Foreword
Modernizing the social reading experience for students
Modernizing the social reading experience for students
Project Overview
Project Overview
Project Overview
As part of a Cooperative Development Course at the University of Washington, I served as one of the lead UX designers to create a social reading website for undergraduate students by modernizing existing solutions that aim to transform reading into a unified experience.
The platform addresses the UN's Sustainable Development Goal #4 by promoting lifelong learning through social reading experiences. Through extensive collaboration with engineers and in-depth user research, we shipped a working MVP that helps students rediscover the joy of reading through community-driven features.
As part of a Cooperative Development Course at the University of Washington, I served as one of the lead UX designers to create a social reading website for undergraduate students by modernizing existing solutions that aim to transform reading into a unified experience.
The platform addresses the UN's Sustainable Development Goal #4 by promoting lifelong learning through social reading experiences. Through extensive collaboration with engineers and in-depth user research, we shipped a working MVP that helps students rediscover the joy of reading through community-driven features.
As part of a Cooperative Development Course at the University of Washington, I served as one of the lead UX designers to create a social reading website for undergraduate students by modernizing existing solutions that aim to transform reading into a unified experience.
The platform addresses the UN's Sustainable Development Goal #4 by promoting lifelong learning through social reading experiences. Through extensive collaboration with engineers and in-depth user research, we shipped a working MVP that helps students rediscover the joy of reading through community-driven features.
Role
Role
Role
UX Designer/
Researcher
& Front-End
UX Designer/
Researcher
& Front-End
UX Designer/
Researcher
& Front-End
Team
Team
Team
3 Engineers
2 Designers
3 Engineers
2 Designers
3 Engineers
2 Designers
Duration
Duration
Duration
Research- 4 weeks
Development- 4 weeks
Research- 4 weeks
Development- 4 weeks
Research- 4 weeks
Development- 4 weeks
YEAR
YEAR
YEAR
Spring 2025
Spring 2025
Spring 2025
problem
problem
The Silent Reading Crisis
The Silent Reading Crisis
The Silent Reading Crisis
Less than half of U.S. adults (48.5%) read a book in the past year, down from 52.7% in 2017. Fiction reading is at a record low, with only 37.6% engaging with novels or short stories. Access isn't the issue; students have digital libraries and free e-books. The real problem is the lack of social connections, leading to disengagement and inconsistent reading habits.
Existing platforms, such as Goodreads, fail to provide meaningful interaction, and library apps often lack engagement. Students need a space that encourages reading and fosters a sense of community to stay motivated.
Less than half of U.S. adults (48.5%) read a book in the past year, down from 52.7% in 2017. Fiction reading is at a record low, with only 37.6% engaging with novels or short stories. Access isn't the issue; students have digital libraries and free e-books. The real problem is the lack of social connections, leading to disengagement and inconsistent reading habits.
Existing platforms, such as Goodreads, fail to provide meaningful interaction, and library apps often lack engagement. Students need a space that encourages reading and fosters a sense of community to stay motivated.
Less than half of U.S. adults (48.5%) read a book in the past year, down from 52.7% in 2017. Fiction reading is at a record low, with only 37.6% engaging with novels or short stories. Access isn't the issue; students have digital libraries and free e-books. The real problem is the lack of social connections, leading to disengagement and inconsistent reading habits.
Existing platforms, such as Goodreads, fail to provide meaningful interaction, and library apps often lack engagement. Students need a space that encourages reading and fosters a sense of community to stay motivated.
How might we leverage social connections and goal-setting to motivate undergraduate students to read more for pleasure and better engage with the books they choose to read?
How might we leverage social connections and goal-setting to motivate undergraduate students to read more for pleasure and better engage with the books they choose to read?
How might we leverage social connections and goal-setting to motivate undergraduate students to read more for pleasure and better engage with the books they choose to read?
solution
Modernizing the Way Students Share and Discover Books
Modernizing the Way Students Share and Discover Books
Modernizing the Way Students Share and Discover Books
Our solution makes reading social by connecting students with their peers, turning personal reading habits into a shared experience through goal-setting, recommendations, and community-driven engagement.
Our solution makes reading social by connecting students with their peers, turning personal reading habits into a shared experience through goal-setting, recommendations, and community-driven engagement.
Our solution makes reading social by connecting students with their peers, turning personal reading habits into a shared experience through goal-setting, recommendations, and community-driven engagement.
Login & Create Account
Login & Create Account
Login & Create Account
One-click onboarding gets you reading in 60 seconds. Google authentication means no new passwords, instant friend discovery from your contacts, and seamless entry into your reading community.
