UNT DIGITAL LIBRARIES
2025
PROJECT OVERVIEW
This project explores the redesign of the University of North Texas Libraries’ Advanced Search experience, with a focus on improving usability, clarity, and discoverability for a wide range of users. The goal was to reimagine how advanced search can better support the UI updates to the main library page, targeted academic research, and everyday resource discovery from all students without feeling overly technical or intimidating.
PROBLEM
The UNT Libraries Advanced Search experience does not clearly communicate its purpose, leaving users unsure when or why to use it, and often avoiding it altogether.
Despite 15,565 online page visits, search behavior shows a disconnect between user intent and the tool. Filter usage is uneven, with many options rarely used, suggesting unnecessary complexity. Meanwhile, key interactions, like 1,052 selections for the main campus library, highlight important user needs that are not clearly prioritized.
The reliance on Boolean logic, understood by only about 50% of users, further limits accessibility.
Role
UX/UI Student Assistant
Company
University of North Texas Digital Libraries
Team
Jason Ellis - Developer
William Hicks - Head of User Interfaces
Timeline
2 months
Part of a larger platform
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Consistent communication is key.
CHALLENGES
Outdated and restricted design system ​
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The underlying system limited interaction and layout options
Small team
​We had only two busy developers, meaning that our redesign needed to be highly efficient, with decisions focused on the most impactful and implementable improvements.
USERS
Graduate Students & Researchers

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Conducting in-depth research requiring precise filtering by subject, date, format, or language.
Academic Staff

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Looking for teaching resources or specific collections; often comfortable with metadata filtering but value speed and clarity.
Library Staff

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Use advanced search daily to assist patrons but often workaround interface limitations; their insights highlight usability pain points.
Undergraduates & General Public

Uses advanced search infrequently or by mistake. Often confused by complex filters or Boolean logic. There is an opportunity to guide this target there when looking for textbooks.
ORIGINAL DESIGN
The interface feels overwhelming. The primary usability issues identified were the high number of filters displayed upfront, which increases cognitive load, and the inefficient placement and interaction of the advanced search, which hinders discoverability and smooth task completion.
SEARCH ANALYTICS
We used page/search analytics to identify user patterns and use-cases. Analytics indicate high-demand resources
Research books
Music Archives
Video Game Archives
Data suggests users are unaware that the catalog supports undergraduate textbook searches, indicating a need for clearer guidance and visual cues, specifically catering to one of the user groups that is left out: undergraduate students.
Language and genre have almost never been used, suggesting that filter organization can be simplified without removing options,
Insights support reorganizing the advanced search button to improve discoverability: the amount of page visits drops from 15,565 on the main discover page, to 1,052 on the advanced search page. That is a staggering 93% drop in traffic.
DESIGN SUGGESTIONS
Embed a dropdown/
collapsible advanced search panel making advanced options easily available.
01
“Using the Catalog”
brief reiteration of the "about” UNT Discover ​
02
Advanced Search button
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Moves next to the main search bar, so it feels more like an extension.
03
“Need Help?”
direct link to chat/help desk
04
“Search Tips”
Guides users to the search type that best fits their needs, not just what they’re familiar with.
05
LOW FIDELITY
FEEDBACK
I sent the prototype to the developer, Jason.
He liked the idea of combining the search experience into one big, unified page. I had been inspired by NYU Libraries’ layout: I liked how clean and organized it felt, but he mentioned that doing the dropdown would take a lot of time and would be a difficult interaction to implement. We also have a lot of data, and way more search filters - which would call for a separate page
He also brought up that it might be better to design the UI to match the look and feel of the entire UNT Libraries website, not just the catalog. That opened up a new idea for me.
Our amount of filters could feel overwhelming, a thought that was echoed by both our research and Will, the head of our team. This was my go-ahead to take this as a chance to simplify things and make filters easier to understand and use.​
"We have several more filters available from our advanced search page, so we'd need to squeeze them all in or cut a few."
"I like the idea of combining the simple and advanced searches instead of navigating to a new page. I'll have to see how/if I could wire that up on the backend after my larger updates."
"We'd need to restyle these form components to fit with our larger design language. I'm trying to achieve consistency with Will's style on the main library site to make this feel as natural of an extension as possible."
A quick change was immediately made to the library website to update the wording to match my prototype. It's the small wins :)
Quotes from our GitLab chain
Unfortunately, we were unable to make a dropdown for this page, and that restraint is translated into the final design.
FINAL DESIGN
The final design aligns visually with the main UNT Libraries website, featuring simplified filters, clearer guidance for searching the catalog, and an easily discoverable advanced search.
Placed directly alongside the main search bar, the advanced search opens to a streamlined, intuitive page that makes complex queries simple and approachable.
The search bar transitioned from this
The filters, from these
And the boolean logic from this
To this!
To this!
To this!