UX and Archives: Designing a Digital Resource Portal for the Benson Latin American Collection
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This poster will highlight the development of a resource portal comprised of special collection materials from the Benson Latin American Collection at the University of Texas at Austin. As a tool for K-12 teachers and pre-service students in UT's College of Education Urban Teachers Social Studies program, the resource portal hosts lesson plans for various subjects across the field of Latin American studies. Project steps included designing the site, developing a digital asset management plan, and conducting usability tests, both to shape the development process and to ensure that the finished portal appropriately meets user needs. This poster will detail process, findings, finished products, and provide an example of how archives can leverage digital spaces to better engage with specific audiences as well as the general public—making the case for a growing need for dedicated design/UX professionals in archives to assist in designing and maintaining digital archives.