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BookWorm

An audiobook app for... well, bookworms.

BookWorm was created out of a need for an audiobook app specifically made for book lovers. 

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Through extensive interviews, user surveys and online guerilla questions, I uncovered a large, worldwide community of book fans, engaging with each other in a thriving "bookworm" culture. I developed this design for them.

Design Questions

  • How might I make the audiobook experience as visual as a book?

  • How might I personalize the audiobook experience the way you can do with a book?

  • How might I put the "books" back into audiobooks?

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Role: Product Designer

Walking into a bookstore

from “The Book Hangout Spot” one of Facebooks biggest book groups:

In one word what do you get from books?
(1.5K responses)

  1. Escape

  2. Adventure

  3. Knowledge

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"Walking into" the competitor's bookstore:

Audible landing page

Modeled on music streaming platforms, not books, the aesthetic has a dark background with orange accents, giving a cold, slick, technological feel - to which book lovers express an aversion. Books are represented with square shapes, more reminiscent of CDs or albums than books.

 

"Spend” is the off-putting first call to action and the rest of the copy is dry and uninspiring, using dispassionate words like "continue".

Audible landing page 2

"Walking into" the BookWorm bookstore:

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BookWorm

The Home Page "Explore"

Modeled on bookstores and libraries, the homepage is designed to suggest adventure, fun, and escape. Imagery and colour is based on vintage books and chosen for its nostalgia, while books are represented with rectangular shapes, like real books. The calls to action are all focused on exploration and enjoyment.

 

The search bar image changes monthly to feature famous libraries and bookstores from around the world, and the search overlay is characterized as your favourite librarian, ready to suggest books or genres if you are unsure what you need.​

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Like a bookstore or library, different genres or aspects of book culture are featured each month, and browsing the shelves uncovers hidden easter eggs, like animal bookends. At the bottom of the page is that hidden corner of the bookstore where you might discover an unusual gem.

For book lovers, seeing the words is important:

User quotes
Listening while reading

The "point of difference" feature:

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BookWorm

The "Read Along" module

Unlike every audiobook option on the market, BookWorm is designed to give the reader three options with every book:

  1. Listen

  2. Read Along, or

  3. Just read.

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The module shifts seamlessly between these modes through guided intuitive actions, allowing the user to experience the book in different ways.

Book lovers like personalizing their books:

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Writing in books
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Writing in books 3

BookWorm makes this possible with audiobooks:

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BookWorm

The "Notebook" feature

Users can pull up the notebook while listening or reading to see their own notes, or see notes from a selected group of friends.

They can then like or reply to their friends comments.

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When they want to make a new note, the note can be either typed or recorded as an audio clip.

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Notes appear with timestamps in the audio, or as highlighted sections in the text.

For book lovers, authors are celebrities:

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Book signing
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Book event

Bookstores and Libraries offer the unique and popular opportunity to meet those celebrities at Live Author Events.

And so does BookWorm:

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BookWorm

Live "Author Events"

BookWorm offers book lovers an opportunity to meet their favourite authors live right from the phone in their pocket.

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A notification on the author page will let users tap open a live video feed of the author.

They can even submit a question to be asked by the moderator.

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Past author events are listed at the bottom of the page, where users can tap to replay the recording.

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