01 | Overview
THE PROBLEM
The GoodReads platform has not been updated since being acquired by Amazon in 2012.
Context
VCU Brandcenter Student Project
Skills
User Research
UI/UX Design
Prototyping
Tools
Figma
illustrator
Background
Goodreads was the future of digital book communities. But within the last 10 years, Amazon has failed to update the UX/UI, turning readers to other platforms like Instagram and TikTok to build community. The app has extensive features that have the potential to help users find great books and cultivate strong communities, but the current interface has rendered these feature difficult to navigate, out dated and algorithmically out of touch. Our new update aims to alleviate these issues and create a Goodreads Renaissance.
Current UI
02 | The Solution
The home for ravenous readers. This new rendition of the beloved app emphasizes community and discovery, while paying homage to GoodRead's original brand identity. The newly structured interface and updated algorithm makes finding your next favorite book, or your new book cub easier than ever before.
USER FEEDBACK
GoodReads users have been requesting certain features for years. With this update we will implement the most popular requests, DNF, re-reading, and half star features.
Book Clubs
Within the new Community feature, users can join and create public and private book clubs where they can connect with readers interested in similar books.
BOOKSHELVES
Another method users can utilize to discover new reads is through GoodRead's bookshelf feature. Previously this feature was easily missable and not used by most users.
Now Bookshelves can be found in the community tab, to encourage users to utilize this feature, every week the most saved 4 bookshelves will be featured on the community page.
Author Pages
Authors can now be GoodReads verified. Users can follow their favorite authors and stay up to date with new releases through their channel.
Profile
The new profile will allow more room for personalization, including a my recommendations section.
03 | The Process
05 | Reflections
I learned so much from this project. It was trial and error, seeing what work and what doesn’t and reiterating and reiterating. This project really highlighted the importance of designing through user flows and use cases. There isn’t an app out there similar to this, so starting from square one with no true blueprint was challenging yet so rewarding.
Credits
Sarah Newman(ST)
Anna Lyle Collett (AD)