Goodreads
Reimagining digital reading for a generation raised online
12 weeks
Figma, Aero, Photoshop
Personal Project
Product Thinking, Interaction Design, Visual Design
Goodreads
Reimagining digital reading for a generation raised online.
12 Weeks
Figma, Aero, Photoshop
Product Thinking, Interaction Design
The Challenge
Redesigning Goodreads into a connected,
multi-sensory platform that makes reading personal, social, and inspiring.
The Challenge
A Decline in
Media Literacy
I began this project with the desire to target a larger problem: declining media literacy among younger generations.
Some of the research behind this problem is alarming:
50%
of college-bound students show a decline in critical thinking scores.
(ACT, 2023)
67%
of U.S. 8th graders read below proficiency level, showing a growing literacy gap.
(NAEP, 2022)
1/5
of Gen-Z read less than previous generations at the same age.
(Pew Research)
As someone who’s always loved reading, it’s hard to see it lose its place.
I wanted to understand why younger readers aren’t as engaged, and why so many now struggle with comprehension.
DIscovery & Research
Understanding the Core Problem
My first goal in the discovery phase was to understand what specifically wasn’t working for readers on Goodreads.
I conducted:
8 in-depth interviews with readers aged 12–47
Analysis of 1,200+ reviews
A competitive audit of book discovery platforms
The pain points
that kept coming up:
1
Readers struggle to find new books and often default to the same types.
2
Users crave discussion and new perspectives but lack a space to connect.
3
Traditional reading feels slow and less engaging compared to digital media.
User quotes that stood out
"I enjoy reading, but what’s really exciting is talking about the books with others and hearing different perspectives."
Student, 12 (North Carolina)
"I often end up reading the same types of books because I don’t know how to find something new that I’ll like."
Data Analyst, 26 (New York)
The insights revealed clear patterns in reader frustrations and desires.
This set the stage for defining our audience and understanding their priorities so the design could address real needs.
Defining Users
Who are we
solving for?
After reviewing the research we gathered, the next step was to look deeper into who we were solving these design issues for.
Age
13–28
LOCATION
Primarily suburban
and urban areas
HABITS
Visual and interactive formats, communities built around interests
Preferences
Heavy social media use, daily short-form content consumption
MARKET SEGMENTATION
To guide design decisions, I organized the audience into three market tiers based on their likelihood to engage with Goodreads and their specific needs.
Primary Market — Core User
Brooke J.
The Overwhelmed Bookworm
Already active in Goodreads-style platforms. Highly motivated to read but overwhelmed by choice. This group forms the core of the platform’s consistent engagement.
Primary Market — Core User
Brooke J.
The Overwhelmed Bookworm
Already active in Goodreads-style platforms. Highly motivated to read but overwhelmed by choice. This group forms the core of the platform’s consistent engagement.
Journey Mapping
I mapped each persona’s journey from discovery to post-reading to see where engagement thrived and where it broke down. These maps revealed key frustrations and pointed to targeted solutions at each stage.
Brooke J.
The Overwhelmed Bookworm
Key Problem
Piper feels overwhelmed by the abundance of book choices and struggles to find recommendations tailored to her specific interests.
Possible Solutions:
Curated book recommendations based on personal preferences
A system that highlights new releases in her favorite genres
A seamless browsing experience that helps her find books she’ll love
Brooke J.
The Overwhelmed Bookworm
Key Problem
Piper feels overwhelmed by the abundance of book choices and struggles to find recommendations tailored to her specific interests.
Possible Solutions:
Curated book recommendations based on personal preferences
A system that highlights new releases in her favorite genres
A seamless browsing experience that helps her find books she’ll love
THE CHALLENGE
Redesigning Goodreads into a connected,
multi-sensory platform that makes reading personal, social, and inspiring.
THE Problem
A Decline in Media Literacy
Younger generations are reading less and comprehending less, signaling a growing media literacy crisis.
Some of the research behind this problem is alarming:
1/5
of Gen-Z read less than previous generations at the same age.
(Pew Research)
67%
of U.S. 8th graders read below proficiency level, showing a growing literacy gap.
