Verbatim Books
Client
My Role
UX/UI Design
User Research
Wireframing
Prototyping
Tools
Balsamiq
Figma
Length
6 weeks
Verbatim Books is an independent bookstore in San Diego, California. Their mission is to get people offline and immerse themselves in the unfamiliar and the joy of discovering something new.
They are reluctant to have a large digital presence, but with the recent expansion of their store they recognize that leveraging the internet could help them greatly expand their clientele.
This speculative app design challenged me to create an online experience that encourages people to get off their phone and into a physical space.
Discovery
To find out trends and preferences with bookstores and book-related apps, I researched independent bookstore websites, the Goodreads app, and various blogs. I also set up an online survey, finding that more people than expected enjoy shopping in stores, but only 18% of respondents preferred independent bookstores.
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For those that like independent bookstores, reasons include:
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Desire to support local businesses
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Personal connections to booksellers and to the community
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The joy of finding something new and unexpected
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Unique book selections and friendly atmosphere
Analysis
App Usage
Features on the app would need to be personal and encourage users to read or visit the store, not spend much time on the app itself. These could include bookshelves, notes, a game to find your next book. Because of the Verbatim Books ethos, adding an online shopping platform was never considered.
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Store Visits
To move users to visit the store, the app could include upcoming events, staff picks, and contests.
Design
The solution was a design that combined both the structure and comfort of books - clean lines and open space mixed with warm personality.
The "What Should I Read?" game provides a different way to choose a book. Choices are extensive, with hundreds of possible outcomes.
These sections encourage readers to visit the store for community events and connection with staff.
Reflection
It was an interesting challenge to design a compelling bookstore app without the obvious addition of online purchasing. It involved reflection on the reasons why people would want to use technology for personal things like book tracking, but also why people in this day and age would go into a physical space at all. This app combines individual wants with the desire of connections within the local community, and shows how technology can shape both online and offline interactions.
Because of the original nature of the assignment - make an app for a business that doesn't have one - I did not fully follow the UX process. If this were a real-world project, I would have started by having a conversation with the owners of Verbatim Books to find out their interest in a larger online presence.
Maybe they wouldn't consider having an app, at least when this project was first started. Since Covid-19, it's possible that expanding their online reach would help the business stay afloat.