NookReads
MVP book app enhancing the reading experience by offering personalized goal setting and progress tracking.
Background
As a passionate bookworm myself, I wholeheartedly relate to the difficulties in question. The feeling of being a solitary reader, exacerbated by the hustle and bustle of daily life, further complicates the quest for uninterrupted reading. NookReads is designed to help readers stay motivated and track their reading progress. It is a digital reading nook that allows users to track their progress, set goals, discover new books, and connect with book lovers.
Role
-
End-to-end UX Designer
-
UX Researcher
-
UI Designer
-
Branding
Project Type
-
Student Project
-
Mobile iOS App MVP
Timeline
4 weeks
(80 hours)
Sept - Oct 2023
Tools
-
Figma
-
Figjam
-
Notion
Problem
People find it hard to make reading a regular part of their lives
The challenges people face are time constraints and lack of motivation, as well as the absence of a supportive reading community.
Solution
A digital reading nook providing an elevated reading experience.
I designed an MVP book app that invites users to immerse themselves in a thriving book community, set personal reading goals, seamlessly track their progress, and explore new literary gems—all within the cozy embrace of a virtual reading nook, designed to ignite and sustain readers' motivation.
Understand readers
Initially, I believed that one primary challenge faced by readers revolved around the escalating costs of books, potentially limiting their accessibility. However, upon conducting interviews with five participants, I came to the realization that this issue wasn't as significant as I had assumed. I had to define and prioritize the key problems and pain points experienced by book lovers with digital and physical reading experiences. Through affinity mapping, I gathered valuable insights to improve their overall experience.
Key Findings:
100% of participants discovered that most book apps were deficient in either ineffective organization or the sense of community they desired, leading to a preference for physical books.
80% of participants mentioned the lack of friends who share their enthusiasm for reading, which serves as a demotivating factor for them to engage in reading activities.
60% of participants struggle to incorporate reading into their lives due to busy schedules and lack of motivation.
40% of participants highlighted the difficulty of committing to a book without first researching it through social media comments and reviews.
Who are my competitors?
The market lacks a solution for all-in-one book app.
I did a competitive analysis of the leading book and reading apps, revealing their respective strengths and identifying areas where they fall short in meeting user expectations. There is potential for creating a comprehensive all-in-one app that addresses the deficiencies observed in existing apps, ultimately offering a more satisfying reading experience.
Key Takeaways
Design Opportunities
I've identified several points of convergence and believe that these represent the essential features that can deliver the ultimate reading experience to users.
How might we?
-
HMW help people create better reading habits and routines so they stay motivated to read?
-
HMW foster a sense of community and social interaction within the app, allowing readers to connect, discuss, and share their reading experiences?
-
HMW curate and personalize book recommendations to enhance the discoverability of new books?
Who am I designing for?
Based on user interviews, I created two personas to represent two types of target users whom I am designing for.
Feature Prioritization
Define key features and basic interactions for the MVP
I realized the necessity of first implementing essential functions before venturing into more advanced features. Presented below is my process of exploring and ideation for features.
Numbers 6, 7 and 8 will be prioritized in a future iteration due to time constraints.
Must-have:
1. Account sign in
2. Reading progress tracker
3. Reading goals
4. Book discovery
5. Organized library
6. Social/Community
7. Note feature to write down thoughts, highlight quotes
8. Read within app
Based on market research and user interviews, these must-have features will provide users the most seamless, elevated reading experience.
User Journey
Following the prioritization of core features, I proceeded to create user flows. These diagrams visually illustrate the path users will take while navigating through the product. The user flows outline specific tasks that will later be tested using the prototype. These tasks include actions such as creating an account, adding a book to one's personal library, and establishing an end-date goal.
Early Blueprints
I was finally ready to begin designing the MVP app! To kickstart this process, I engaged in a productive white-boarding session with my mentor, where we brainstormed ideas collaboratively. Subsequently, I've included the initial wireframes below categorized by the user interaction. Additionally, I gathered initial feedback regarding the layout and the general direction of the project.
Create an account
Book discovery & adding a book to the library
Set a reading end date
Set up a daily reading goal
Visual Design
Creating a brand that exudes a comfortable and soothing ambiance
NookReads is a play on words for “reading nook”, aiming to be users' virtual literary haven. I combined blue, symbolizing a secure reading environment, with a gentle touch of light orange to evoke a warm and inviting atmosphere.
Is it achieving the goal?
Successful prototype testing
To gather insightful feedback on the design, I conducted prototype testing with five prospective users. This testing involved four task flows: sign-up and onboarding, adding a book to the personal library, setting an end-date goal, and establishing a daily reading goal. Although we identified a few areas that could be improved, the usability tests yielded positive results, with all tasks completed successfully by 100% of the participants.
A/B Test
Understanding what works
During the usability testing, I presented participants with two variations of a specific feature which is the “start date." While the majority of participants favored the appearance of version A, they ultimately opted for version B because version A gave the impression that users couldn't modify the start date.
Iterations
What could be better
In response to user feedback and findings from usability testing, I have made the following improvements to amplify the user-friendliness and user interface:
Genre filter on explore page
Book detail page
Set up a daily reading goal
Users have the flexibility to establish book-specific start and end date objectives, aiding them in monitoring their reading advancements and aligning their reading activities with their hectic routines.
Never bored!
Thanks to NoodReads' vibrant book community and the app's personalized explore feed filters, users are continually exposed to exciting new book recommendations.
Motivation through reading goals
Users have the ability to incorporate or personalize daily, monthly, and yearly reading objectives, serving as a motivational tool to encourage the cultivation of positive reading habits.
Reflection
Learnings
-
User research unveiled unanticipated insights, challenging initial assumptions about user issues.
-
Designing an app from scratch independently posed a significant challenge. However, the highlight of this journey was the collaborative teamwork experience I gained during a whiteboarding session with my mentor.
-
User feedback plays a pivotal role in fine-tuning, validating, and ensuring the adaptability of NookReads to evolving user needs through continuous iterations.
If NookReads comes to life, the next steps...
For this particular project, I focused on essential screens including sign-up, library layout, explore home layout, and the introduction of the start/end date feature and daily goal settings. If I had no constraints, the next steps would be...
-
Expanding content on all primary screens and conducting additional usability testing to gather more comprehensive feedback on the extended features.
-
Enhancing the profile creation process.
-
Developing monthly and yearly goal screens.
-
Collaborating with stakeholders to share my user research findings, brainstorm further, and define MVP priorities and success metrics.
-
Hand in the project to the developer team and launch the MVP app.