My first real internship was at UCSD Library at the start of the pandemic in 2020, when everything went digital. So you can imagine, with every lecture and class moving online, there was a demand for online resources. I was part of the Student Design Team at TDX (the first student cohort!) and under my team, we achieved an increase in accessibility score from 60% to 96% (well above the average for universities nationally) in just one year, all from making small fixes everyday and adding WCAG/ARIA principles to many sections, overhauling old content. Some of the projects I am most proud of:
-The library database migration (going from one legacy system to a new one that was easily searchable among each of the UC locations!)
-LibAnswers & LibGuides – modular design approach to FAQs, finding resources, and browsing by subject librarians so students could directly consult an expert in their major/field. This one was HUGE for accessing specific content. Most online libraries can be pretty overwhelming, so being able to chat with an actual librarian, having what are essentially mini “wikis” and guides to common resources for let’s say…microbio to art history–it made research fun for assignments.
-The rebrand: Raccoons are notorious at UCSD for being mischevious and active at night. Geisel raccoon became the unofficial mascot and he lives on the “Find Answers” page and on the Library UX Team Alumni group on LinkedIn! The colors came from a rebrand campus-wide around ~2023, so we adapted much of the brand identity with new photos, color, typography, and rounded features.
-Seating Availability widget: for late-night studying once campus opened back up–everyone surprisingly rushed to the physical library and it became crowded. This database helped students figure out what floors to check out.
-Laptop loan program: This came out of need for students that did not have access to a computer during the pandemic; through financial aid support and a grant with UCSD, we set up a Chromebook rental station that let students borrow them.