One-click onboarding gets you reading in 60 seconds. Google authentication means no new passwords, instant friend discovery from your contacts, and seamless entry into your reading community.
One-click onboarding gets you reading in 60 seconds. Google authentication means no new passwords, instant friend discovery from your contacts, and seamless entry into your reading community.
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Social Reading Feed
Social Reading Feed
Social Reading Feed
Your personalized reading universe. See what friends are currently reading, discover books through authentic reviews from people you trust, and engage with a community that actually responds. Reviews at home show recent activity, while community views are curated by followers' ratings and engagement.
Your personalized reading universe. See what friends are currently reading, discover books through authentic reviews from people you trust, and engage with a community that actually responds. Reviews at home show recent activity, while community views are curated by followers' ratings and engagement.
Your personalized reading universe. See what friends are currently reading, discover books through authentic reviews from people you trust, and engage with a community that actually responds. Reviews at home show recent activity, while community views are curated by followers' ratings and engagement.
Book Reviews & Ratings
Book Reviews & Ratings
Book Reviews & Ratings
Express yourself with nuanced 0–10 ratings that capture how you really feel about a book. Write reviews that spark conversations, not just star ratings that disappear into the algorithm. Every book becomes a potential discussion.
Express yourself with nuanced 0–10 ratings that capture how you really feel about a book. Write reviews that spark conversations, not just star ratings that disappear into the algorithm. Every book becomes a potential discussion.
Express yourself with nuanced 0–10 ratings that capture how you really feel about a book. Write reviews that spark conversations, not just star ratings that disappear into the algorithm. Every book becomes a potential discussion.
Reading Community
Reading Community
Reading Community
Control your reading journey. Add friends through Google contacts or username search, toggle between public and private sharing, and build the reading circle that motivates you. No judgment, just support.
Control your reading journey. Add friends through Google contacts or username search, toggle between public and private sharing, and build the reading circle that motivates you. No judgment, just support.
Control your reading journey. Add friends through Google contacts or username search, toggle between public and private sharing, and build the reading circle that motivates you. No judgment, just support.
Research
Beli Meets Goodreads
Beli Meets Goodreads
Beli Meets Goodreads
When brainstorming solutions to encourage students to read more for pleasure, we explored two key apps: Goodreads and Beli.
Initially, Goodreads seemed like a good pre-existing solution that allowed users to track and rate books, but many students found its features overwhelming and impersonal. With a cluttered UI and a lack of social interaction, it felt more like a digital log than a shared reading experience.
After interviewing college students, we confirmed that students were not motivated to use the platform because it didn’t foster engagement among their peers.
Beli, on the other hand, is a social dining app that motivates users by letting them track, share, and discover restaurants primarily through friends. Its clean design, goal-setting features, and social aspect made it an ideal reference for building a more engaging reading platform.
We realized that the core problem was not access to books, but the lack of motivation, accountability, and community. Students often felt isolated while reading, unable to share their thoughts or get recommendations. Social factors such as peer engagement are crucial in shaping reading habits.
Thus, we determined that a social reading app combining features that boost peer engagement, such as friend connections, book ratings, public/private annotations, and a shared community, would turn reading into a fun, motivating, and community-driven experience.
When brainstorming solutions to encourage students to read more for pleasure, we explored two key apps: Goodreads and Beli.
Initially, Goodreads seemed like a good pre-existing solution that allowed users to track and rate books, but many students found its features overwhelming and impersonal. With a cluttered UI and a lack of social interaction, it felt more like a digital log than a shared reading experience.
After interviewing college students, we confirmed that students were not motivated to use the platform because it didn’t foster engagement among their peers.
Beli, on the other hand, is a social dining app that motivates users by letting them track, share, and discover restaurants primarily through friends. Its clean design, goal-setting features, and social aspect made it an ideal reference for building a more engaging reading platform.
We realized that the core problem was not access to books, but the lack of motivation, accountability, and community. Students often felt isolated while reading, unable to share their thoughts or get recommendations. Social factors such as peer engagement are crucial in shaping reading habits.
Thus, we determined that a social reading app combining features that boost peer engagement, such as friend connections, book ratings, public/private annotations, and a shared community, would turn reading into a fun, motivating, and community-driven experience.
When brainstorming solutions to encourage students to read more for pleasure, we explored two key apps: Goodreads and Beli.
Initially, Goodreads seemed like a good pre-existing solution that allowed users to track and rate books, but many students found its features overwhelming and impersonal. With a cluttered UI and a lack of social interaction, it felt more like a digital log than a shared reading experience.
