Omeka S Case Study — Nikhil Shetty

Nikhil Shetty

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A Product Designer based in NYC

UX Designer and Creative Technologist. Masters in Information Experience Design from Pratt Institute with experience in fintech and AI implementation.

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Omeka S Case Study

DOC 2024-12

Evolving Omeka: From heritage platform to exhibition powerhouse

Omeka S is a robust web publishing platform developed by Digital Scholar, specifically designed for curating, managing, and showcasing digital collections. Widely used by libraries, museums, and academic institutions, it provides a flexible solution for organizations seeking to present digital assets in an organized and visually engaging manner.

The platform enables users to create custom, responsive websites tailored to their specific needs. One of its key strengths is its ability to integrate resources from linked data sources, supporting semantic web technologies and promoting data interoperability. Omeka S is particularly well-suited for collaborative and multi-site projects.

Team
Nikhil Shetty
Radhika Balaji
Charlene Guo
Chelsea Mai

Tools
Figma
Google Drive
Google Sheets
Google Docs

Role
UX Researcher
Interaction Designer

Timeline
October 2024 - December 2024

Project Overview
As a UX Consultant for Digital Scholar, I had the opportunity to conduct a case study on their web builder platform, Omeka S. My team and I conducted a usability study of Omeka S and presented a redesign that solves many of the pain points that we observed.

Part 1
Methodology

Project Initiation
Establishing project scope and success criteria through stakeholder alignment.

We employed an iterative approach that integrated research and design phases to rapidly test and refine solutions.

Our process began with a client kick-off meeting to understand Omeka S's primary pain points, clarify redesign goals, and define success metrics.

Usability Testing Protocol
Structured approach to observing user behavior and identifying friction points.

Following a pilot session to refine our tasks and interview protocols, we conducted moderated usability sessions where participants attempted to create a custom website with a single webpage.

Each session included briefing participants on objectives, observing their navigation through specific tasks (finding the site creation button and publishing), and conducting follow-up interviews to elaborate on pain points.

Iterative Design Integration
Real-time solution testing through rapid prototyping and user validation.

Our key methodological innovation was overlapping research and design phases. After the first round of usability testing revealed critical issues like unclear navigation and overwhelming text, we created a prototype addressing these problems.

Subsequent participants interacted with this prototype rather than the original interface, allowing us to test solutions in real-time and gather immediate feedback on effectiveness. This iterative approach enabled rapid validation and refinement of our design decisions throughout the project.

Part 2
Challenges and Recommendations

Challenge 1

UI Overload

- 80% of users found the site’s text and navigation overwhelming

- 60% of users had a difficult time finding “add new site”

- 100% of users didn’t understand the role of the “eye” icon

- (the button at the top right) - didn’t have feedback

- 100% of users were confused by the jargon used in website blocks

tap to zoom

Solution
UI Refresh and Streamlining

- a condensed navbar

- visual thumbnails that show website previews

- tutorial tool tips to guide users through tasks

- hover overlays that dislpay block functions

tap to zoom

Challenge 2

A Lack of Iterative Feedback

- every user we tested with found the “view” button problematic

- this button has to be pressed to check any changes made

- users found it counterintuitive and tedious

Solution
Live Edit and Preview

- a “preview” button

- lets you see your changes on the fly

- introduced a live edit feature

- allows users to see changes in a preview of their website in real-time

tap to zoom

Challenge 3

Inadequate Templates

- every user felt the default themes were too limited

- it made creating a professional-looking site overly time-consuming

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Solution
One-click Assistive AI for Website Generation

- esigned a one-click AI assist allowing users to generate a website

- based on prompts and customizable elements

- all of our interviewees showed interest in quickly generating a website

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Part 3
Outcomes

By the end of the project we delivered a fully interactive prototype...

It featured:

- A cleaner, more intuitive UI.

- Streamlined workflows for website creation and iteration.

- Assistive features to minimize effort while maximizing customization.

Key Learnings

- This project emphasized iterative design and direct user feedback.

- Conducting moderated interviews helpsed us address real user challenges.

- Prototyping during research ensured we tested solutions promptly.

Prototype link:

click here

Presentation link:
click here

Part 4
Conclusion

Client Feedback and Impact
While our clients appreciated our research and design work, they found two suggestions: the live edit feature and assistive AI were too ambitious for their current resources.

Our usability testing validated their suspicions: the outdated interface, overwhelming navigation, lack of feedback, and insufficient templates were confirmed as significant barriers to user adoption.
Retry

Our solutions directly addressed these issues, providing the clients with a clear path for incremental and impactful improvements.

The clients praised our user-centered approach and detailed insights, which clarified their platform's key pain points. While some features were ambitious, they sparked valuable discussions about Omeka S's long-term potential.

Part 5

Key Takeaways

If I were to continue working on this project, my next steps would include:

1. Prioritizing Incremental Updates:

- streamlined dashboard

- visual thumbnails

- hover overlays

- tutorial tooltips

2. Conducting A/B Testing:

- Testing different design elements and workflows

3. Exploring Feasibility of AI Features:

- actually checking the requirements for implementing an assistive AI tool

4. Expanding User Testing:

- Including a broader demographic of users to ensure inclusivity

INDEX