Bookworm
Research
visual identity
Mobile App Design
Context
"One day, I opened my drawer and found a pile of forgotten books. They deserved better than to collect dust — they deserved new readers. That's when the idea for Bookworm was born, a platform to connect books with those who’d cherish them."
"a platform to connect books with those who’d cherish them"
Problem Statement
Many readers accumulate books they no longer need, yet struggle to find a seamless way to share, sell, or donate them. Existing platforms often lack intuitive user experiences, reliable delivery options, and a strong sense of community, making book-sharing inconvenient and underutilized.
Overview
These days, many book lovers end up with a ton of books that just sit on their shelves after they’ve read them. In fact, the World Culture Score Index says that 72% of readers have books they don’t really use or share anymore. It’s a bummer because there’s a big opportunity for book-sharing solutions, with so many great reads just waiting for new fans!
Goals
Bookworm is all about making it super easy for readers to sell, rent, or donate their books. We’re building a fun community that loves books and cares about sustainability, so everyone can connect, share, and help stories find a new home.
Design Process
At Bookworm, we keep things user-friendly by using a laid-back, step-by-step design process that makes sure everyone has a smooth and fun experience.
Competitors
I've been diving into the world of book-sharing and took a good look at what’s out there. I checked out some of the big players like Goodreads, LibraryThing, Little Free Library, BookMooch, and StreetLib to see how they stack up.
Key Differentiators of Bookworm from Competitors
User Interviews
I talked to some book lovers to find out what challenges they deal with, what they enjoy, and what gets them excited, all to make sharing books super easy.
Qualitative Research
I had some great chats with potential users through interviews and surveys to get a sense of their biggest challenges and what they’re looking for. Here are a few key questions we tossed around and the cool insights we picked up.
Can you describe how you typically manage books once you’ve finished reading them?
What motivates you to keep or give away your read books?
Have you ever tried selling or donating your books? If yes, what challenges did you face in the process?
Are there specific platforms you’ve used for book exchanges or sales? What was your experience like?
What difficulties have you faced while pricing or negotiating the value of your used books?
Have you ever struggled to find buyers or recipients for your books? If so, what was the biggest challenge?
How important is sustainability to you when it comes to managing your book collection?
Would you prefer a platform that actively promotes eco-friendly practices like book recycling or donations?
Would you be interested in connecting with readers who share similar interests during book exchanges?
How would you describe your ideal book-sharing experience that combines convenience with meaningful connections?
Quantitative Research Findings
We ran a survey to get a better grip on how people share books, what bugs them, and what they really like. The results backed up our earlier research, making sure our design choices are based on solid data. Here are the main points, laid out for easy understanding.
Through interviews and user research, several key pain points emerged:
User Personas
In order to enhance the book-sharing experience, I conducted user interviews to gain insights into the challenges, behaviours, and motivations of those who own books.
Empathy Map
This empathy map helps us get a better understanding of Ravi’s feelings, actions, and struggles, giving us some handy insights to guide our design choices.
Customer Journey Map
The Customer Journey Map shows Ravi’s experience with Bookworm, starting from when he first discovered it to becoming a regular user. It points out the important moments, his thoughts and feelings and the challenges he encounters, all while showing how the platform makes sharing books easier for him and tackles his issues.
User Flow
The user flow breaks down how to list a book for sale or donation in a super easy way. It shows the key choices, actions, and interactions, highlighting how users navigate through the app. By streamlining this process, the design focuses on making things clear, efficient and engaging for users.
Card Sorting
We ran a card sorting exercise to make navigation super easy and intuitive. This helped us group features in a way that matches what users expect, so finding books and making transactions is a breeze. The insights we got really shaped the app’s layout, making everything feel more natural and user-friendly.
Information Architecture
Information Architecture makes it super easy to navigate and find what you need. With everything organized in a way that just makes sense, Bookworm helps you browse, buy, sell, and rent books without any hassle, giving you a smooth and enjoyable experience.
Crafting the Visual Identity
I started the visual design by collecting some references, doing research and finding inspiration to capture the brand’s vibe. Since Bookworm is all about loving second hand books, I wanted the visuals to evoke nostalgia, warmth, and a hint of luxury. I chose earthy colours, soft textures, and smooth neumorphic elements to really boost the cosy feeling, making the platform super inviting and user-friendly.
I created a fun space to play around with colours, fonts, styles, and different layouts for the main screens. It was all about trying things out, mixing and matching, going back to the drawing board, tweaking styles, and checking out fresh ideas to craft a cohesive and immersive visual experience for Bookworm.
Bookworm's colour scheme offers cosy, earthy vibes like old paper. The soft beige background (HEX: CFBEAA) resembles well-loved pages, while deep brown typography (HEX: 7A4A1E) ensures readability. A vibrant burnt orange (HEX: E55D16) adds warmth and highlights key actions, enhancing the overall experience.
Headings use Times New Roman for a traditional feel, paired with Arial for readability. The hierarchy is clear through varied weights and sizes, ensuring a balanced interface that enhances the reading experience while evoking the warmth of book collections.
Logo
The Bookworm logo really captures what the name is all about. The circles, each with a letter from "Bookworm," connect to create a smooth, flowing line that looks like a worm from above. This design shows how books move from one reader to another, highlighting the platform’s goal of sharing and discovering great reads. The fun, wavy shape of the logo gives it a playful vibe, making it easy to remember and super engaging.
App Overview
Refining the Experience: Usability Testing & Key Insights
To validate the Bookworm experience, participants were given tasks that aligned with key user needs, such as listing a book for sale, searching for a book to rent, and donating a book. Additionally, we focused on a crucial business goal: ensuring a seamless checkout process.
Conclusion & Impact
Bookworm started as a simple idea to give pre-loved books a new home, but through research, iteration, and user feedback, it evolved into a seamless platform that makes book sharing more accessible and engaging. Usability testing helped refine key interactions, ensuring that users could effortlessly buy, sell, rent, and donate books.
The impact of this project lies in creating a sustainable reading ecosystem
reducing book waste
making literature more affordable
fostering a community-driven experience
The key learnings from this project reinforced the importance of intuitive navigation, clear CTAs and a user-centric design approach, all of which can be applied to future product challenges.
What’s next?
From these insights, the next iteration’s focus was clear: enhancing call-to-action visibility, improving trust signals, and refining mobile usability to create a frictionless and engaging experience.
Curious about this project?
Just shoot me an email if you want to chat more about Bookworm. I’d love to share some cool insights! Have an awesome day!
