WolbachUX

The Wolbach UX has now graduated to the Harvard Library UX. Read more.

The Wolbach UX Lab project involves several versions of LADS. The original version developed at Brown University served as the starting point for development at the Harvard Library.

First Library Use Case

From there, the first modification was to remove the Garibaldi content and replace it with Harvard's History of Science collection which included 19th century images from the Harvard College Observatory. The main geography map was removed and replaced with an image of the Milky Way's center, to give the software a more appropriate theme. The filterBox, imageWindow, and information windows were rearranged to optimize usability and aesthetics.

The artwork mode was also altered with a bottom panel email interface and buttons were enlarged for easier access.

Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) Version

Another version of the LADS interface was developed in response to a separate use case from the SDO. Beyond the changes to the interface aesthetics, the SDO team requested an automatic update feature that would allow the system to operate and perform content updates, without constant human interaction. The Curator's toolbox, also referred to as the SDO-LADS Master Control Program (SDO-LADS-MCP) was developed to that end.

Curator's Toolbox

The Curator's Toolbox starts with a home screen for a museum or library where the user can launch SDO-LADS or any other program via the large "Touch to Start" button. The program stays running, allowing the SDO-LADS to shut down when idle. By allowing LADS to shut down, newly updated content can be incorporated into the timeline. A secret Button gives curators or librarians access to a password keypad that will navigate to the administrative controls. The Curator's Toolbox allows automatic update parameters to be set and manual updates to be performed.

Current Proof of Concept

A proof of concept interface, again based on LADs, was developed towards the end of the Library Lab project. We removed the timeline, heightened the Deep Zoom workspace, expanded the image description and exposed the filter. Interface changes are pictured below.

In the artwork display window, we included an image info button to reveal more information about the image being presented. More importantly, the snapshot and annotation tool was added, where users can crop parts of an image, create annotations and send their work to a specified email address.

Final adjustments were made to the LADS authoring tool, developed by James Chin. The aim of this project was to add more metadata data and content fields while also allowing LADS users to automate the authoring process.