Goodreads Redesign

Before approaching existing users, I researched the problem space in more detail.

Online Reviews

To begin, I looked through existing user reviews to gain a better understanding of the common pain points. This revealed that users were frustrated with the apps slow performance and unaesthetic design.

Competitive Analysis

Next, I conducted a competitive analysis of Goodreads' main competitors, BookSloth and The StoryGraph. This helped uncover the strengths and weaknesses of each product, providing valuable insights for guiding recommendations that will enhance Goodreads' alignment with user needs and edge out any competition.

The competitor analysis revealed that Goodreads, despite its vast library and large community, needs a more modern interface and improved user experience to continue being the predominate product in the market. When looking at the analysis, BookSloth offers cleaner design and half-star ratings but has a smaller user base and The StoryGraph has modern design and detailed reviews but lacks a comprehensive library. Goodreads needs to focus on user interface and experience improvements, offer broader review options, and strengthen community-building features to leverage its large user base.

60 existing users were surveyed to better understand their needs and frustrations when using the app.

User Survey

The survey was conducted with Google Forms. The goal of the survey was to collect quantitative and qualitative data to better understand existing users motivations, needs and frustrations when interacting with the Goodreads' app. Questions were centred around common tasks undertaken by users, their usage patterns, and their overall experience. Through the utilisation of a screener survey, we were able to collect data from a diverse group of Goodreads users, ranging from avid readers to occasional users, ensuring a comprehensive perspective.

The research gathered from the survey suggested that the app could be improved in the following key areas:

• Usability - the app should be easier to use and navigate, free of visual clutter.
• Personalisation - The app should offer a more personalised experience, with better recommendations and social features.
• Design - The app should be modernised and updated to fit expectations and improve user experience.

I dug a bit deeper to assess Goodreads for user-friendliness, using heuristic guidelines to spot key design opportunities.

Heuristic Evaluation

I conducted a heuristic evaluation using Jakob Nielsen's 10 heuristics. This assessment aimed to identify areas for improvement. The insights gained from this evaluation informed subsequent design decisions, laying the foundation for design iterations.

Quick initial iterations provided a solid foundation for further design development.

Lo-fidelity Wireframes

From brainstorming to fine-tuning, working on layout and experience improvements.

Mid-fidelity Wireframes

A style guide was built, defining a consistent design language and integrating a component library for streamlined iterations.

Style Guide & Components

Polishing the interface design for thorough testing of design elements and interactions.

Hi-fidelity Wireframes

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