“Inspired by goodreads.com, Bhuku wants to give a more user-centric approach to their app…they want to use the full potential that a mobile app has, such as utilizing the camera to register books in a more automated way via optical character recognition (OCR)” - Bhuku project background
These are the high-fidelity screens for the Bhuku mobile app. Keep scrolling for more information on the research and design process.
These are the high-fidelity screens for the Bhuku mobile app. Keep scrolling for more information on the research and design process.
These are the high-fidelity screens for the Bhuku mobile app. Keep scrolling for more information on the research and design process.
These are the high-fidelity screens for the Bhuku mobile app. Keep scrolling for more information on the research and design process.
Background
Unlike my previous projects, the prompt for Bhuku was very open-ended. Besides the excerpt above, the only other parameters for this project were that the user should be able to find, add, rate, and list books as well as set a status for each book.
To create a solution that would differentiate itself from Goodreads, I wanted to change my point of view. Instead of limiting my research to just reading-based solutions, I looked at other media-tracking and rating sites as well.
Research
In addition to Goodreads, I looked at music and movie-rating sites and apps like RateYourMusic and Letterboxd as well. I wanted to gather a wide array of perspectives to discover what users liked about these other apps and see how these successes could be applied to an app specifically for books.
I completed a competitor analysis of these three apps and generally they’re all similar in what information they store —reviews, ratings, whether the user has consumed the piece of media— and how users can search for this information —by artist, by title, through user-created lists. Each app has its own community of like-minded readers, listeners, and viewers, so a similar option would be needed for Bhuku as well.
What these apps all lacked was a way to designate physical ownership of the media. Sure movies and music are mostly streaming nowadays, but wouldn’t Letterboxd and RateYourMusic users be such diehard fans that they would want an option to note that they had the latest Blu-ray reissue or vinyl pressing? GoodReads’ “bookshelves” hints at physical ownership, and they have a section for Kindle boosk, but there isn’t an explicit way to claim that you have a copy of a book. This would be a way for Bhuku to set itself apart.
Survey
To get feedback from actual users of these apps, I sent out a survey. It was comprised of 41 questions in 6 sections. There were 11 respondents, aged 26-31. 9 of the 11 were Goodreads users, while the other two were users of Letterboxd, RateYourMusic, and Glitchwave, a video game rating app. Users said that they preferred the inventory features to the social features on their respective apps, but
Respondents stated that in addition to simply seeing what their friends were reading/listening to/watching, they also used these feeds as de facto suggestions, as one would “in real life”.
Those surveyed also liked the “save for later” feature found in many of these apps. Often referred to as a “watchlist” or “reading list”, users can mark items for future consumption, allowing them to cut through a crowded media library when they want to start something new. While the feature is popular, users expressed a desire to be able to further organize or sort through these lists.
64% of the respondents used their preferred app at least once per week.
The tracking their media consumption was the primary motive for more than 60% of those surveyed.
Even though the inventory feature was preferred, more than 80% of the respondents used the social features regardless.
The "save for later" feature was very popular among users.
Initial Iterations
After conducting research, I began to visualize what Bhuku would be laid out and what it would look like. Before I started sketching, I had to consider what actions the user would be taking within the app. Based off my research, I created user flows, including the one seen here.
Once the user flows were created, I fleshed them out in the form of pencil and pen sketches. As part of the initial intake form/account creation process, I included sections for users select their favorite genres, authors, and previously read books to better inform Bhuku’s recommendations.
The biggest differentiator between Bhuku and Goodreads is the ability to take pictures of books and upload them via OCR. I made sure to sketch out what that would look like in the process of adding a book to one’s library. I was also sure to include a field for the owner to note whether they physical owned the book or not, something lacking in other apps.
Wireframes
From there, I turned the sketches into low-fidelity wireframes in Figma. To make the process as easy for the user as possible, they have the ability to create a Bhuku account through their existing Google or Apple accounts as well as add other users as friends through Facebook or their phone contacts.
Taking user feedback into consideration, I fixed the spacing issues and added labels for the bottom navigation bar in future versions.
The wireframes of the first screens a user would see when they create a Bhuku account.
Part 2 of the account creation process
Once the user has created their account, they can log a book.
Part 2 of the book-logging process.
Branding
When designing the brand for Bhuku, I wanted to create something that felt modern to contrast Goodreads. The brown and beige combined with the very nondescript sans serif logo makes it feel stodgy to me. I began by choosing for a bold, bright orange. However, upon receiving initial feedback, there were accessibility issues and I opted for a powerful yet soothing shades of blue. In hindsight, the blue helps visually distinguish Bhuku from Goodreads.
Final Screens
I applied the colors, fonts, logos, etc to the existing wireframes and made some additional visual tweaks and the result is the screens seen here.
In addition to adding friends through Facebook or their phone contacts, Bhuku recommends popular users whose reviews have helped them gain a following on the app. This could also include verified authors once the app has enough traction.
When on a book’s page, users can set a status, add it to lists, read a summary, reviews, and see which of their friends have also read the book.
This is the first page a user sees when opening the Bhuku app for the first time. They can link an existing Apple or Google account if they would like.
If they choose not to login with an Apple or Google account, they are prompted to put in some basic information.
To build their virtual library and feed Bhuku's algorithm, the user is asked to select books they have previously read.
They are prompted to do the same for their favorite authors and genres, so Bhuku can refine their recommendations.
The user can add other users on Bhuku by searching, through their phone contacts, or by linking their Facebook account.
After creating their account, this is homepage the user is brought to.
When logging a book, the user can search for it manually or by using their phone's camera.
The user can filter and sort the results of their search.
This is an example of how the user can leverage their phone's camera to log a book that they've read.
After using the camera or searching for the book, the user is prompted to rate, review, and denote whether or not they own a physical copy of the book. They can also add the book to a custom list or to their favorites.
This is the book's Bhuku page, with other reviews visible as well as the user's rating and relationship with the book.
Conclusion
While a significant amount of work was done to get to this point, much more would be needed to get Bhuku to be a viable rival to Goodreads. In addition to making sure the OCR function works smoothly, there are a few additional features that could be added to help Bhuku reach Goodreads’ level. Goodreads has a feature in partnership with Amazon through which users can add a book to their Amazon cart from the book’s Goodreads page, for example. This type of partnership along with increased gamification could help Bhuku grow their user base and further differentiate themselves from Goodreads.