Overview
With so many types of media competing for our attention, many of us struggle to fit reading into our lives. Wayword is a mobile app designed to help would-be readers build a consistent reading habit by giving them the tools they need to be successful.
Using Wayword, users can block out dedicated reading time, minimize distractions, and chart their progress through every title on their reading list.
Process
Timeline
80 hours over 4 weeks
My roles
UX research
UX & UI design
Usability testing
Selected deliverables
Research report w/addendum on habit formation
Persona & user journey map
Task flows & app map
Wireframes
High fidelity prototype
In a hurry?
Feel free to skip straight to the end. Otherwise, keep reading to see my design process from start to finish.
Desk research
Testing the market
I consulted existing research studies to see if there are enough smartphone-using adult readers for Wayword to find a user base.
Only 8% of college-educated adults reported not having read a book in the last 12 months
The share of readers who use tablets or cell phones to read e-books more than doubled from 2011 to 2016
More support for the market’s viability comes from the success of Goodreads. The popular website and app that lets users find, catalog, and discuss books, had 90 million registered users in 2019.
*Statistics courtesy of Pew Research Center
Survey findings
I conducted a survey to learn more about potential users’ existing reading habits. Respondents cited 2 reasons why they didn’t read as much as they wished they did.
01 | Too busy
Taking care of obligations like school, work, and errands gets in the way of reading
02 | Other priorities
It’s easier to turn on the TV or browse the internet than it is to pick up a book and start reading
Other insights
Here are some other key findings from my research, which included competitor analysis and site visits to bookstores and the local library.
01 | Measuring engagement
While some readers like to finish every book they start, others don’t mind leaving a title unfinished if they don’t find it entertaining or useful.
Wayword needs more ways to measure engagement than counting the books that each user completes.
02 | Discovering new titles
Some readers like to stick with familiar genres, authors, and topics, while others prefer to branch out into unknown territory.
Wayword should support allow users to search, browse, and view recommendations to accommodate these different styles.
03 | Building community
People build relationships through sharing their interests with others.
Wayword should let users discuss what they they’re reading so that readers who are looking for connection can find it.
Defining the user
Meet Charlotte
Based on my research I created an empathy map and a persona to represent the Wayword user.
Journey map
Where does Wayword fit in?
I created a journey map to identify opportunities for Wayword to help Charlotte stay motivated and engaged.
Click to see full user journey map
Problem statement
How might we help Charlotte define and achieve her reading goals while avoiding distractions that threaten to sidetrack her new habit?
Additional research
How to build a habit
Habits require three things to form - a cue, a routine, and a reward. Together, this creates the habit loop.
Wayword needs to provide a cue that it’s time to read, clear the way for users to engage in the routine (i.e. reading a book), and offer a reward that can convince the most primitive parts of the brain that the habit is worthwhile.
Defining app structure
How will users move through the app?
Task flows helped me visualize how users will complete 3 essential tasks.
Card sort
Refining the app map
After sketching out an initial app map, I could see that I had too many high level navigation categories to work on a small mobile screen.
I conducted an open card sort to help me simplify the app’s navigation.
Click to see the full app map
Wireframes
From pencil & paper to digital
I started with loose pencil sketches of the essential app screens. From there, I moved on to digital wireframes in Figma.
Branding & UI
I wanted Wayword to have a clean, fresh, and modern look as a point of differentiation from it’s main competitor, Goodreads. When it came to the logo, icons, and other visuals, I kept everything simple and approachable.
Prototyping & usability testing
I created a high fidelity prototype for usability testing. Because of time constraints, I chose to focus my energy on remote, unmoderated user testing with Maze.
Users encountered 3 main problem areas during the test.
01 | Scan function is unclear
Some of my testers were totally unfamiliar with the idea that they could scan a book cover with their camera to add a book to their reading list.
Based on the testing, I gave users a way to add books to their reading lists from the Books tab. This way, users can engage with the app even before they figure out the scan feature.
Clicking Edit allows users to add, delete, and move books between reading lists.
02 | Hard to set a reading goal
Some users tried to set a reading goal from the book detail screen, instead of navigating back to the Habits tab of the My Reading screen.
I addressed the problem by adding an option for users to set a reading goal from any book detail screen.
It’s now possible to set a reading goal from a book detail screen.
03 | Reading History isn’t a clear title
The My Reading History feature shows users how many days in the month they logged reading time, along with metrics including the number of pages they read and how many books they started and finished. This wasn’t clear to users, summed up by the quote below.
“The title ‘My Reading History’ was a little confusing. I was expecting it to show books that I have read, not my reading time history.”
I renamed the feature My Reading Metrics to be more descriptive.
Reading History changed to Reading Metrics
Making the most of OCR
Add titles to your reading list using optical character recognition
While e-books are becoming more popular by the year, readers still overwhelmingly favor physical books. The Scan feature makes it convenient for users to merge their analog reading experience with the digital world of the Wayword app.
Set sustainable goals
Distraction-free reading time
Users are encouraged to make space in their daily lives for reading by setting realistic, time-based reading goals that last for 90 days - that’s how long it takes to make a habit automatic.
Once the reading timer is set, users can block digital distractions like notifications, messages, and access to social media apps.
Track progress
Log pages and record comments
Users mark their progress through their reading list by logging the pages they’ve read.
By adding comments to their reading logs, users have the opportunity to engage deeply with the source material and record insights for future reference.
Seeing the big picture
Reading metrics make it easy to visualize achievement.
Users can see how many days per month they met their reading goal, along with information on their total pages read, reading streaks, and the books they’ve started and finished.
With this information so accessible, users can see if they’re staying on track or if they ought to put down the phone and reach for the bookshelf.
Final thoughts
With this project, I got to work on something near and dear to me - an app for wayward readers like me who have a reading list a mile long, but an empty DVR.
Room for improvement
While my research on habit formation informed the current design, I also think that’s the area where Wayword has the most potential for growth in future iterations. Creating an effective reward system for an activity that doesn’t have one intrinsically is tricky, and I’m not yet satisfied with the solution I’ve found.
Next steps
One-off user tests can show that Wayword is easy to navigate, but can’t tell me if the app is helping users read on a regular basis. This is a situation where ongoing beta testing would be useful to track how user behavior changes over time.
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