EPL iOS Application
Overview
A closer look at a library app, one problem at a time
This academic project involved reviewing the EPL (Edmonton Public Library) iOS app, identifying several usability issues, and redesigning one issue in full. I moved through the process from early research to final, polished design.
Contribution | Category | Team | Timeline |
UX research User interviews Wireframing Prototyping | iOS app | 4 designers (me) | 1 month |
Scope
Broad audit, focused fix.
The project began with a broad review of the app to surface multiple usability issues. I then narrowed focus to one - event discovery and registration, carrying it through the full design process, including critiques.
Problem & Stakes
When finding an event feels harder than attending one.
Finding events — both current and upcoming — was a confusing and time-consuming process. The app offered limited or no filters (by date, category, age group, or location), forcing users to scroll through long, unsorted lists to find something relevant. On top of that, the events section itself felt buried within the app's overall structure, despite events being a major value the library offers. This was the most frequent frustration found and directly affected event registration.
The app's core sections (catalog, events, account) weren't clearly organized, making it easy to get lost while moving between features. This was made worse by unclear, low-relevance notifications, which often led to missed updates or ignored alerts.
Strategy & Decision
From sketches to solutions, one critique at a time.
I gathered real feedback from users about their frustrations with finding events, then combined that with my own ideas and input from fellow student designers. I started with rough sketches to test a few layout directions, met with other designers to review and narrow down the strongest approach, and built low-fidelity wireframes that I refined into high-fidelity versions, focusing on filters, event cards, and a simpler registration flow. Critique sessions with senior designers and professors guided several rounds of iteration, ending with polished final mockups delivered on time.
Task Flow
Old
New
Low-Fi
Final Design
Reflection
Every iteration taught something the first draft couldn't.
The project reinforced the value of narrowing a broad problem space to one solvable, high-impact issue and improving it through iteration rather than a single pass. Peer collaboration and critiques from senior designers/professors pushed sharper, more justified decisions. Next steps would include usability testing the final mockups with real EPL users and addressing the remaining issues identified during the audit.
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