Project Overview :
This case study details the transformation of the Kindle into a preferred platform for a diverse community of readers. The focus was on enhancing shared reading experiences, progress sharing, and reflections., particularly to address the challenge of promoting communal reading during COVID-related lockdowns when in-person gatherings were limited. This concept case study offers an expanded community feature, allowing users to create and host book clubs within a dedicated section. This facilitates integrated community comments during the reading experience.
Client
:
Kindle
Timeline
:
2023 | 3-week agile sprint
Role
:
UX Designer & Researcher
Team
:
Elliot Beak, Eric Houng, Justin Lloyd
The Problem
Our Approach
Exploring the World of Book Clubs by
Conducting an Analysis of Competitors
and E-Reader Features
How do people currently engage in discussions about books? Book clubs. Our team went all out, digging deep into book club sites and e-readers. We checked out their features and weighed in on what we thought worked well or didn’t for each of them.
We identified certain strengths in platforms, such as discussion guides and internal book reviews accessible across various devices.
However we also uncovered a shared frustration among users, as the unlimited member size could impede in-depth discussions and disrupt structured formats.
After pouring over responses and creating an affinity map, I discovered that while users cherish the portability and ease of access, the longing for a sense of structured discussion lingered. While we were expecting users to skew towards wanting to engage in discussion with other members. A pattern emerged and we found that a notable amount of readers prefer their solitude. Readers also expressed frustration at the range of depth of material discussed.
Which made the challenge clear:
How to bring the beauty of isolation into a shared space while having the customization of reading material discussed
Meet Delores and Alejandro:
Seeking Connection Through Reading
Through user interviews we uncovered two common experiences among participants in book clubs.
those in book clubs wanting to engage in a more structured format on their own terms
those who need to have freedom to choose and recommend books within their community
Delores
“I am less prone to join a book club these days due to the time and energy needed to commit to meet in person.”
Delores is the type of person to have a book or digital reader on her regardless of location, event, or time. Because she is an avid reader that prefers to discuss material on her own time, she has tried attending book clubs, but couldn’t fit their schedule into hers. Although digital readers are visually strenuous for Delores, she prioritizes having the ability to engage in discussions on her own time.
Alejandro enjoys meaningful book discussions but faces challenges finding a platform that aligns with his reading preferences and fosters engaging discussions within his community. Despite trying various book discussions, he struggled with shallow topics or incompatible book choices. His desire to connect with like-minded readers is hindered by the inability to choose reading materials for book clubs, limiting his ability to share perspectives and elaborate on his thoughts.
Alejandro
“I like engaging with my friends about the book I’m reading because it gives us something to talk about.”
Kindle book club
home page
N/A
N/A
Book Club browse page
Book club search
club display page(s)
Kindle book club community members
Book discussion clubs
Delores, 48
The Bibliophile
Joining a Book Club
Yearning
Searching
Discovering
Browsing
Joining
Steps Taken
Phases
Emotions
Pain Points
Opportunities
Touch Points
Delores searches for a local, physical book club to discuss the book, but has trouble
Returning to the Kindle app, Delores finds the “Book club” Section
Delores browses clubs, searches by author, and discovers her most recent book has a club!
Delores joins a club and is able to post, discuss, and share insights at her own pace & time.
After finishing a good book, Delores is filled with the desire to share
Relevant rec’s to broadcast kindle book club and guide users in
improve transition into community/club
Curated book club recommendations
guided onboarding for easy user introduction
Make Delores feel like there is always a club for her to join
Unmatched enthusiasm prevents user from joining community for sharing
frustration at existing/unfitting clubs
N/A
N/A
Large quantities of populated and active clubs may feel overwhelming and cause choice paralysis
N/A
“I’m really loving this book!”
“These clubs don’t fit my
schedule, and theyre so
far away...”
“I never even thought of doing this online!”
“Wow, there’s a lot of options here...”
