"It's My Library": An Immersive, Empathic and Collaborative Approach to Online Storytelling Design

Abstract

This paper presents a case study on the online space design for Peking University’s new library, which is scheduled to finish by 2020. Building a new library traditionally focuses more on organizational planning, but in today’s changing environment, it’s imperative to create a supportive community among students, faculty and alumni. We present 2020: It’s My Library, an interactive web portal for community members & donors to understand the project from multiple facets and to participate in the project. Different from day-to-day library project portals, we explored a user-centered approach which, from users’ perspective, can be summarized as a tri-fold process: Immerse, Empathize, and Collaborate. Firstly, we immerse users in the environment by utilizing advanced interactive design techniques (e.g. background video, bold palette, edgeless layout, etc.). This creates a dynamic and impactful visual representation, and establishes a vibrant branding of the new library that resonates with the digital generation. Secondly, we strategize “mutual empathy” throughout the content. Utilizing the auto-play video stories, student-contributed write-ups and clips, and real-life imagery, we start the conversation from their side, showing our empathy on a personal and emotional level, that we understand what the community cares: pain points, decision-making, impacts, and vision. Thirdly, we genuinely invite the community to collaborate. Traditional library services are in decline, and we must adapt to the...