Library signage design
The University of Arizona Libraries
UX researcher/ UX designer
2025
Effective signage plays an important role in helping people navigate and engage with a space, but this was a significant challenge at the University of Arizona Libraries. The original wayfinding signs which were designed during the early stages of the library’s construction, were functional but limited. Over time, new signs were added. These signs were inconsistent and incomplete as they were added by different people and departments over time. This project was an opportunity to rethink and redesign the signage to make it more cohesive, clear and helpful for everyone using the library.
Understanding the Problem
We began our research with moderated usability testing sessions to evaluate how the signs work within the library space. Our primary questions focused on wayfinding methods and how participants locate information about collections and their physical locations. This test served as an assessment of the combined effectiveness of the library’s website and physical signage in supporting discoverability.
Participants
Our participant group included six individuals with varying levels of familiarity with the library:
New Users: Two participants who were unfamiliar with the library and its systems.
Somewhat Familiar Users: Two participants who had completed certain tasks in the library before and were curious to explore further.
Experienced Users: Two participants, including one library science major, who were very familiar with the library’s layout and systems.
We chose this diverse group to compare how different familiarity levels impacted the methods used, challenges faced, and interactions with library resources.
Process
Each participant was tasked with locating an item from the collections we aimed to promote within a 15-minute time limit. They were allowed to use the library website, online resources, signage, and maps but were not permitted to ask for assistance at the information desk.
Participants were instructed to think aloud, sharing their thought processes and decisions as they worked through the task. This approach provided valuable insights into their navigation strategies and the obstacles they encountered.
Outcomes
The testing revealed several key insights:
Signage Issues: Participants highlighted specific areas in the library where signage was unclear or inadequate, affecting their ability to navigate the space.
Impact of Titles and Signs: Observations showed how the wording and placement of signs influenced navigation patterns.
Online Resources: Maps, help pages, and the library website were valuable tools for participants who relied on them, though they required prior knowledge to access effectively.
Participants indicated they would not have been aware of certain collections without being prompted by the task. This confirmed our hypothesis that the collections require better promotion on the website and through physical signage.
Engaging Users Through Interactive Feedback
Our design team at the University of Arizona Libraries uses whiteboards as a joyful and interactive way to gather feedback from students on different topics. These "Talk-Back" boards offer a great opportunity for us to gather insights and better understand student experiences related to library services. The boards are usually placed in the library lobby and feature one or more prompts. The prompts invite students to contribute and write their thoughts using stickers, markers, and sticky notes.
For this particular project, we designed a Talk-Back board to explore how often students engage with our library shelves and whether they find them easy to navigate. We provided a table with different frequency options, and students placed stickers under the choices that best reflected how often they explored and used the library stacks.
They were also encouraged to write additional comments on sticky notes to explain their answers. The results were insightful and revealed that students were more likely to explore the shelves than we had initially expected. The board remained in the lobby for a week, and the feedback was carefully documented for future reference and decision-making.
This board also highlighted some barriers that prevent students from exploring the stacks, despite their interest. Factors such as a lack of clear information and signage about the contents of each section, as well as uninviting shelf areas, were among the reasons mentioned. These findings are important in helping us create a more inviting and informative library environment.
A detailed description of this Talk-Back board can be found in the research repository on User interactions with library stacks.
Issues with the existing Signs
After conducting the test, I started documenting and categorizing all the signs in the library. This process helped us identify the types of information provided throughout the space and find out about the current problems:
Lack of clear instructions in certain areas.
Lack of clarity in some titles and terms.
Inconsistency and varying formats in presenting the same type of information.
Lack of awareness about digital resources.
Insufficient knowledge and empathy toward users and their needs.
The documentation also raised several important questions:
Are all the necessary pieces of information included, or are there additional details we should consider adding to the signs?
Do all the signs target the same audience, or are there different target audiences for each sign category?
How are the physical signs and information provided on the library’s website work in terms of one another?
The table presents different categories of signs and the information currently provided in the library. For images and more details, please visit: Library Sign Categories.
Sketches
After gathering all the necessary information, I began making some sketches with the details that needed to be included in the signs. In this step, I only focused on book shelves. For the design, I used the University of Arizona’s font and brand colors to align with the established university guidelines. Details about the colors and typography can be found on University of Arizona's Brand Story page .
The factors we considered when selecting sketches and refining existing ones were:
Ease of Use: These signs will require frequent updates, so it is important that library staff can update the information easily, without significant effort or high expenses. Also. we needed to make sure that updating the signs would not affect their consistency.
