Open Reader
- Project
- 2022
- Industry
- Entertainment
- Role
- UX Design
- UI Design
- Prototyping
Overview
Open reader is a mobile application that enables audiobook listeners have highly personalized and interactive features while reading.
Context
Why Open reader?
Reading books is one of the many acts people perform either as an hobby, to pass time or for educational purpose. People who choose to listen with audiobooks don’t enjoy the benefits of personalizing their experience while engaging in it. This leaves a lot to be desired from the audio experience on mobile.
Solution
I designed features in Open reader that encourages personalized performance, interaction ,support and communication in the best digital way possible for users engaging the app. Some of these major key feature includes:
- Digitally jotting down notes on selected text(s), with provision of added highlighting feature
- Listening to a book with up to 6 people in real time
- Sharing notes taken with fellow listeners
THE PROBLEM
Getting to know
To be able to offer the best possible solution for this project, I had to “wear the shoes” of my users to know the best way to offer a solution. I wanted the data and my findings to be qualitative and attitude driven so I chose to perform user interviews and competitive analysis.
Oooppsss
From the discussions I had with my interviewees, some of the pain points they experience while using audio apps are:
- Not being able to leave notes on their favorite page or for a particular text and easily coming back to it.
- Seamlessly moving from a page to another
- Wanting to have a form of interaction with others while listening, “like a book club session”
Eureka!!
Based on the user interviews I conducted, I noted that some users, while listening to audiobooks engaged in other activities like doing laundry, sewing or even cooking ( well that’s better than getting carried away watching TV and burning down your apartment lol), while others listened for the sole pleasure of gaining insight in whatever they have chosen to listen to.
USER PERSONAS
Finding the sweet spot
So far, my research has uncovered key areas of opportunities. However, these findings need to solve the user’s problem that has been identified. I defined two user personas to make sure that I stay connected and on track to the audience I design for at every stage of the design process.
design solutions
Home page & Selected book
Provided options with wide range of book genres for users to select from. A good digital interface that supports accessibility for easy eyes tracking of currently read paragraph and visible control functions was designed.
Text selection feature
Putting into consideration the mental models of our users, they were provided with effective functions such as: adding a note, copy, search, define, translate and different colors shades for highlighting when they select on text(s).
Users are also provided with the option to add a tag to a note for easy memory sorting and further functionalities like edit, share (will be explained in a bit) and delete saved note.
Listen with friends
The left bottom icon when clicked prompt users to create a group listening session with anyone, projecting a sense of digital book club, enhancing connection & interaction.
Send and receive invites
Users can seamlessly send invites to intended and targeted friends to join in listening to a book together, and a screen is provided to accept such request easily.
Receiving shared notes
Users can share saved notes among listeners ( anybody in the group session can do this). As long as fellow listeners are in the group session, they would receive a notification for a note being shared, view it and can as well save it.
retrospective
Takeaways
- Feedback is of upmost importance: While deciding on the ideas which I had generated for the identified problem, understanding different perspectives of people on my ideas gave me a better understanding of what might work.
- Critical thinking & data: When I had rationale and data for the design decisions which I took, my thinking and approach was clearer.
Next step
I would really love to do further research to see how I can seamlessly incorporate my design solution into other technologies like the Apple Watch for further accessibility and beautiful user experience.