Goodreads
4 Weeks
Sketch, Figjam, Figma, Illustrator
Product Thinking, Interaction Design, Visual Design
Bringing Goodreads into the modern era
Overview
Goodreads is a go-to for book lovers, but it struggles to keep younger readers engaged due to the overwhelming book discovery process and lack of real social interaction.
Transforming the reviewing experience
Solution
By creating a more engaging platform for book lovers, we aim to enhance discovery and community, making reading more enjoyable for all.
Let’s start talking about our reads.
Daily Polls
Daily Book Polls spark quick, thought-provoking questions tied to what you're reading.
It’s a lightweight way to keep users coming back while building a smarter, more connected Goodreads.
Goody AI
Let’s connect with new friends.
Goody AI suggests people, clubs, and conversation starters. This makes it easier for new users to connect, boosting meaningful engagement across the community.
Let’s learn about new things.
Interactive AR Exploration
Integrating interactive AR and 3D book previews on select education books lets users explore the vibe before diving in.
Understanding the problem
Discovery & Research
Through conducting 8 in-depth user interviews, 15 informal user interviews, 5 competitor analysis, and reading over 1,200 app reviews, it was discovered that...
"I enjoy reading, but what really excites me is talking with others and hearing different perspectives."
- Student, 20 (Pennsylvania)
Goodreads lacks a good social community.
Users were not excited about the review process.
Current recommendations are not effective.
Problem Statement
Many teens and young adults struggle to stay engaged with reading. There is a need for a more intuitive and social way to connect with books and other readers.
Who are we solving for?
Defining Users
Target Audience
They're heavy on short-form content, crave community, love interactive features, and want fresh, multimedia ways to experience stories beyond traditional reading.
Ages 13–26, urban/suburban, social and tech-savvy.
To support the ideation process, I developed three target personas as user references.
User Personas
Brooke - The Bookworm
Seeks personalized book recommendations but feels overwhelmed by generic lists and poor filtering.
Sophie - The Social Butterfly
Wants a social reading experience with community but struggles with limited interaction on current platforms.
Riley - The Reels Lover
Craves fast, multimedia-rich storytelling, but finds traditional reading too slow and unengaging.
To further relate and understand the target users, I created user journey maps to follow their challenges of using Goodreads.
Journey Maps
Takeaway
Through exploring personas, there was the most disconnect in the personalization and engagement phase of app usage.
By honing in on these areas, the most effective solutions can be developed.
Beginning to shape solutions
Ideation & Conception
Based on the insights gathered from research, I focused on brainstorming different approaches to address the identified challenges.
How might we help Piper discover books that match her specific interests without feeling overwhelmed?
Dynamic filtering by genre, theme, and mood
Personalized recommendations based on reading history
New release tracker for preferred categories
Community-driven challenges tied to her favorite genres
How might we help Sophie connect with other readers in meaningful, community driven ways?
Social features for following, commenting, and sharing reviews
Group reading challenges and virtual book clubs
Collaborative review threads for post-read discussions
Event-based features for real-time community engagement
How might we help Riley stay engaged with books through interactive and multimedia experiences?
Gamified reading with progress tracking and rewards
Soundtracks or ambient audio paired with stories
Interactive storytelling with visuals and dynamic layouts
Bite-sized content formats to match his attention span
Evaluating current structure vs. proposed
Design & Delivery
Current interface design for Goodreads (10.23.2024)
Proposed redesign for Goodreads
Creating cohesive systems
Design System
See solutions here
FInal Takeaways
Designing features that truly resonate with users is challenging and requires constant refinement.
The process is not always linear. Ideas evolve, change, and sometimes fail before they succeed.
Balancing functionality and engagement takes trial and error, but each iteration brings new clarity.
When the process is enjoyable, the final product will reflect that energy.
Want to learn more?
In the meantime,
Check out this project
Kay Jewelers
Creating a Journey Worth Remembering