Goodreads

Branding, Mobile App | 2023

Project Brief

Both a self-initiated and a response to a brief that asked for the redesign of a “dying” brand.


As a passionate bookworm, I chose to redesign the Goodreads app—a beloved but aged social platform for book lovers. Goodreads offers a space where users can browse, review, and discover new books, but I wanted to take it further by enhancing the user experience and making it feel more personal and engaging.

Approach

Goodreads immediately came to mind as a platform with great potential but a dated user experience. My mission was clear: create a more modern, user-centric version of the app that could rekindle excitement in its community of readers.


I began by analysing Goodreads’ current strengths and weaknesses, particularly how users interacted with the platform and what they liked and disliked. What stood out to me was the lack of personal connection between users and the content. I set out to change that by developing a new brand toolkit with a focus on personalisation.


I wanted users to feel like the app truly “knew” them as readers, making book discovery more intuitive and engaging.

Approach

Goodreads immediately came to mind as a platform with great potential but a dated user experience. My mission was clear: create a more modern, user-centric version of the app that could rekindle excitement in its community of readers.


I began by analyzing Goodreads’ current strengths and weaknesses, particularly how users interacted with the platform, what they like and dislike. What stood out to me was the lack of personal connection between users and the content. I set out to change that by developing a new brand toolkit, with a focus on personalization.


I wanted users to feel like the app truly “knew” them as readers, making book discovery more intuitive and engaging.

Goodreads immediately came to mind as a platform with great potential but a dated user experience. My mission was clear: create a more modern, user-centric version of the app that could rekindle excitement in its community of readers.


I began by analysing Goodreads’ current strengths and weaknesses, particularly how users interacted with the platform and what they liked and disliked. What stood out to me was the lack of personal connection between users and the content. I set out to change that by developing a new brand toolkit with a focus on personalisation.


I wanted users to feel like the app truly “knew” them as readers, making book discovery more intuitive and engaging.

Goodreads immediately came to mind as a platform with great potential but a dated user experience. My mission was clear: create a more modern, user-centric version of the app that could rekindle excitement in its community of readers.


I began by analysing Goodreads’ current strengths and weaknesses, particularly how users interacted with the platform and what they liked and disliked. What stood out to me was the lack of personal connection between users and the content. I set out to change that by developing a new brand toolkit with a focus on personalisation.


I wanted users to feel like the app truly “knew” them as readers, making book discovery more intuitive and engaging.

Challenge

Creating a social feature, like BookReads, was a challenge, making sure that it wouldn’t feel out of place. Integrating video content into a traditionally text-based app required thoughtful design to ensure it didn’t disrupt the flow but instead enhanced it. The feature ultimately became a way for readers to connect on a deeper level, sharing visual content without detracting from the book-centric focus of the app.

Creating a social feature, like BookReads, was a challenge, making sure that it wouldn’t feel out of place. Integrating video content into a traditionally text-based app required thoughtful design to ensure it didn’t disrupt the flow but instead enhanced it.


The feature ultimately became a way for readers to connect on a deeper level, sharing visual content without detracting from the book-centric focus of the app.

Creating a social feature, like BookReads, was a challenge, making sure that it wouldn’t feel out of place. Integrating video content into a traditionally text-based app required thoughtful design to ensure it didn’t disrupt the flow but instead enhanced it.


The feature ultimately became a way for readers to connect on a deeper level, sharing visual content without detracting from the book-centric focus of the app.

Outcome

A full reskin of the Goodreads app introduced a host of new features aimed at creating a more tailored experience for each user.


Book recommendations became smarter, drawing from past reading habits, favourite authors, quotes, and even fictional characters that users had connected with. The app now feels like a personal library assistant, delivering curated book suggestions based on individual preferences.


One of the standout features is BookReads, a social platform where users can connect with the community in new ways. Book lovers can now share short video recommendations, similar to social platforms like TikTok, creating a space where people can like, comment, and share reading ideas visually. This new layer of interaction fosters a deeper sense of community among users, something that was previously lacking in Goodreads.


Of course, no modern app is complete without a sleek dark mode option, allowing users to browse and read comfortably in any lighting condition. The overall look and feel of the app were refreshed to provide a more visually appealing and user-friendly experience.

Reflection

Now, coming back to this project a year on, there are features and visuals I would revise. For example, the navigation bar, with its overly large icons, could be scaled down to create a more polished and professional feel, and the font choice might be adjusted to enhance readability and user experience.


Overall, while the design has its strengths, looking back on it shows there’s always room to improve—a natural part of the creative process to help grow and refine your skills.