Transitioning to the new Primo NDE UI is more than just a technical migration — it’s an opportunity to rethink and modernize your library discovery service. As more institutions adopt NDE, libraries are realizing that success comes not only from “going live,” but from planning strategically, engaging stakeholders early, and taking advantage of the new capabilities available from day one.
Here are seven practical tips and tricks to help your institution prepare for a smoother and more successful move to Primo NDE.
1. Treat NDE as a Strategic Upgrade — Not Just a UI Change
One of the biggest mindset shifts institutions can make is understanding that NDE is not simply a replacement interface. It’s a future-ready discovery framework designed to evolve continuously.
Instead of asking:
“How do we migrate our current UI?”
Ask:
“How do we improve the discovery experience for our users?”
NDE introduces modern workflows, AI-ready infrastructure, improved accessibility, enhanced analytics, and more flexible customization options. Approaching the transition strategically helps institutions get much more value from the move.
2. Start with a Duplicate NDE UI View
One of the easiest ways to reduce uncertainty is to get hands-on early.
Creating a duplicate NDE UI view allows your team to:
- Explore the interface safely and start with a a strong starting point as this option utilizes your existing setup
- Test configurations
- Compare old vs. new experiences
- Identify gaps and opportunities
- Gather feedback internally
This “sandbox” approach allows you to have your NDE View in production in parallel to your VE view with no impact on your live view. That way, you can very fast demo your NDE View with library stakeholders while working with production teams.
Pro Tip:
Use the duplicate view before demoing to stakeholders to ensure you’re well-prepared and can gather early feedback from librarians, UX teams, and IT staff.
3. Audit Your Existing Customizations Before Migrating
Many libraries underestimate the importance of reviewing their current customizations before moving to NDE UI.
Take time to categorize your existing customizations into:
- Essential functionality
- “Nice to have” features
- Outdated components
- Opportunities for simplification
- integration with third party vendors
Since NDE UI already includes many built-in improvements, some legacy customizations may no longer be necessary.
Examples of expanded native configuration options in NDE UI include:
- User area menu controls
- Filter display modes
- Location filter configurations
- Request form settings
- Main menu link behaviours
- Landing page editing
- Full Record display – expand collapse sections
This can significantly reduce long-term maintenance overhead. While you evaluate your integration with third-party vendors, you can use the add-on configuration to easily add supported add-ons (u deal with Vendors’ code) and add to the tip also – with the Add-on configuration approach, use add-ons for more configuration rather than customization
Tip:
Avoid recreating old complexity automatically. Sometimes the best migration is a cleaner one. Use the simplified add-on configuration for third party integration
4. Align Stakeholders Early
Successful NDE UI transitions are rarely driven by one person alone.
The most effective institutions involve multiple stakeholders early, including:
- Library leadership
- Discovery administrators
- IT teams
- UX and accessibility specialists
- Public services staff
Early alignment helps answer critical questions:
- What are our goals for the new experience?
- When should we launch?
- Will we use a phased rollout?
- How will we communicate changes to users?
Creating internal alignment early prevents delays and reduces confusion later.
5. Take Advantage of Mixpanel Analytics
One of the most valuable capabilities introduced alongside NDE is deeper discovery analytics through Mixpanel.
Rather than relying on assumptions, libraries can now better understand:
- Search behaviours
- User engagement funnels
- Success events
- Search-to-action correlations
- Feature adoption trends
These insights help institutions make data-driven decisions about interface improvements and user experience optimization.
Pro Tip:
Start defining your key success metrics before go-live so you can measure impact immediately after launch.
6. Prioritize Accessibility from Day One
Accessibility is not something to “fix later.”
NDE UI was designed with accessibility as a core principle, supported by:
- Accessibility standards compliance
- VPAT documentation
- Ongoing issue reporting
- Accessibility recommendations for customizations
However, institutions should remember:
Custom components and local configurations can still introduce accessibility challenges if not reviewed carefully.
Tip:
Include accessibility reviews as part of your customization approval process — especially for branded or locally developed components.
7. Stay Connected to the NDE UI Community
One of the strongest advantages of the Primo NDE journey is the growing community surrounding it.
Institutions are actively sharing:
- Best practices
- Lessons learned
- Go-live experiences
- Feature feedback
- Configuration strategies
Joining cohort sessions, webinars, and community discussions can dramatically accelerate learning and reduce implementation friction.
The NDE UI roadmap is also evolving continuously based on customer feedback, meaning institutions that stay engaged often benefit earlier from new capabilities and improvements.
Final Thoughts
The transition to Primo NDE UI is ultimately about building a more modern, flexible, and user-centered discovery experience.
Institutions that succeed most are the ones that:
- Plan strategically
- Simplify where possible
- Engage stakeholders early
- Use analytics intentionally
- Stay connected to the community
NDE is evolving quickly and libraries have a real opportunity to help shape what discovery looks like next.
The earlier you begin exploring, testing, and planning, the smoother your transition will be.
