value of "soft friction" to encourage users to slow down and absorb information, minimizing the need for later course correction.
Suggested user flow made in FigJam that adds friction to card renewal process
Design
Collaborative Design and Development
My initial ideas resonated with the team, confirming we were on the right track. Wireframing the flow allowed exploration of different options for presenting the various renewal paths. Each iteration involved team feedback to ensure alignment. Following approval on Version 2, I annotated my work for the development team.
Adding friction to help guide focus
I decided it's clearer to focus on users turning location sharing on, rather than asking how they'd like to renewing. I also updated the language to make it super clear in our instructions and ask users directly if they're comfortable sharing their location. We don't want them to feel pressured. Finally, using a dropdown menu for location sharing would make it easy for users to change their mind later on if they want to.
Adding visual cues so that user knows what to look out for
Show a preview: we show users a quick picture of what they'll see next, so they know what to expect when they unblock location.
Explain why: Added a link that opens up as a drop-down that explains why their location is needed for this feature.
Heads up about browsers: While most users are on Chrome (so we used that for the example), we can let them know the permission box might look slightly different depending on their browser. This avoids confusion if they see something a bit different.
Providing clear avenues to help users course correct
Previous version did not give specific insight into how to course correct. Users mentioned they would try to refresh the page, but that didn’t always work. I addressed this by providing additional paths to help user correct their issue.
Final Design & Handoff
Handing off to developers
I am currently in the process of annotating and handing off designs to developers. To be continued!
