Austin Public Library Youth Page Redesign

Research & Redesign Case Study

Making a city resource friendlier for parents, caregivers, and kids

When the Austin Public Library approached our team, their request was clear:

| Make the Youth Page more useful for parents and caregivers of kids ages 0–12.

Simple enough on paper — until we saw the constraints. We had to keep the city’s existing branding, work with third-party event widgets we couldn’t touch, and still find a way to make the experience feel easy, welcoming, and accessible.

That challenge became our design brief: How do we design something better when parts of it can’t be changed at all?

Listening Before Designing

Before touching Figma, we needed to understand the world our users lived in.

We started with a competitive analysis, exploring how major library systems like Seattle Public Library and London Public Library structured their youth content. We spotted patterns, gathered best practices, and saw clear opportunities for APL to improve.

Then came user research:

| 22 interviews with parents, caregivers, and staff from multiple branches, plus 5 usability tests on the existing site. We learned where people got stuck, what information they searched for most, and which frustrations kept showing up.

Two stories stuck with me

  • Abigail, a homeschooling mom, just wanted to filter events by age, but the old site made her dig through unrelated listings, leaving her unsure if an event was for toddlers or older kids.
  • Alex, a caregiver, planned the week around library events… until showing up for Storytime only to find it canceled. No online update, no heads-up.
These moments reminded us this wasn’t about “website traffic.” It was about real people planning their days, their weeks, and precious time with their kids.

These moments reminded us this wasn’t about “website traffic.” It was about real people planning their days, their weeks, and precious time with their kids.

From Stalemate to Breakthrough

Midway through, our team hit a wall. We couldn’t agree on a single wireframe direction.

That’s when I proposed starting fresh — this time using Miller’s Law to organize content into seven core sections. 

It gave us a structure that felt intuitive, respected cognitive load, and aligned everyone. That layout became the backbone of our final design.

Designing for Engagement

User feedback became our north star. One parent summed it up perfectly:

“It feels like a policy document, not something for families.”

We took that to heart. The new design is:
  • Visually inviting — playful icons, color pops, and imagery that makes it feel like a kids’ space.
  • Easier to scan — clear headers, bite-sized sections, and quick navigation without accordion fatigue.
  • Tone-shifted — friendly, personal copy that reads like it’s from your favorite librarian, not a city notice.

Real Impact, Real Fast

One of my favorite parts? Seeing our recommendations implemented before the project even ended:

  1. Events now show canceled notices clearly, reducing wasted trips.

  2. Age recommendations appear directly in event listings.

  3. Clicking “Events” from the Kids’ Page now shows age-appropriate results by default.

These changes proved our work wasn’t just theoretical, it was ready to meet real needs immediately.

Takeaways

This project wasn’t just an assignment. It was a partnership with a public institution that serves thousands of families.
I learned how to:

  • Balance dual audiences (kids + caregivers) in tone and layout.

  • Design within strict real-world constraints without losing creativity.

  • Use research-driven storytelling to guide decisions and unite a team.

And most importantly, that thoughtful, user-centered design can have an impact before the ink is even dry.