Bookly

Designed an app meant to bringing readers together through online community and connection

3 mobile device mockups of bookly app

  • COURSE

    Online Communities

  • ROLE

    UX Designer

  • COLLABORATORS

    4 students

  • DURATION

    4 Weeks

Bookly

Designed an app meant to bringing readers together through online community and connection

3 mobile device mockups of bookly app

  • COURSE

    Online Communities

  • ROLE

    UX Designer

  • COLLABORATORS

    UX Designers
    Front-end Developers
    Accessibility SME
    Accessibility PO

  • DURATION

    4 Weeks

Project overview

During my Online Communities course, my team and I collaborated to conceptualize an app focused on community. Bookly is a platform that builds community among Gen Z readers through shared identity and personality

During my Online Communities course, my team and I collaborated to conceptualize an app focused on community. Bookly is a platform that builds community among Gen Z readers through shared identity and personality

My role and contribution

As the UX Designer, I was responsible for:


  • Conducting competitive analysis

  • Translating research into UX opportunities

  • Defining 4 product requirements

  • Designing 10+ high-fidelity wireframes in Figma

As the UX Designer, I was responsible for:


  • Conducting competitive analysis

  • Translating research into UX opportunities

  • Defining 4 product requirements

  • Designing 10+ high-fidelity wireframes in Figma

Problem

Gen Z readers need a better way to connect with other readers based on their identities so that they feel a stronger sense of community

Gen Z readers need a better way to connect with other readers based on their identities so that they feel a stronger sense of community

Research

Due to tight deadlines, my team relied on secondary research of reports and articles to deepen our understanding of the problem

Due to tight deadlines, my team relied on secondary research of reports and articles to deepen our understanding of the problem

Takeaways:

  1. Readers resonate with stories that reflect their experiences and identities. They want more genres and diverse stories

  2. Readers enjoy discovering new things to read from their personal connections and social circle

  3. Reader find that algorithms promote marketability over craft. They enjoy engaging discussions on well-crafted stories over popularized books

  4. Without careful moderation, harmful content frequently emerges, perpetuating unhealthy and hurtful social interactions. Users need to feel safe in a community

  1. Readers resonate with stories that reflect their experiences and identities. They want more genres and diverse stories

  2. Readers enjoy discovering new things to read from their personal connections and social circle

  3. Reader find that algorithms promote marketability over craft. They enjoy engaging discussions on well-crafted stories over popularized books

  4. Without careful moderation, harmful content frequently emerges, perpetuating unhealthy and hurtful social interactions. Users need to feel safe in a community

Competitive analysis

While competitors used discovery and interaction to form community, I found an opportunity to distinguish Bookly through distinct reading communities based on shared identities

While competitors used discovery and interaction to form community, I found an opportunity to distinguish Bookly through distinct reading communities based on shared identities

competitive analysis of goodreads and tiktok based on value, advantages, and disadvantages
competitive analysis of goodreads and tiktok based on value, advantages, and disadvantages
competitive analysis of goodreads and tiktok based on value, advantages, and disadvantages

Product requirements

Based on research and competitive analysis, I defined key features for our app:

Based on research and competitive analysis, I defined key features for our app:

  • a way for users to join and engage in communities

  • a way for users to engage in book discussions with others

  • a way for users to add other users

  • a way for harmful content to be moderated

  • a way for users to join and engage in communities

  • a way for users to engage in book discussions with others

  • a way for users to add other users

  • a way for harmful content to be moderated

Solution

Mobile screens of Bookly's home and quiz page

01

Personalized discovery

Stories, communities, and interactive quizzes enable users to explore their personal identities and bookish personalities

Stories, communities, and interactive quizzes enable users to explore their personal identities and bookish personalities

Mobile screens of Bookly's home and quiz page

02

Quizzes for connection

Mobile screens of proile home and quiz results page

Quiz results are compared with others to help users find others with similar interests, personality, or identity

Quiz results are compared with others to help users find others with similar interests, personality, or identity

03

Book club structure

Regular group meets around a current book of the month encourage engaging discussions

Regular group meets around a current book of the month encourage engaging discussions

Mobile screens of Bookly's explore and group page

04

Trust & safety

Online communities are susceptible to harmful behaviors. I incorporated moderation tools such as reporting and automated screening to help mitigate this

Online communities are susceptible to harmful behaviors. I incorporated moderation tools such as reporting and automated screening to help mitigate this

Mobile screens of Bookly's social and report confirmation page

Key decisions

Solution rationales

Community connections must enable book discovery

To balance the goals between book discovery and ethical considerations of harmful algorithms, I decided to prioritize book discovery through community connections (i.e. users discover books based on what their connections are reading

To balance the goals between book discovery and ethical considerations of harmful algorithms, I decided to prioritize book discovery through community connections (i.e. users discover books based on what their connections are reading

Promoting invitation and curiosity

Based on feedback, my early community card component lacked cues needed to guide user interaction. I reiterated to signal community engagement, prompt invitation, and curiosity.

Based on feedback, my early community card component lacked cues needed to guide user interaction. I reiterated to signal community engagement, prompt invitation, and curiosity.

If I had more time, I would design a closed vs. open component to maximize space on a mobile application

If I had more time, I would design a closed vs. open component to maximize space on a mobile application

Mobile screens of Bookly's social and report confirmation page

Learnings

Following this project, I learned 3 valuable lessons

Translating research

As the designer, I learned how to translate research findings into product requirements to guide my design decisions

Collaboration for learning

Collaborating with a team with different skillsets required me to listen and learn from others' perspective

Justifying design decisions

Reiterating on previous wireframes required me to justify new elements based on human behavior and user needs

If I had the opportunity to continue this project, I would like to conduct user interviews and usability testing with Gen Z readers so that I could understand how my design solution needs to improve to meet their needs

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