How to Develop User-Centered Archival Discovery Tools with Design Thinking

Archival discovery tools, such as catalogs, finding aids, search interfaces, and digital repositories, are often the first point of contact between users and collections. These tools serve as maps and compasses, guiding users through vast and often complex holdings. 

However, too often, their design reflects institutional priorities or professional standards rather than the needs and behaviors of users. Design thinking, a user-centered approach to problem-solving, offers a robust framework for making discovery more intuitive, inclusive, and effective. 

What Is Design Thinking for Archival Discovery? 

Design thinking is a methodology that prioritizes human experience. It focuses on understanding users’ needs through observation and empathy, reframing challenges from their point of view, brainstorming ideas, prototyping potential solutions, and gathering feedback through testing.  

Rather than assuming what users want, archivists who apply design thinking explore how people actually interact with archival systems and how collections can be improved to truly meet user needs.  

The process is iterative and flexible, making it especially well-suited for reimagining archival discovery tools. By focusing on how users search for and interpret information, design thinking helps move archival access beyond internal logic and toward meaningful user engagement with archives. 

Center Your Archives’ Users in Discovery 

Archival systems are often structured according to professional principles such as provenance and original order. While these concepts are essential for maintaining intellectual control, they are rarely intuitive for users.  

For example, a researcher interested in environmental activism may not know that relevant records are scattered across different collections or described using administrative terminology. A student writing about housing policy may struggle with archival hierarchies or unfamiliar finding aid conventions. 

Design thinking begins by observing users in action: 

• What terms are they searching for? 
• Where do they get stuck? 
• What are they expecting to find, and how are those expectations shaped by other information systems they use daily? 

These insights help archivists identify gaps between user behavior and archival infrastructure, allowing for more targeted improvements. 

Redefine the Problem from the User’s Perspective 

A central design thinking tenet is reframing challenges from the user’s perspective. Instead of asking, “Why don’t users understand our finding aids?” the question becomes, “Why don’t our finding aids support how users look for information?”  

This reframing shifts the focus from educating users to adapting systems to better meet their needs. If discovery tools fail to surface relevant materials because of inconsistent metadata or outdated subject terms, the problem is not with user behavior but with system design. 

Addressing this may involve introducing topic-based navigation, building contextual pathways through collections, or updating records with more accessible language in accordance with best practices for archival description. 

Engage in Ideation, Prototyping, and Testing  

Once the challenge is clearly defined, archivists can brainstorm various workable solutions:

• What would discovery look like if it were built around the user experience? 
• What if users could browse collections through an interactive timeline?  
• What if the search interface offered first-time visitors visual cues or guided prompts?  
• What if users could filter results by topic, community, or type of material? 

Design thinking encourages prototyping these ideas quickly. A wireframe of a redesigned search interface, a paper mockup of a thematic research guide, or a click-through demo of a new filtering system can be low-risk ways to test concepts. These early versions can be unpolished; they just need to be functional enough to spark honest user feedback. 

Testing with actual users is where ideas are refined. Watching users interact with a prototype reveals what works, what is confusing, and what needs adjustment. This feedback loop allows for continuous improvement and avoids costly missteps based on assumptions.  

Build Better Tools and Stronger Relationships  

Applying design thinking to discovery tools has practical benefits. Users find what they need more easily, navigate collections more confidently, and are more likely to return.  

It also strengthens the relationship between the archives and the public. When users see their needs reflected in the design of a tool, they feel invited into the archival space not just as researchers but as participants. 

This approach also helps archivists shift their role from gatekeepers to collaborators in the research process. Discovery becomes not just about locating documents, but facilitating exploration, interpretation, and connection. 

Move Toward a Culture of Responsive, Inclusive Design 

Design thinking encourages institutions to remain curious, listen closely, and stay open to change. This mindset is essential for archives seeking to expand their impact and relevance. Discovery tools should reflect the collections’ structure and the needs and experiences of those who use them.  

By applying design thinking to archival discovery, archivists can create systems that are not just functional but also welcoming, intuitive, and engaging. In doing so, they affirm the core mission of archival outreach: to connect people with the past in ways that are meaningful, accessible, and enduring.