Welcome to the
User Research Center

What We Do

The User Research Center (URC) at Harvard Library is Harvard's premier lab for user-centered design, digital accessibility, and testing. We work remotely to conduct user testing and accessibility testing for Harvard websites and systems.

Work with us to:

  • Recruit students from our participant pool for remote or in-person user testing. We have a participant pool with over 300 undergraduate and 150 graduate students from across Harvard.
  • Get advice from experts on best practices in user experience (UX).
  • Consult with experts on usability and digital accessibility projects.
  • Attend learning opportunities like workshops and presentations.

Expertise in UX & Accessibility Tools & Technology

Our staff can advise on how to:

  • Use Zoom for remote user research.
  • Test for accessibility with screen readers like JAWS, VoiceOver, and NVDA.
  • Choose the right UX tools like Miro, Marvel, and Sketch. 
  • Create effective surveys in Qualtrics.

Collaborators

We work closely with teams from Harvard Web Publishing and Digital Accessibility Services.

Facilities & Technology

The URC is located in Lamont Library A-10, just one floor down from the Lamont Cafe. View detailed directions for finding the space. We provide the space and tools for you to test the user experience of your digital products.

Due to COVID-19 the lab space is closed but we are working remotely to support user research needs at Harvard.

Upcoming Events

2021 Mar 10

URC Spring Brown Bag Series: On to the Next Iteration: The Case of the HUIT Flagship Website Redesign

12:00pm to 1:00pm

Location: 

Online (Zoom)

Join us for On to the Next Iteration: The Case of the HUIT Flagship Website Redesign presented by Neal Adolph Akatsuka, Communications Offer, HUIT, HPAC.

A website redesign offers the exciting opportunity to dedicate resources—chief among them, your time and attention—to reevaluating the needs and goals of users and stakeholders, and to envisioning the future of the user experience of a brand and its resources. However, a redesign can also entail the inheritance of an ongoing project with its own vision, timeline, and budgeted set of priorities. By reflecting...

Read more about URC Spring Brown Bag Series: On to the Next Iteration: The Case of the HUIT Flagship Website Redesign
2021 Mar 17

URC Spring Brown Bag Series: When and How to Run a Usability Test

12:00pm to 1:00pm

Location: 

Online (Zoom)

Join us for When and How to Run a Usability Test presented by Zoraida Cabrera-Mieles, UX Researcher/Designer, Harvard Web Publishing.

Usability tests can often feel overly-complex, time-consuming, and expensive. But they don’t have to be! In this talk, we’ll demystify strategies for planning and executing usability tests. We’ll approach common questions, such as: 

  • Is a usability test the right research approach?
  • Why should I test if the product isn’t finished? 
  • How many participants should I recruit?...
Read more about URC Spring Brown Bag Series: When and How to Run a Usability Test
See calendar