Developed by Joe J. Marquez and Annie Downey through the 2017 Future of Libraries Fellowship, the Library Service Design Heuristics cards can be used to quickly assess the many types of services libraries offer by asking simple questions to start thinking about the service from the user's perspective.
The cards provide a tool to reinforce the Service Design Mindset, think holistically, and keep the user at the center.
The cards are free to download and use in your library.
Library Service Design Heuristics Cards
The cards (pdf) are designed for two-sided printing (flip on long edge), with four cards per two-sided page (4 pages of paper total). After printing, simply cut the cards in half vertically and then in half horizontally.
Library Service Design Scoring Sheets
As you use the cards to review a service, you will assign a score (on the scale of -2 to +2) for each heuristic. The scores can be plotted on a scoring card and then the dots can be connected to make a spiderweb pattern. When working with teams, you may want to use the quarter page score card (one-sided printing that can be cut in half vertically and then in half horizontally to create four cards). There is also a full-page score card with space for notes (one-sided printing).