(NAEP, 2022)
50%
of college-bound students show a decline in critical thinking scores.
(ACT, 2023)
As reading becomes increasingly replaced by short-form digital content, platforms like Goodreads struggle to stay relevant to younger audiences.
THE Opportunity
How can Goodreads attract younger readers?
Goodreads has the audience and data but lacks emotional depth and interaction.
By introducing multi-sensory engagement, personalized discovery, and social connection, the platform can evolve from being a tracker into an interactive reading companion that helps users connect with stories and each other.
SoLUTION OVERVIEW
Innovating Goodreads to be more engaging
From AI-powered discovery to music-enhanced reading, the redesign reimagines Goodreads as a space where younger readers can connect, explore, and rediscover the joy of reading with ease.
Understanding the Problem
DISCOVERY & Research
My first goal in the discovery phase was to understand what specifically wasn’t working for readers on Goodreads.
The pain points that kept coming up:
1
Readers struggle to find new books and often default to the same types.
2
Users crave discussion and new perspectives but lack a space to connect.
3
Traditional reading feels slow and less engaging compared to digital media
I conducted:
8 in-depth interviews with readers aged 12–47
Analysis of 1,200+ Goodreads reviews
A competitive audit of book discovery and community platforms
User quotes that stood out:
"I often end up reading the same types of books because I don’t know how to find something new that I’ll like."
Data Analyst, 26 (New York)
"I enjoy reading, but what’s really exciting is talking about the books with others and hearing different perspectives."
Student, 12 (North Carolina)
The insights revealed clear patterns in reader frustrations and desires. This set the stage for defining our audience and understanding their priorities so the design could address real needs.
Who are we solving for?
Defining Users
After reviewing the research we gathered, the next step was to look deeper into who we were solving these design issues for.
The Demographic
Audience Profile
Age
13–28
Location
Primarily suburban and urban areas
Habits
Visual and interactive formats, communities built around shared interests
Preferences
Heavy social media use, mobile-first behavior, daily short-form content consumption
To guide design decisions, I organized the audience into three market tiers based on their likelihood to engage with Goodreads and their specific needs.
MARKET SEGMENTATION
Primary Market — Core User
Secondary Market — Growth User
Tertiary Market — Mass Audience
Brooke J.
The Overwhelmed Bookworm
Already active in Goodreads-style platforms. Highly motivated to read but overwhelmed by choice. This group forms the core of the platform’s consistent engagement.
Sophie P.
The Social Butterfly
Enjoys reading but is primarily motivated by community and conversation. Would engage more deeply with Goodreads if it offered approachable, low-barrier ways to connect.
Riley F.
The Disengaged Screenager
Craves fast, multimedia-rich storytelling, but finds traditional reading too slow and unengaging. Represents the broadest segment: Gen Z users who do not currently prioritize reading.
I mapped each persona’s journey from discovery to post-reading to see where engagement thrived and where it broke down. These maps revealed key frustrations and pointed to targeted solutions at each stage.
Journey Mapping
Key Problem
Piper feels overwhelmed by the abundance of book choices and struggles to find recommendations tailored to her specific interests.
Possible Solutions:
Curated book recommendations based on personal preferences
A system that highlights new releases in her favorite genres
A seamless browsing experience that helps her find books she’ll love
Brooke J.
The Overwhelmed Bookworm
Sophie P.
The Social Butterfly
Riley F.
The Disengaged Screenager
By combining audience segmentation with detailed journey maps, I could pinpoint not only who we were designing for but exactly where in their experience the platform failed them, and design targeted solutions for those moments.
Shaping the Final Concept
IDEATION
With the audience defined and pain points mapped, I began translating insights into a cohesive solution.
Using the HMW method, I translated user frustrations into guiding questions. Each “how might we” framed a real need, which then shaped the features we built:
GUIDING Focus
Personalized Discovery
Community Interaction
How might we help Piper discover books that match her specific interests?
How might we help Sophie connect with other readers in meaningful, community driven ways?
How might we help Riley stay engaged with books through interactive and multimedia experiences?
