Case study: Add a feature to the Goodreads app

Note: There is no affiliation with Goodreads, and this is a solo, conceptual project.

Let’s Begin!

Goodreads is the world’s largest social network for book readers. Having over billions of books added to their catalog, users can save, find recommendations, and leave reviews on their favorite books.

Though over 90 million members use Goodreads, many users comment on the outdated UI and lack of intuitiveness. After Amazon acquired Goodreads in 2013, why haven’t they redesigned Goodreads? Though it’s difficult to be certain about the reason, they may lack the motive for change because they are the monopoly within the social network of books.

If I can’t redesign Goodreads as a whole, maybe I can help ease some frustrations users experience while using Goodreads by adding a feature.

Design Process

This is the design process I followed and referred back to throughout this case study.

Empathize

I first started by empathizing with users. I compared Goodreads to other apps currently in the market, evaluated…