Electronic health records (EHR) systems are frustrating to use and suffer from a lack of information sharing. This is due to the absence of a standardized record transmission protocol, which impacts doctors and patients alike. Unfortunately, patients have no input about the technology that stores and shares their sensitive health information. Project Gravity aims to remedy this by giving patients, along with healthcare professionals, a voice in a centralized forum. Together we can positively shape the future of our medical records.

The City of Seattle provides effective information to Seattleites through their website – www.seattle.gov. Seattle IT struggles to understand user behavior and effectiveness of their website. They spend a lot of time creating content. However, they are unclear if this content is surfaced in ways that are comprehensible for users. Our project is an effort to develop a KPI-based framework that content creators can use to understand users and enhance the discoverability of content. Through our holistic and comprehensive framework, Seattle IT can regularly track performance and drive continuous improvement of the online experience that users and potential users have.

The Seattle Art Museum Research Libraries are non-circulating and hidden from the public. Promoting and providing access to their newly defined artists’ books collection is a challenge. This project provides access to a select number of artists’ books using a digital exhibit built with quality photographs, rich descriptive metadata, and context on the medium’s history. Artists’ books, as artworks that convey ideas and inspire, expand the notion of what museum libraries collect, broadens the audience it serves, and aids community building among (book) artists. The exhibited works highlight unique structures, regional artists, promote social justice, and/or collaborative projects.

People are constantly busy due to their hectic schedules, which ultimately leaves their lifestyle in total disarray. Individuals tend to rely on quick unhealthy solutions to satisfy their nutritional needs because they lack the effort and time to cook at home. Discovering a recipe that matches the number of their ingredients and equipment can also be a hassle. So how do we improve this process tenfold? With QuickTaste of course! QuickTaste is an intuitive interactive online cookbook that engages users, who wish to save money and reinstill home-cooked meals within their lives by providing a selection of vibrant 30-minute recipes.

Currently, large companies have many subcultures vested within various different departments and teams that each conduct themselves differently. This prevents potential employees from getting an accurate representation of their future expected experience. Rate my Employer is a platform that allows employees to vet out these smaller departments and teams within companies based on experiences of current or former employees. Users are able to provide reviews based on experiences with relations to salaries, company/team culture, and more. Furthermore, this platform allows employers to view their rankings and ratings in order to find potential improvement sources.

HEALWA is an online medical library that provides resources at no additional cost to eligible healthcare professionals in Washington State, in partnership with the WA Department of Health. HEALWA sponsored us to redesign their medical toolkits as part of their outreach and expansion project to increase utilization among potential users. We evaluated HEALWA’s toolkits for accessibility and functionality using their eJournals, eBooks, Databases, and Continuing Education materials, and we created new interdisciplinary toolkits for specific health topics. Our toolkit recommendations have the potential to improve health outcomes for Washington state residents by promoting healthcare provider access to clinical research information.

Commonly used classification systems often leave librarians and users in want of better way to organize their collections. Outdated language and irrelevant hierarchical structures privilege the access and dissemination of certain knowledges - a known problem in the world of Knowledge Organization. This research explores why classification systems should be considered an extension of an institution’s voice, and how these systems impact user experience in such spaces. Understanding classification systems as rhetorical devices can help librarians and users fully understand and intentionally use these tools to cultivate truly inclusive and equitable environments.

We designed and implemented a 10-week participatory design STEAM program for teens at Seattle Public Library. The program was held at Rainier Beach branch and eight teens ages 12 to 14 participated. Using KidsTeam UW as a model, we utilized techniques in codesign sessions including paper prototyping, creative narrative, big paper, stickies, and more. Design sessions culminated in participants building robots using Arduino. Data collected included analytical memos, recorded session video, and photographs. Lastly, we coded, analyzed, and synthesized to write design recommendations for Seattle Public Library to inform further iterations of participatory design and Arduino youth programs.

PATH, a global health non-profit organization, has created the SafiStation, a chlorine generator to be used in low-resource health centers as a means of creating life-saving disinfectant. Our capstone team used data from the station to improve the current data dashboard that PATH is using to monitor their dashboards by developing specific user interfaces and visualizations that are individualized for each customer segment. Using the improved dashboard, PATH and their future customers can visualize how their machines are operating as well as the returns on their investments.