Bookish
Redesigning the reading experience with accessibility and sustainability in mind
MY ROLE
Lead Product Designer
TIMELINE
Mar – May 2024
TEAM
1 Designer
3 Developers
TOOLS
Figma, Illustrator
Overview
Bookish's mission is to connect readers in local communities and to increase the accessibility and sustainability of reading physical books. In the app, users can submit books they own into a personal catalog, which other readers can then borrow.
In the project, I was responsible for creating Bookish's brand identity, including logos, colors, and typography. I also designed the app's user interface.
The Problem
Reading physical books is financially and environmentally unsustainable.
Avid bookworms know that books can be purchased in the spur of the moment to be read once and never again. Then, they are either left to gather dust on bookshelves, or thrown out as waste. At the same time, books are becoming increasingly more expensive.
- The solution: An app where readers can share their favorite books and form communities, allowing books to be reused by multiple readers.
User Research
To understand what potential users would be seeking in an app like Bookish, we conducted surveys through the "Book Enjoyers" Discord server, where we were able to reach out to 70+ individuals. From our research, we drew the following conclusions:
- Almost all (96%) respondents have unused books lying around their home.
- A substantial majority (78%) expressed a desire to read books more often.
- Respondents believed that purchasing books was too expensive (62%) or that borrowing from the library was inconvenient (36%).
Project Goals
Encourage local connection.
Allow users to connect with other local readers, cultivating a community beyond the digital.
Nurture genuine discovery.
Limit algorithmic recommendations and encourage users to discover new favorites naturally.
Increase literary accessibility.
Create a decentralized and community-driven library without emphasizing monetary exchange.
Mid-Fidelity Prototype
Mid-fi wireframes created from initial ideations.
Usability Testing
"The pure black and white color scheme strains my eyes."
"I want to have more context for my messaging contacts."
Final Product
Take a look at my final deliverable below!
Home and profile screens
Natural discovery
Community building
Takeaways
Design with a product mindset.
- This was my first time working with engineers on a working product. The experience taught me the importance of designing with the programming and development process in mind.
Practice iteration and modification.
- It was very important for me to be able to adjust my designs accordingly as I received constructive feedback.