Ecademia - Online Academic Library that accessible for all.

Project Overview

Unlock Limitless Learning - The world of knowledge exploration begins with a single click.

Ecademia provides unprecedented access to millions of eBooks, journals, and articles to elevate every research project and self-study endeavor.

Key Features

Users can quickly find materials with advanced search and filtering options.
Easy access to top collections and newly added resources.
Users can manage their accounts, check out materials, and place holds with ease.
Features for reading, highlighting, annotating documents, and saving excerpts.
Users can create and organize citations and bibliographies effortlessly.
Access from any device, anytime.
Personalized suggestions based on interests and search history.
Ability to share documents and ideas with peers.
Compatible with university portals, LMS, and citation management tools.

Key Differentiators

Resources are curated based on user demand and needs.
Direct collaborations with university departments to offer customized resources.
Notifications for new materials in users’ areas of interest.
Access to over 100 million books and documents through the interlibrary loan network.
Highlighting unique assets from partnering universities.

Role & Impact

Conducted user research, competitive analysis, and stakeholder interviews to define a user-centered strategy.
Synthesized insights into personas and journey maps, establishing a clear problem statement.
Developed information architecture and user flows for intuitive navigation and efficient resource discovery.
Created low and high-fidelity wireframes, iterating through usability testing and incorporating stakeholder feedback.
Designed a scalable UI system with accessibility focus, responsive layouts, and light/dark modes.
Produced a high-fidelity, interactive prototype highlighting key user journeys and micro-interactions.
Facilitated user testing sessions, refining designs based on metrics and feedback to align with user needs.

Target User Groups

Undergraduate Students
Graduate Students
Faculty & Researchers
University Staff & Administration

Revenue Streams

Institutional subscriptions.
Premium add-ons for institutions.
Usage and access fees.
Premium content such as blogs and summaries.
A unique Ecademia community for consultations and study groups, open 24/7.
"Night mode" for user comfort and well-being.
Partnerships with academic institutes, bookstores, and researchers, including advertising space for educational institutions.

User Research Methodology: Survey

To gain quantitative insights into user preferences and pain points, I designed and distributed an online survey to a diverse sample of 380 academics, students, and researchers.

This focused on their digital library usage patterns, research workflows, and unmet needs.

User Research Results

Key Findings

User Demographics and Engagement
Primary users: Current students and alumni.
46% report daily library service utilization.
Predominant demographic: Males, aged 18-55, with tertiary education.

Core Use Cases

Database access, classroom instruction support, research facilitation, individual and collaborative study spaces, literature acquisition, and academic assignment assistance.

Accessibility Challenges

70% express dissatisfaction with current operating hours.
46% underutilize staff assistance resources.

Digital Experience

Significant usability issues with the existing library website.
Strong demand for an enhanced digital interface, including a dedicated mobile application.
46% frequently leverage e-books for academic and professional purposes.

Areas for Improvement

Optimize operational hours to align with user needs.
Enhance digital platform usability and accessibility.
Develop strategies to increase engagement with library staff and resources.
Expand and improve e-book offerings.

These insights provide a solid foundation for prioritizing feature development and user experience enhancements in the Ecademia platform, ensuring alignment with user needs in the academic ecosystem.