UX CASE STUDY
User Research for
Book App and Website
Overview
THE PRODUCT
BookBuddy is a nonprofit organization committed to ensuring everyone across the globe has access to books. New or gently used books are given through micro-local giving in neighborhoods and across the world through global community partnerships. Our users give and receive books from their neighbors or global community partners.
PROJECT DURATION
December 2021 – January 2022
The Problem
We face a growing literacy crisis where in the United States, more than 30 million adults cannot read or write above a third-grade level. Studies show that books in the hands of children have a meaningful impact on improving literacy. Yet two out of three children living in poverty have no books to call their own. The BookBuddy non profit aims to increase access to books in all communities across the globe in order to increase literacy and learning for all ages.
The Goal
Design an app for BookBuddy that offers users an easy way to share resources by giving books locally and globally. The companion website will educate people about the organization, get people involve and solicit donations.
MY ROLE
UX designer designing an app and complementary responsive website for BookBuddy from conception to delivery.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Conducting interviews, paper and digital wireframing, low and high-fidelity prototyping, conducting usability studies, accounting for accessibility, and iterating on designs, determining information architecture and responsive design.
User research
SUMMARY
I conducted interviews to understand the users I’m designing for and their needs. A primary user group identified through research were participants who read regularly and gain access to books through various methods (library, bookstore, friends, etc.) Most of these participants reported that they would like to reduce clutter and expenditures of purchasing books. Some participants indicated that reducing waste and sharing resources was important to them, though they don’t always know how to go about it. Feedback indicated that if there was an easy way to share resources, users would be more likely to participate. Most were also eager to know how their resources could help others in under-resourced areas and developing countries.
Pain Points
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Photos
Users prefer to see exactly what they are ordering just like any other product purchased online.
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Price & Value
Users want to get the most for their money — products that make a statement and don’t look “cheap.”
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Delivery
Delivery times aren’t specific and customers aren’t sure when the recipient will be home.
Persona
PROBLEM STATEMENT
Noor is a full-time parent to school-aged children who needs a sustainable way to borrow books for herself and her kids because she wants to help them learn while also reducing clutter and sharing resources with others in her community and beyond.
Persona
PROBLEM STATEMENT
José is a 16-year-old student who loves to read and needs an easy way to access books for school and for fun because they want to become a teacher.
Competitive Audit
An audit of a few competitor’s products provided direction on gaps and opportunities to address with the BookBuddy app and website.
We looked at Buy Nothing groups — a worldwide network of micro-local gift economies where people give items to their real-life neighbors. We also explored the global network of volunteer-led Little Free Libraries. We considered the role of local Public Libraries as well as Bookstores (brick and mortar and online.)
Ideation
I did an ideation exercise to come up with ideas for how to address gaps identified in the competitive audit. My focus was specifically on how people could connect with one another to facilitate giving and receiving books.
Digital Wireframes
After ideation and drafting paper wireframes, I created the initial design for the BookBuddy app.
These designs focused on guiding users through selecting and requesting books.
Low-fidelity prototype
To prepare for usability testing, I created a low-fidelity prototype that connected the primary user flow of selecting and requesting a book.
View the BookBuddy App Low-fidelity prototype
Usability Study
Parameters
Study type: Moderated usability study
Participants: 5 participants
Location: United States, remote and in person
Length: 20-30 minutes
Findings
Usability study findings helped guide the designs from wireframes to mockups. The study used a low-fidelity prototype and revealed what aspects of the design needed refining before high-fidelity designs were produced.
Availability
People wanted an easy way to get books. They appreciated the ability to see what was available online before going anywhere.
Guidance
Users needed some introduction to how the app works and guidance about how and where to begin.
Messaging
People would like an easy and secure way to communicate regarding their book pick ups.
Mockups
Based on insights from the usability study, I applied design changes like providing information and guidance for first time app users.
Additional design changes included adding more assistance to guide users in navigating the app.
High-fidelity prototype
The high-fidelity prototype followed the same user flow as the low-fidelity prototype, including design changes made after the usability study.
View the BookBuddy High-fidelity Prototype
Accessibility Considerations
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Voice to Text
Search bars have voice to text feature
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Icons
Used high-contrast icons to help make navigation easier
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Language
The ability to change the language settings available in both app and website versions
Sitemap
After the app designs were complete, I started working on designing the responsive website. I used the Book Buddy sitemap to guide the organizational structure of each screen’s design to ensure a cohesive and consistent experience across devices.
Responsive Designs
The designs for screen size variation included mobile, tablet and desktop. I optimized the designs to fit specific user needs for each device and screen size.
Takeaways
Impact:
Users liked that they could use the BookBuddy app to help them in their daily lives, like receiving books for educational or personal use. But more importantly, they were excited that they could make an impact in economically disadvantaged communities around the globe. One study participant said "I would enjoy interacting with my real-life neighbors as we share resources and help others."
What I learned:
While designing the BookBuddy app and website, I learned how to address customer pain points by finding solutions that directly addressed their needs. Usability studies and peer feedback influenced each iteration of the design.
Next Steps
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1.
Build out a messaging feature in the app to increase ease of use related to coordinating book pick up
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2.
Conduct another round of usability studies to validate whether the pain points users experienced have been effectively addressed.
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3.
Conduct additional user research to determine any new areas of need.