In user-first library design, it's important to give users opportunities to provide feedback at the point of service. This is where the users are most likely to have a strong emotion about their experience. It's important to capture their opinions at this point so that you can learn what they loved or what they would like you to change. I prefer this process in contrast to the model where library staff have already decided on a change they want to make then seek out users to upvote or downvote the change. I find that letting the users speak up first directs service providers to ideas that will be most impactful.

Brainstorming outcome assessments during this phase can also be helpful. Ask, "how will we know when we solve this problem? What are the user's goals and how do we know when we've satisfactorily provided the service to them?"

At this stage, I find it helpful take a step back and look for a bigger picture. Feedback from users sometimes includes assumptions they've made on top of asserting their basic need. Jumping on problems without perspective might lead to solutions that don't quite fit. For example, I worked in an academic library that utilized off-site storage. Many frustrated students wanted an off-site book the night before the paper was due but could actually do better by looking for peer reviewed articles that were available digitally and immediately. This could present as a problem: "we don't have enough books on site" which would lead to narrow solutions. Expanding the problem to "students would benefit from more research instruction" opens it up.

I love talking to my network when I'm looking for an ideas to solve a problem. It's helpful to find out what peer departments or institutions have done in similar situations and learn about the challenges and benefits of all the options. There also may be solutions my team would not have considered.

It's important to get user feedback as early in the process as possible. I've often seen user feedback gathered at the end phase as a final check before the product goes out, which creates the opportunity to learn about something that could be better after the window to improve it as closed. It's great to do this in the design phase otherwise incorporating user feedback might require completed work to be redone.

Timing is often a critical element to a successful launch. In the academic library world, the school year is such an important rhythm, and introducing change at the wrong time can be disruptive. Over the summer is often a great time for a soft launch so that there's time to create familiarity before the rush of the new school year in the fall semester.

In a school setting, getting feedback from patrons--students and staff-- can be as simple as sharing a Google form with questions about overall experience, likes/ dislikes, popularity of programs and events, and preferred genres. This information can be shared with administrators as justification for programming and expenditures.

The six steps offered are simplistic and do not go into nearly enough detail to really examine any kind of user service review or analysis. There is not any kind of literature search or methodology to see what is being done in the field right now so this AI generated article is based on opinion, not objectivity. No good manager would use it to improve any service.