Case Study: Holocaust Museum

Background:

The Holocaust Museum has one of the world's richest collections of Holocaust era documents, yet it remains difficult for non-scholars to research the fate of Holocaust victims and survivors. Ginsburg Design was asked to design a service that would make key parts of this valuable collection accessible to scholars and non-scholars alike.

Discovery & Research:

We kicked-off the project by interviewing several researchers from the Holocaust Museum's Survivors Registry, a division of the museum responsible for maintaining survivor records and answering public inquiries. The researchers walked us through their process, showing us letters submitted by individuals searching for loved ones, and examples of documents often used in their research: deportation lists, concentration camp registrations, memorial books. We conducted similar interviews with Holocaust survivors, educators, and genealogists. Two of the biggest issues we uncovered were the lack of a centralized resource, and the difficulty in finding people or places due the variations in spelling from one country to another.

Concept Exploration:

Our next step was to develop scenarios and design solutions based on the user research. At this stage, we focused on three core areas: the home page, the "finding" interfaces, and the profile page. To alleviate the issues we identified with names, we introduced Soundex, a tool that can find names that sound similar to the query. Similarly, to help users find people when a name or town is not fully known, we developed interfaces to browse by name or place. These designs were translated into a paper prototype that was tested with survivors, educators, and researchers. The testing revealed a handful of usability issues but it was also a great opportunity for prospective users to share their design ideas, for example, several users wanted a secure way for survivors and their relatives to connect with one another.

Design Development:

After we addressed the key issues identified in the paper prototype, we developed a high-fidelity prototype which was connected to a centralized database containing Auschwitz registrations, French deportation lists, and Lodz Ghetto resident lists. (The database scheme was created by Ginsburg Design; the development was done by a programmer at the Holocaust Museum.) With real data and a working prototype, we uncovered a few layout and navigation issues that were easily remedied. Finally, when we presented the UI in the last round of user testing, the participants were overjoyed with the user experience and quick to ask: When can I use it?

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