Over the past decade, there’s been a shift in how we read with the insurgence of new technology. Instead of reading paper books, we can now read on small screens. But, personally, I still prefer the feel of paper books and I found that many people agreed with me. And hence, came my...
Original Problem
Book enthusiasts prefer the tangible experience of reading paper books and don’t want to invest in a digital method but want easier access to paper books.
Initial Assumptions
Before I conducted the interviews I assumed the following 5 concerns to paper book readers:
Availability of newly released books
Convenience of how they receive book (where they purchase/rent)
How long they have the book to read
Space for the book in their home/apartment
Cost
User Research Synthesis
After conducting interviews, I found that three of my assumptions were correct. Libraries are lacking the newest books which is why most users do not use them. Instead, they prefer to buy from bookstores and cost is a major factor since books can be expensive.
User Research Findings
Users enjoy buying books and have no interest in renting books. They aren't concerned about the space that the physical books take up in their apartment/home and it doesn't deter them from purchasing books. Instead a new problem was found...
Revised Problem
Book lovers want more recommendations of books from their friends/bookstores and they need a place to store these recommendations because they can easily forget them. Users prefer to own books and seek out local bookstores for their current needs.
Competitive Analysis
GoodReads is the #1 book app for collecting books in lists etc. but I found some lacking features. Book Movement is an app geared towards book clubs but there's no way to recommend a book to a friend directly. Listy, a social media geared app, also has no feature to recommend a book to a friend directly. None of these apps had any element that involved the local bookstores or the ability to purchase a physical book.
Feature Prioritization
MVP includes main features such as adding books to your lists, recommending books to your friends, getting recommendations from bookstores, and option to pick up books from bookstores. Next phase includes scanning book by barcode, bookstore events, and public vs. private lists. Ratings are expected but have low impact since there is a “Favorites” Bookshelf.
Lo-Fi Wireframes
I started to sketch out Lo Fi Wireframes which started with the basic screens and experimenting with how to show book lists and recommendations in a user friendly format.
User Testing
After multiple user testing, I found that no hamburger icon is needed. Instead, I focused on exploring with a bottom navigation option and onboarding screens to introduce the users with the experience ahead. Also, I was recommended to include books the user is currently reading on the main page. Overall, the users assessed that the app was easy to navigate.
Hi-Fi Wireframes
Revised wireframes for a user to easily find book recommendations from either their bookworms (friends) or local bookstores.
