A Design Study: Going From Good(reads) To Better

Afreen Siraj
Aug 8, 2017 · 5 min read

If there’s one thing book readers can agree upon, it’s the fact that the Goodreads experience can be made better.

Goodreads, the ultimate destination to discover new books, read reviews and to share their book-reading journey, has a user experience that makes just about anyone cringe.

Case in point — a glance at 4 of 85,578 reviews on the Goodreads’ Android app.

Goodreads, currently

The problem with Goodreads is not its lack of the flashy, snazzy design. It’s the inability to find the things that matter.

To make Goodreads a lot easier to navigate, I wanted to understand what was important not only to the users, but also to the Goodreads team. And what’s the best indicator of their goals?

Their App Store description, of course.

1. See what your friends are reading

Yes, Goodreads considers its social element the most important feature. The ability to see what your friends are reading right now is the digital form of a book club.

Here’s what you’ll find in the current feed.

  1. A search bar to look for books via title, author name or ISBN
  2. The ability to like and comment on a friend’s book update
  3. Popular book suggestions in the genres you read

Is it working? Yes, but Goodreads tries to do everything at once.

Problem #1: The focus is less on books & reading, and more on unnecessary details.

2. Keep track of the books you read

Goodreads’ shelves are terrific — you can mark any book in the universe under “Read”, “Currently Reading” or “Want To Read”. However…

Problem #2: While the concept of shelving a book is great, Goodreads presents a user with so many options that it’s almost impossible to make a decision.

3. Challenge yourself to read more

One of my favourite activities is to set an yearly reading challenge and check the books off my list. (And also, envy my friends’ insane challenges & fast reading.) So, what’s wrong?

Problem #3: How is Goodreads helping me challenge myself to read more?

Goodreads, revised

Question time! What are the must-have functionalities of a social networking product like Goodreads?

My answer? I think these three functionalities are crucial.

  1. Feed: To check up on what your network is up to
  2. Discover: To explore all the hidden nooks and corners
  3. Profile: To store, access & update your activities

And that’s exactly what I did. Inspired from this Booking.com redesign, my first step was to understand, separate and distribute the features of Goodreads into one of the above three functionalities.

The three core functionalities of Goodreads

Presenting a bookworm-friendly Goodreads - take a look.

(Want to play with the prototype? Here. For a detailed explanation, keep reading.)

Solution #1: Focus on the books

The current Goodreads focuses on book-related activities on the feed.

But since Goodreads is first & foremost a book-discovery platform, the book and its features should be the hero, not the activity.

Larger book cover, bigger title & author name and top 2 genres of the book

What was improved from the current design?

  1. The search bar was moved to the Explore/Search section and replaced with cards about the books you are currently reading or want to read i.e. your Goodreads activity.
  2. The “Like” button on Goodreads seems like it was adapted for a Facebook-like feel with no real significance. In this design, it is replaced with a more significant “Add to shelf” button.
  3. Any Goodreads suggestions or recommendations based on user history have been moved to the Explore/Search & Discovery section.

Check out the feed on the prototype >>

Moving on, from feed to search…

Solution #2: Unlock & explore the infinite library

Did you know that the current Goodreads provides recommendations based on your favourite/most-read genres and books you’ve read in the past?

Go on, look for it. You have 15 seconds…

This excellent feature is tucked away instead of being easily accessible. This is the true manifestation of “Out of sight, out of mind”.

And now?

Search for books, explore what’s available & discover something new

What was improved from the current design?

What was earlier shown on the feed along with your network’s activities now has a tab of its own. Here, you’ll find a variety of books to explore in the following ways:

  1. Like a genre? See what’s new, trending and popular with Goodreads folks.
  2. Browse through curated book lists like “Most Anticipated Books of 2017” and more.
  3. See a list of ALL the books by genres available in the Goodreads-verse in a tap.
  4. Looking for a book’s rating & reviews? Scan the barcode or search by title, author or ISBN.

Isn’t that handy?

Check out search & discovery on the prototype >>

Solution #3: ACTually challenge yourself to read more

Goodreads can totally apply The Hooked Model for their Reading Challenge. But that’s a story for another day.

Like I mentioned earlier, Goodreads’ Reading Challenge is no more than a “Books You’ve Read This Year” tracker. A lot could be done to make it better, but here’s a start.

The new profile, with a reminder of how many books you must read to complete your Reading Challenge.

What was improved from the current design?

Again, instead of tucking away the Reading Challenge, this design gives a visual reminder of how far you’ve come along, and how close you could be in completing your challenge.

In a time like ours, who doesn’t like a little motivation?

Another area where you’ll be reminded of what you’re reading is at the top of the feed. That card will also tell you how long you’ve been reading the book for (especially for those of us who start but can’t finish.)

Check out the new Reading Challenge on the prototype >>


As a book lover, frequent Goodreads user and aspiring UX designer, it was but natural that I chose Goodreads as my first redesign project.

In conclusion, a twist on the famous line we all have heard many times…

Until the next time, then.

P.S. I’m looking for a UX job opportunity in Bengaluru, India! If you have one in mind, reach out to me. Thanks!

Afreen Siraj

Written by

Tweet me up @AfreenSiraj. See what I see at 4freen on Instagram.

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