Usability Testing
Accessibility Evaluation
UI Design
Course Project
Redesigning Goodreads
to improve its Usability & Aesthetics
OVERVIEW
Goodreads is one of the best hubs for bibliophiles. However, it is known for its bad design and user experience. I conducted an extensive audit of the web platform and redesigned it strategically to improve the usability of top features, simplify user flows, and make it visually delighting.
Feb 2023 - March 2023
5 Weeks
Solo!
UX Researcher and Designer
Heurisitc Evaluation,
Usability Testing,
Manual and Automated Accessibility Evaluation
UI Design
DURATION
TEAM
ROLE
SKILLS
PROBLEM CONTEXT
A lot of users are unhappy with Goodreads' current design
As a reader using Goodreads often, I have observed challenges related to its interface, which seems visually cluttered and poses difficulties in finding specific information. Despite these design nuances, Goodreads maintains a substantial user base and remains a popular platform over the years.
CHALLENGE
How do we improve Goodreads' design and its user experience?
SOLUTION
Redesign Goodreads by addressing important usability and UX issues
RESULTS
Key Learnings
I discovered that usability testing is so important because it can reveal problems that wouldn't have been identified through heuristics or tools alone.
Value of direct user feedback
I gained valuable insight into the significance of prioritizing usability over aesthetics in the design process.
Usability vs. aesthetics
PROCESS
PROCESS
I followed the steps that were necessary to target the right improvements
Heaurisitc Ebvaluation
TESTING
Usability Testing
Accessibility Evaluation
Target improvements & Feature prioritization
REDESIGN STRATEGY
Visual Direction
Wireframing
REDESIGN
Visual Designs
Prototyping
User Feedback
VALIDATE
TESTING
HEURISTIC REVIEW
The heuristic review revealed a lack of feedback, system status visibility and consistent naming
No breadcrumbs or page titles to show where you are in the website
Inconsistent Naming that can cause confusion
USABILITY TESTING
Usability testing revealed that the layout and components were confusing
Unclear placeholder that doesn't show it can be used to find authors, confused uses during usability testing
Users were confused between "my books" and "shelf" feature
Users were confused about where their book would be added once they click
ACCESSIBILITY TESTING
Accessibility Testing revealed issues of contrast ratio and font sizes
Small fonts that are hard to read found throughout the site
Insufficient contrast ratio - less than 4.5:1
REDESIGN STRATEGY
REDESIGN STRATEGY
Deciding top improvements
I focused on top issues found in both usability and accessibility evaluation and tried to improve the overall UX of Goodreads by resolving those issues. Based on the issues found, below are the top focal points for improvement.
Improving layout and navigation architecture
Improving constrast ratios and font-sizes
Need to rethink user-flows to make it user friendly
REDESIGN STRATEGY
Understanding usage patterns to prioritize features for better layout
I fetched a bunch of Reddit posts about Goodreads usage and analyzed them manually and using ChatGPT to see the usage trends.
Top 5 features based on their usage.
1. Book Tracking and Lists Organization
2. Reading Progress and Challenge
3. Reviews and Ratings
4. Book Discovery and Recommendations
5. Interaction with Authors and Community
REDESIGN STRATEGY
Moodboard and visual design direction
Museum website aesthetics and brutalism
Old library vibes
Magazine typeface aesthetic
