BookNest — A Community-Focused Book Discovery and Club App
Designing a seamless reading experience through discovery, organization, and community connection.
Role
UX/UI Designer
Industry
Technology, Information
Duration
2 Weeks
Objective
Create a modern, user-friendly app that reimagines how book lovers discover, organize, and engage with their reading journeys. The goal is to provide a seamless platform where readers can track books, join vibrant book clubs, and discover personalized recommendations.
Problem Statement
Readers struggle to find a platform that seamlessly combines personalized book discovery, intuitive library management, and engaging communities. BookNest solves this by offering an immersive, user-friendly experience for discovering, organizing, and connecting over books
Research & Insights
User Interviews & Surveys
Conducted interviews with 12 avid and casual readers. Key findings included:
Book Discovery Issues: "Recommendations often feel impersonal or repetitive."
Library Management Frustration: "I need a better way to organize my TBR list and finished books."
Lack of Community: "Most book clubs fizzle out or feel inactive."
Competitive Analysis
Objective
Create a modern, user-friendly app that reimagines how book lovers discover, organize, and engage with their reading journeys. The goal is to provide a seamless platform where readers can track books, join vibrant book clubs, and discover personalized recommendations.
Problem Statement
Readers struggle to find a platform that seamlessly combines personalized book discovery, intuitive library management, and engaging communities. BookNest solves this by offering an immersive, user-friendly experience for discovering, organizing, and connecting over books
Research & Insights
User Interviews & Surveys
Conducted interviews with 12 avid and casual readers. Key findings included:
Book Discovery Issues: "Recommendations often feel impersonal or repetitive."
Library Management Frustration: "I need a better way to organize my TBR list and finished books."
Lack of Community: "Most book clubs fizzle out or feel inactive."
Competitive Analysis
Key Design Goals
Effortless Library Organization: Provide customizable shelves and intuitive drag-and-drop functionality for users to easily manage and organize their reading lists.
Personalized Discovery: Deliver tailored book recommendations based on reading history and preferences, helping users find books they'll love.
Engaging Club Interaction: Enable dynamic book club discussions with easy access to club events and seamless communication features for a lively community experience.
User Personas
User Flow Examples
Library Management Flow
User navigates to "My Library."
Filters books by categories: Most Recent, Want To Read, Finished.
Drag-and-drop books into custom categories.
Saves changes and views organized library in grid format.
Discovery Flow
Explore Events & Recommendations: User taps "Discover" and lands on a dynamic feed showcasing:
Local book events (signings, readings, club gatherings).
Personalized recommendations based on reading history and genres of interest.
Engagement Options:
Swipe Right: Save or add a book to their TBR.
Swipe Left: Dismiss recommendation.
Tap Event Card: View event details, RSVP, or add it to their calendar.
Explore Curated Themes: Below the event cards, users can browse seasonal book lists and top-rated reads.
Book Club Interaction Flow
Join a Club: User selects an active book club from "Clubs" and sees the current reading selection.
Discussion Threads: Participate in ongoing conversations, react to posts, and share thoughts on the current read.
Event Integration: View and RSVP to scheduled events, such as live book discussions or author Q&A sessions.
Wireframes & Key Screens
1. Library Page
Categories: Currently Reading, Want to Read, Finished.
Views: Grid display.
Drag-and-drop book organization.
2. Discover Page
Hero Section: Personalized daily picks.
Trending Carousels: Browse popular book lists, local book events, and curated collections.
Swipeable Discovery: Pass or add to TBR/schedule.
3. Clubs Page
Hero Section: Display featured active book clubs and their current read, with an option to join.
Club Categories: Sort clubs by genre, theme, or activity (e.g., Fiction, Non-fiction, Local, International).
Discussion Threads: Access ongoing book discussions and threads, with options to comment or react to posts.
Upcoming Events: View scheduled events, like live book discussions or author Q&As, with RSVP functionality.
Key Design Goals
Effortless Library Organization: Provide customizable shelves and intuitive drag-and-drop functionality for users to easily manage and organize their reading lists.
Personalized Discovery: Deliver tailored book recommendations based on reading history and preferences, helping users find books they'll love.
