Otimização dos serviços de biblioteca do UFMA mobile: uma proposta de design de interface amigável

Abstract

UFMA Mobile is an institutional application developed by the Federal University of Maranhão, which offers its users academic and library services linked to the Integrated Academic Activities Management System (SIGAA), enabling quick access to information. However, upon analyzing the "Library" tab, it was found that it only provides basic functions, such as searching the collection, checking and renewing loans, making it not very functional. Therefore, the objective of this work was to develop improvements to the library services of UFMA Mobile through a user-friendly interface design that allows for updating functionalities to stimulate interaction between the user and the application. The methodology adopted consisted of applied research. Regarding the objectives, it was characterized as exploratory and descriptive, with a qualitative and quantitative approach. Bibliographic research was used as a technical procedure for theoretical grounding, while data collection was used for information processing. A technological mapping of software and apps was carried out on the websites of the 69 Brazilian federal universities active on the Ministry of Education's portal, in the INPI Computer Programs database, and in the App Store. In addition, a questionnaire was applied to the UFMA academic community to assess usability and functional needs with the application, obtaining 459 responses from a sample universe of 1,077 participants. Data analysis identified the functionalities that most interest users, such as book reservations, return alerts, loan renewals, fine payment methods, issuance of clearance certificates (no outstanding debts), and access to academic databases. Based on these results, five use cases were developed, a prototype of the new "Library" tab interface was created, and an operational manual was produced. It is concluded that expanding the application's functionalities can contribute to improving the efficiency of the SIBi/UFMA library services, promoting greater accessibility to information and a more satisfactory user experience.