Our Team Created a Journey Map to Outline Delores's Journey
Dolores's exploration of the new community feature we were developing ends with her completing a book on a positive note. Justin was able to uncover key emotional moments that Delores would endure. She experiences frustration when looking for a book club to share a book she's excited to show others, only to realize she can't find where. Additionally, there's the challenge of dealing with a diverse amount of options when browsing all available book clubs. To guarantee the success of the app, it must tackle these issues without introducing any new difficulties.
Our Solution: Introducing Kindle Book Club
The Kindle Book Club is an accompaniment to the Kindle app that allows users to join book clubs and engage in discussions with other readers. We have tailored the book clubs tab to include an annotations toggle, providing the flexibility of participating in discussions on Delores’s own terms. To accommodate Alejandro’s need to collaborate with similar readers, he has the ability to set his own customizable parameters when creating a book club. By leveraging user-friendly interfaces and individual preferences of both Delores and Alejandro, Kindle Book Club fosters a sense of community among passionate readers.
Unlocking E-Ink Magic: Exploring the Constraints of Kindle's Technical Boundaries
So when it came to design decisions, there were 3 major questions we had to ask ourselves. Should we implement the new book club feature within the Kindle iOS app or the Kindle paper white devices? Are we aiming to start from scratch or integrate into the existing app? And lastly, should we stick with the dark mode or go for the sleek white layout that mirrors Apple Books?
Our initial objective was to maintain focus on the fundamental goal of transforming Kindle into the preferred platform for communal reading. While the Kindle device requires a commitment to a new device, the app is accessible across various platforms, especially for Apple users, potentially leading to higher conversion rates. In today's era, almost every user possesses a smartphone and many households own tablets.
Therefore, we capitalize on the existing app for a faster implementation and reduced costs. The inclusion of dark mode aims to alleviate eye strain during prolonged reading sessions.
Pursuing Ideation: From Sketches to Wireframes
in the Low-Fidelity Phase
As we transitioned into the low-fidelity phase of our design process, our focus shifted to refining our initial concepts and confirming where key features would be placed. After gaining insight from other team members, the similarities we came up with and other potential ideas that one of us could have missed were used to create another round of sketches. The bottom row shows our sketches coming into fruition through wireframes.
From Concept to Clarity: Navigating User Journeys
in Design Evolution
Our Mid-Fi wireframes closely resemble Hi-Fi because of the apps existing black color scheme. This made it easier for us to transition from Mid-Fi to prototype and to build Hi-Fi.
However, the challenge that we faced was actually Amazon's loosely structured design system. After doing some research, we realized that Amazon utilizes more than 6 shades of black and gray, innumerable typefaces, fonts, sizes, to name a few. We decided to limit those as the design system of the UI color palette, the typography, and components were created.
The construction of ideas placed on paper gave rise to a coherent flow. The various path options effectively captured the needs of our personas.
I took on the responsibility of creating wireframes and determining the overall layout, strategically placing key components. The user's journey begins on the existing homepage, where they can choose to access their library, join book clubs, or explore available options. Our intuitive flow guides users from the home page to the book clubs tab, where they can either search for existing clubs or create their own. The creation of a book club offers owners the ability to tailor the depth and engagement levels of its members. When users decide to start or resume reading, a menu option allows them to toggle community annotations on or off. This feature provides readers with the freedom to enjoy their book in solitude or engage with community annotations at their discretion.
Crafting the Digital Vision:
High-Fidelity Wireframes
Usability Testing and Prioritizing Results
Justin carried out a usability test to confirm the effectiveness of the extension. The outcomes were quantified using a graph that assessed both user-friendliness and the user's proficiency in completing the test. The prioritization of results was determined by the severity of identified issues and the potential impact on the user experiencing them.
What Are the Next Steps?
In approaching the project, we faced various design constraints but strategically prioritized tasks within the scope of this sprint. Insights received from user interviews expressed that a unique design could have hindered Kindle's overall usability. Adhering to the constraints of an established design system turned out to be a valuable limitation.
In the future, future iterations could include:
Adding icons and information about whether the book club is public or private from the book club page list
Conduct more usability tests and ask if readers want a limit to member size for public book clubs
Explore adding user name to member annotations in the reading annotations tab
Design the customizable notification setting for book club alerts
And if there are better designs for the reading progress bar.
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