Chronicle
A mobile and web application designed to help avid readers track their reading habits while fostering an active community. Inspired by platforms like Goodreads, our goal was to create an intuitive book tracking experience with robust community features that encourage user interaction and shared literary exploration.
ROLE
User Experience
Visual Design
Research
Wireframing
Usability Testing
Prototyping
TEAM
UX Researchers
Project Manager
Front-End Developers
DURATION
4 Months
The Challenge
Readers often find themselves juggling between tracking their reading progress and engaging in community discussions on separate platforms. Our aim was to simplify the user experience by merging effective book tracking with an integrated community space that nurtures discussion, recommendations, and social connections.
Fragmented Experience
Users must switch between a book tracking tool and social networks for community interaction.
Overwhelming Interfaces
Existing apps like Goodreads offer extensive features but can feel cluttered, making navigation difficult.
Community Engagement
Facilitating meaningful discussions around books while ensuring that tracking remains a core, unobtrusive feature.
Research & Insights
Interviews & Surveys
We conducted interviews with 20 readers and distributed online surveys, gaining insights on:
Current Usage Patterns - Most users track reading via spreadsheets or multiple apps, indicating a need for a unified platform.
Community Needs - Readers wanted a space for genuine discussions, book recommendations, and social interaction beyond simple ratings.
Simplicity vs Functionality - While users appreciated detailed tracking, they sought a clean and accessible interface.
Competitive Analysis
We evaluated platforms such as Goodreads, LibraryThing, and social networks with reading communities.
Strengths - Robust tracking systems and large user bases.
Weaknesses - Overcomplicated interfaces and insufficient integration of community features.
Personas
Based on our research, we developed three primary personas: The Avid Tracker - Focuses on detailed logging of reading habits and statistics. The Community Enthusiast - Seeks engaging discussions, book clubs, and recommendation threads. The Casual Reader - Enjoys occasional reading, primarily looking for inspiration and effortless tracking.
Design Process
Ideation & Information Architecture
Our team held brainstorming sessions and card-sorting exercises to structure the app logically. The key sections included:
Dashboard - Overview of reading progress, recent activity, and community updates.
Library - Personal book collection with tracking details (status, reviews, ratings).
Community Feed - Social feed for discussions, book recommendations, and live conversations.
Discover - Curated book suggestions based on user interests and community trends.
Profile - User profile with reading statistics, badges, and community contributions.
Wireframing & Prototyping
We began with low-fidelity sketches to map out primary user flows.
Onboarding - A seamless sign-up process that gathers reading preferences to personalize the experience.
Book Entry - An easy-to-use interface for adding books, marking reading status, and logging progress.
Community Interaction - A unified feed that integrates posts, comments, and reactions related to both books and discussions.
Prototypying
High-fidelity prototypes were developed using Figma, incorporating a clean layout with ample white space and intuitive navigation. Emphasis was placed on ensuring that tracking functions and community elements complemented rather than competed with each other.
Usability Testing
We ran several rounds of usability tests with participants representing our personas:
Navigation - Users found the streamlined dashboard intuitive, though initial feedback highlighted the need for clearer icons distinguishing between tracking and community features.
Engagement - The integrated community feed was well-received, with users appreciating the ability to comment, like, and share book insights directly from their tracking dashboard.
Book Entry & Tracking - Testers praised the simplicity of logging books and updating reading statuses, but recommended more visual cues for completed vs in-progress books.
Feedback was incorporated into iterative design revisions, focusing on clearer labeling, enhanced visual hierarchy, and responsive design adjustments for mobile and web platforms.
Final Design
Key Features
Unified Dashboard - A comprehensive view combining personal reading stats with community updates.
Seamless Book Tracking - Users can effortlessly add books, update progress, rate, and review entries.Library - Personal book collection with tracking details (status, reviews, ratings).
Interactive Community Feed - Real-time posts, discussions, and book recommendations from fellow readers.
Personalised Discover -Tailored book suggestions based on reading history and community trends.
Profile & Achievements - Detailed profiles showcasing reading milestones, badges, and user contributions.
Social Interactions - Features such as commenting, liking, following other readers, and direct messaging to foster community connections.
Visual & Interaction Design
Aesthetic - A minimalist design with a warm, inviting color palette that appeals to avid readers.
Typography - Clean, legible fonts ensuring readability on all devices.
Microinteractions - Smooth transitions and subtle animations that provide immediate feedback (e.g., button presses, loading states) enhance the overall user experience.
Impact & Learnings
Key Takeways
User-Centered Design - Regular feedback and iterative testing were crucial in balancing detailed tracking with a clean, engaging community interface.
Integration Over Isolation - Combining distinct features into a single app can reduce friction and enhance overall user satisfaction.
Responsive & Accessible - Ensuring a seamless experience across devices broadened our user base and met the needs of diverse readers.
Outcomes
Stats & Feedback