Dynamic Engagement
I mapped the new features into the existing app structure to ensure easy navigation.
SITEMAP
The redesigned interface improves hierarchy and spacing, reducing visual clutter. Content feels lighter, easier to scan, and more focused on what matters.
BEFORE AND AFTER
BEFORE
AFTER
EARLY EXPLORATIONS
After early testing, the initial bright and vibrant visuals were found to be distracting rather than immersive. The color palette was refined to a more neutral, modern system that better supports focus and readability.
The Solution
Creating a space for a multi-sensory reading experience
From AI-powered discovery to music-enhanced reading, the redesign reimagines Goodreads as a space where younger readers can connect, explore, and rediscover the joy of reading with ease.
AI Discovery
Let’s discover your next read.
The AI Discovery feature uses conversational prompts to understand user preferences and recommend books aligned with their interests.
CONVERSATIONAL AI
Daily Polls
Let’s start talking about our reads
Daily Polls create lightweight touchpoints that prompt reflection and discussion around current reads, helping sustain engagement through shared, ongoing dialogue.
AR Exploration
Let’s learn about new things.
Interactive AR and 3D previews on select titles let readers explore a book’s world and context before committing to it.
Playlist Integration
Let’s listen while we read.
Curated playlists align with each book’s tone, helping readers stay immersed and emotionally engaged as they read.
SiteMap
I mapped the new features into the existing app structure to ensure easy navigation.
IDEATION
Shaping the Final Concept
Turning Insights into Features
With the audience defined and pain points mapped, I began translating insights into a cohesive solution.
This is where the ideas took shape. Every feature in the final design traces back to a real need we uncovered in research, not just to add something new, but to make
Goodreads feel fresh, connected, and worth coming back to.
Smart Reading
Let’s read with intention.
Smart Reading helps users track their progress by logging chapters, setting reading moods, and taking notes along the way.
This makes the reading experience more thoughtful, while encouraging deeper reflection and long-term engagement.
AFTER THE SESSION
Smart Reading
Let’s read with intention.
Smart Reading helps users track their progress by logging chapters, setting reading moods, and taking notes along the way.
This makes the reading experience more thoughtful, while encouraging deeper reflection and long-term engagement.
AFTER THE SESSION
GooDY AI - DISCOVERY
Let’s discover your next favorite read.
Goody AI learns your taste and asks just the right questions to recommend books you’ll love.
Whether you’re craving fantasy, nonfiction, or something in between, Goody makes finding your next book feel like magic.
CONVERSATIONAL AI
GooDY AI - DISCOVERY
Let’s discover your next favorite read.
Goody AI learns your taste and asks just the right questions to recommend books you’ll love.
Whether you’re craving fantasy, nonfiction, or something in between, Goody makes finding your next book feel like magic.
CONVERSATIONAL AI
DAILY POLLS
Let's start talking about our reads.
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.
DAILY POLLS
Let's start talking about our reads.
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.
AR EXPLORATION
Let’s learn about new things.
Integrating interactive AR and 3D book previews on select education books lets users explore the vibe before diving in.
AR EXPLORATION
Let’s learn about new things.
Integrating interactive AR and 3D book previews on select education books lets users explore the vibe before diving in.
Playlist Intergration
Let’s listen while we read.
Curated playlists help set the mood for your current book, making it easier to stay immersed and emotionally connected as the story unfolds.
Playlist Intergration
Let’s listen while we read.
Curated playlists help set the mood for your current book, making it easier to stay immersed and emotionally connected as the story unfolds.
DESIGN SYSTEM
I conducted a heuristic evaluation of the existing Goodreads experience, focusing on navigation, information hierarchy, and visual feedback.
FINAL TAKEAWAYS
What I Learned
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.
In the meantime,
check out this project
Cash App
Budgeting for the next generation
In the meantime,
check out this project
Cash App
Budgeting for the next generation
I built a unified design system to create consistency across Goodreads. It defines clear typography, color, and component rules to improve hierarchy, accessibility, and scalability across screens.
DESIGN SYSTEM
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.
What I Learned
Final Takeaways
Want to learn more?
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In the meantime,
check out this project