Accessibility: The previous signs were not accessible. It was difficult for individuals with visual impairments or those using wheelchairs to read and navigate. To improve accessibility, I followed ADA standards for signage. The font sizes in my sketches needed to be changed to meet visibility requirements. I needed to make sure that they are large enough to be easily read from a distance. Color contrast was another factor to consider. using high-contrast combinations, such as dark text on a light background, to make the signs more visible to people with visual impairments. Some sketches didn’t meet this requirement.
The placement of the signs: We needed to make sure that they are mounted at an optimal height between 48 and 60 inches. This would allow both standing and seated individuals to read the information easily.
Prototypes
This project came with several constraints, especially around printing resources, paper size, and the ability to make frequent updates. Because of that, our team focused on keeping the design as simple and functional as possible.
The final prototype was intentionally minimal, mostly black and white, to stay within those limits while still communicating clearly. Each aisle in the library had two letter-sized signs, one on each end, featuring the relevant call numbers and subject areas. We also included a QR code that linked directly to a webpage we created, which walks users through how to read and use call numbers.
Usability Testing
To test the usability and functionality of our new sign designs, we conducted a usability testing by asking library patrons to use our collection sign prototypes to locate books in the library.
Our goal in this study was to evaluate the clarity and usefulness of the information presented on the signs. We wanted to see if the new information provided on the signs, such as the subjects and the QR code, was helpful for browsing and finding library materials.
We had student participants with no background in library or shelving work experience, as well as shelving staff.
Each participant was asked to complete the following five tasks:
Find any book in French literature (topic/subject)
Find any book written by Balzac (author)
Find any book about special education, which means education of people with special needs (topic/subject)
Find a book with the call number LC 3969 S7 1986 (call number)
Find a book called Young Teachers and Reluctant Learners (title)
Interview
The tasks were accompanied by a short interview with different questions for shelving and non-shelving students.
Interview questions for shelving students
How long have you been working here as a shelving student?
How did you get trained for this job? What was the main issue you faced during the training?
How long does it typically take for you to find the requested items?
What is the biggest challenge for you to finding items in the library?
In your opinion, where is the most problematic area in the library in terms of signage?
What parts of the signs were the most helpful?
Are aisle numbers helpful for you when locating the items?
Interview questions for other students
How often do you use the library and for what?
Have you ever tried to find anything on your own in the library? How was your experience?
On a scale of 1-5, how easy was it to find a book?
On a scale of 1-5, how confident were you when finding the books?
What we found
Our study showed our new signage design improves the experience for both shelving students and other students. Specifically, the new signs’ better visibility and placement draws attention to the information, and the addition of topics/subjects improves the patrons’ confidence when finding materials.
Meanwhile, students who have little experience using the library find it challenging to understand call numbers. The QR code on the new design wasn’t as helpful as we thought.
Students don’t know where to start
When presented with the tasks, the non-shelving students started randomly scanning the stacks nearby without clues. The facilitators hinted that they could use the library search on their phone.
Topic/subject on the sign was helpful
We included the top level subject in the Library of Congress classification system on the new signage design. The subjects shorten the searching process. Some participants located subclasses and even specific books without using call numbers, which was impossible without the new signage. Including subjects on the signs can also help users build a mental map of where certain topics are being kept and encourage browsing.
Students aren’t familiar with call numbers
None of the three non-shelving students knew what call numbers were or how to use them. They all tried to avoid using call numbers at first. This may indicate the helpfulness to include information on how to read call numbers on the sign.
We also noticed that non-shelving students tend to rely more on subjects and keywords rather than call numbers. During the test, they often tried to scan the stacks to locate clusters of subtopics, which indicates that adding more detail about topics and subtopics could make the signs even more effective.
QR code was not as helpful as we thought
On the new signage design, we included a QR code that points to the Locate physical materials page. However, none of the participants scanned the code spontaneously. When prompted, one participant thought it might be linked to the library search. Two participants who were asked to scan it quickly scrolled through the page and navigated away.
Consider putting new signs at the eye level
We mounted the new signage prototypes at the eye level. Compared to the existing signs near the top of the stacks, the new designs are easier to spot and more accessible for people using wheelchairs.
During the study, we find the new placement increases the visibility of collection signs. In fact, none of the non-shelving participants noticed the existing signs. One participant directly mentioned how much easier it was to use the new signs, instead of having to look up to read the small call numbers on the current collection signs.
Aisle numbers may help shelving students
During our interview with the two shelving students, we asked about their overall experience with their job and navigating the library’s physical space. They both mentioned that it was challenging to memorize sections and build a clear mental map of the library. One shelving student said having a simple, well-organized system, like numbered aisles, would make navigating and using the library much easier.
A student interacting with the prototype signage during a usability test.
Next Steps:
This project is still in progress. Currently, we are working on prototypes, conducting research and interviews about other types of materials in the library, and discussing the budget and project execution with the involved departments. The next steps will be added soon.