Engaging Club Interaction: Enable dynamic book club discussions with easy access to club events and seamless communication features for a lively community experience.
User Personas
User Flow Examples
Library Management Flow
User navigates to "My Library."
Filters books by categories: Most Recent, Want To Read, Finished.
Drag-and-drop books into custom categories.
Saves changes and views organized library in grid format.
Discovery Flow
Explore Events & Recommendations: User taps "Discover" and lands on a dynamic feed showcasing:
Local book events (signings, readings, club gatherings).
Personalized recommendations based on reading history and genres of interest.
Engagement Options:
Swipe Right: Save or add a book to their TBR.
Swipe Left: Dismiss recommendation.
Tap Event Card: View event details, RSVP, or add it to their calendar.
Explore Curated Themes: Below the event cards, users can browse seasonal book lists and top-rated reads.
Book Club Interaction Flow
Join a Club: User selects an active book club from "Clubs" and sees the current reading selection.
Discussion Threads: Participate in ongoing conversations, react to posts, and share thoughts on the current read.
Event Integration: View and RSVP to scheduled events, such as live book discussions or author Q&A sessions.
Wireframes & Key Screens
1. Library Page
Categories: Currently Reading, Want to Read, Finished.
Views: Grid display.
Drag-and-drop book organization.
2. Discover Page
Hero Section: Personalized daily picks.
Trending Carousels: Browse popular book lists, local book events, and curated collections.
Swipeable Discovery: Pass or add to TBR/schedule.
3. Clubs Page
Hero Section: Display featured active book clubs and their current read, with an option to join.
Club Categories: Sort clubs by genre, theme, or activity (e.g., Fiction, Non-fiction, Local, International).
Discussion Threads: Access ongoing book discussions and threads, with options to comment or react to posts.
Upcoming Events: View scheduled events, like live book discussions or author Q&As, with RSVP functionality.
Key Design Goals
Effortless Library Organization: Provide customizable shelves and intuitive drag-and-drop functionality for users to easily manage and organize their reading lists.
Personalized Discovery: Deliver tailored book recommendations based on reading history and preferences, helping users find books they'll love.
Engaging Club Interaction: Enable dynamic book club discussions with easy access to club events and seamless communication features for a lively community experience.
User Personas
User Flow Examples
Library Management Flow
User navigates to "My Library."
Filters books by categories: Most Recent, Want To Read, Finished.
Drag-and-drop books into custom categories.
Saves changes and views organized library in grid format.
Discovery Flow
Explore Events & Recommendations: User taps "Discover" and lands on a dynamic feed showcasing:
Local book events (signings, readings, club gatherings).
Personalized recommendations based on reading history and genres of interest.
Engagement Options:
Swipe Right: Save or add a book to their TBR.
Swipe Left: Dismiss recommendation.
Tap Event Card: View event details, RSVP, or add it to their calendar.
Explore Curated Themes: Below the event cards, users can browse seasonal book lists and top-rated reads.
Book Club Interaction Flow
Join a Club: User selects an active book club from "Clubs" and sees the current reading selection.
Discussion Threads: Participate in ongoing conversations, react to posts, and share thoughts on the current read.
Event Integration: View and RSVP to scheduled events, such as live book discussions or author Q&A sessions.
Wireframes & Key Screens
1. Library Page
Categories: Currently Reading, Want to Read, Finished.
Views: Grid display.
Drag-and-drop book organization.
2. Discover Page
Hero Section: Personalized daily picks.
Trending Carousels: Browse popular book lists, local book events, and curated collections.
Swipeable Discovery: Pass or add to TBR/schedule.
3. Clubs Page
Hero Section: Display featured active book clubs and their current read, with an option to join.
Club Categories: Sort clubs by genre, theme, or activity (e.g., Fiction, Non-fiction, Local, International).
Discussion Threads: Access ongoing book discussions and threads, with options to comment or react to posts.
Upcoming Events: View scheduled events, like live book discussions or author Q&As, with RSVP functionality.
Post-Test Improvements for BookNest
After testing BookNest with users, several areas for improvement have been identified. These changes aim to enhance user experience and streamline the app’s features:
Simplify Discovery Section:
Improvement: Make personalized recommendations more prominent and accessible. Remove unnecessary elements from the Discover page and focus on book suggestions based on user preferences.
Reasoning: Users expressed confusion with the variety of options presented and preferred a more straightforward approach for recommendations.
Enhance Library Organization:
Improvement: Allow users to create custom shelves or categories for their books, providing a more flexible and intuitive way to organize their library.
Reasoning: Users felt that the current library organization was limited, and a customizable system would make managing their books easier and more personal.
Local Event Integration:
Improvement: Expand event features to include more detailed information about local book events, author signings, and literary meetups based on the user's location.
Reasoning: Users showed interest in attending local book-related events, and the current event feature could be more interactive and location-based.
Improve Club Page Navigation:
Improvement: Enhance the club page interface for easier browsing and participation in book discussions. Introduce more intuitive search options for clubs based on interests or book genres.
Reasoning: Users felt the club page was difficult to navigate and wanted a quicker way to find clubs that matched their reading interests.
Looking To Further Improvement
Enhanced Club Navigation with Progress Bars: Added progress bars for ongoing book discussions and challenges, helping users track their reading milestones and club participation.
Mood-Based Filters: Simplified book discovery with a "Mood Selector" to match books to current emotions or reading preferences.
Reading Challenges: Integrated interactive reading challenges within book clubs, encouraging users to track their personal milestones and engage with other members.
Final Outcome & Impact
Impact:
A user-friendly, visually engaging book app that empowers readers to discover new titles, engage in meaningful discussions, and seamlessly organize their reading journey.
Increased user engagement due to interactive features and vibrant book clubs.
Key Takeaways:
Personalization significantly boosts user engagement.
Simplified interfaces improve library management experiences.
Active community features are crucial for long-term user retention.
Post-Test Improvements for BookNest
After testing BookNest with users, several areas for improvement have been identified. These changes aim to enhance user experience and streamline the app’s features:
Simplify Discovery Section:
Improvement: Make personalized recommendations more prominent and accessible. Remove unnecessary elements from the Discover page and focus on book suggestions based on user preferences.
Reasoning: Users expressed confusion with the variety of options presented and preferred a more straightforward approach for recommendations.
Enhance Library Organization:
Improvement: Allow users to create custom shelves or categories for their books, providing a more flexible and intuitive way to organize their library.
Reasoning: Users felt that the current library organization was limited, and a customizable system would make managing their books easier and more personal.
Local Event Integration:
Improvement: Expand event features to include more detailed information about local book events, author signings, and literary meetups based on the user's location.
Reasoning: Users showed interest in attending local book-related events, and the current event feature could be more interactive and location-based.
Improve Club Page Navigation:
Improvement: Enhance the club page interface for easier browsing and participation in book discussions. Introduce more intuitive search options for clubs based on interests or book genres.
Reasoning: Users felt the club page was difficult to navigate and wanted a quicker way to find clubs that matched their reading interests.
Looking To Further Improvement
Enhanced Club Navigation with Progress Bars: Added progress bars for ongoing book discussions and challenges, helping users track their reading milestones and club participation.
Mood-Based Filters: Simplified book discovery with a "Mood Selector" to match books to current emotions or reading preferences.
Reading Challenges: Integrated interactive reading challenges within book clubs, encouraging users to track their personal milestones and engage with other members.
Final Outcome & Impact
Impact:
A user-friendly, visually engaging book app that empowers readers to discover new titles, engage in meaningful discussions, and seamlessly organize their reading journey.
Increased user engagement due to interactive features and vibrant book clubs.
Key Takeaways:
Personalization significantly boosts user engagement.
Simplified interfaces improve library management experiences.
Active community features are crucial for long-term user retention.
Other projects
Launching a Digital-First Church Experience
Designing a Platform to Foster Faith and Community for a New Online Congregation
Pinning Connections: Crafting a User-Centered Design for a Location-Based Messaging App
Building intuitive communication through messages pinned to real-world locations.
Copyright 2024 by Holly Gleason
Copyright 2024 by Holly Gleason
Copyright 2024 by Holly Gleason