After interviewing college students, we confirmed that students were not motivated to use the platform because it didn’t foster engagement among their peers.
Beli, on the other hand, is a social dining app that motivates users by letting them track, share, and discover restaurants primarily through friends. Its clean design, goal-setting features, and social aspect made it an ideal reference for building a more engaging reading platform.
We realized that the core problem was not access to books, but the lack of motivation, accountability, and community. Students often felt isolated while reading, unable to share their thoughts or get recommendations. Social factors such as peer engagement are crucial in shaping reading habits.
Thus, we determined that a social reading app combining features that boost peer engagement, such as friend connections, book ratings, public/private annotations, and a shared community, would turn reading into a fun, motivating, and community-driven experience.
Understanding the Users
Understanding the Users
Understanding the Users
To anchor our design decisions with our app, I created two distinct personas representing the spectrum of our users. This will help me further understand, the user's pain points, needs, and behaviors.
To anchor our design decisions with our app, I created two distinct personas representing the spectrum of our users. This will help me further understand, the user's pain points, needs, and behaviors.
To anchor our design decisions with our app, I created two distinct personas representing the spectrum of our users. This will help me further understand, the user's pain points, needs, and behaviors.
Design decisions
Building Within Constraints
Building Within Constraints
Building Within Constraints
When coming up with the rating system, we chose a 0-10 scale over the traditional
5-star system after research showed that 5-star ratings suffer from severe compression.
Anything below 4 stars is perceived as "bad," eliminating nuance. Our 10-point scale allows readers to express "it was good but not great" (7/10) without seeming harsh.
Talking with our engineering team about the rating system, we later discovered that due to technical and time constraints of creating a Beli-like ranking algorithm. We decided it was best to move on to a more traditional rating system.
Traditional-Based Rating System
Pros: More nuanced opinions, better differentiation, matches how people naturally think about rating.
Cons: Requires slightly more cognitive load
Beli's Algorithm-Based System
Pros: No thinking required from users
Cons: Removes personal expression and ownership
When coming up with the rating system, we chose a 0-10 scale over the traditional
5-star system after research showed that 5-star ratings suffer from severe compression.
Anything below 4 stars is perceived as "bad," eliminating nuance. Our 10-point scale allows readers to express "it was good but not great" (7/10) without seeming harsh.
Talking with our engineering team about the rating system, we later discovered that due to technical and time constraints of creating a Beli-like ranking algorithm. We decided it was best to move on to a more traditional rating system.
Traditional-Based Rating System
Pros: More nuanced opinions, better differentiation, matches how people naturally think about rating.
Cons: Requires slightly more cognitive load
Beli's Algorithm-Based System
Pros: No thinking required from users
Cons: Removes personal expression and ownership
When coming up with the rating system, we chose a 0-10 scale over the traditional
5-star system after research showed that 5-star ratings suffer from severe compression.
Anything below 4 stars is perceived as "bad," eliminating nuance. Our 10-point scale allows readers to express "it was good but not great" (7/10) without seeming harsh.
Talking with our engineering team about the rating system, we later discovered that due to technical and time constraints of creating a Beli-like ranking algorithm. We decided it was best to move on to a more traditional rating system.
Traditional-Based Rating System
Pros: More nuanced opinions, better differentiation, matches how people naturally think about rating.
Cons: Requires slightly more cognitive load
Beli's Algorithm-Based System
Pros: No thinking required from users
Cons: Removes personal expression and ownership
Designing for Development, Not Perfection
Designing for Development, Not Perfection
Designing for Development, Not Perfection
My collaboration with three developers has taught me a valuable lesson: perfect designs are insignificant if they can't be shipped. We learned to prioritize ruthlessly, cutting features that could disrupt our timeline, while always ensuring that the core functionality remained intact. By doing so, I was able to release a successful MVP, allowing me to prioritize designs that mattered for the final product.
Below is how we prioritized product development features.
P0 Features (Must Ship):
Google authentication
Book search and ratings
Friend connections
Public/private accounts
Basic feed functionality
P1 Features (Cut for Time):
Reading recommendations
Want-to-read lists
Leaderboards
P2 Features (Future Vision):
Reading streaks
Interest groups
Trending books
My collaboration with three developers has taught me a valuable lesson: perfect designs are insignificant if they can't be shipped. We learned to prioritize ruthlessly, cutting features that could disrupt our timeline, while always ensuring that the core functionality remained intact. By doing so, I was able to release a successful MVP, allowing me to prioritize designs that mattered for the final product.
Below is how we prioritized product development features.
P0 Features (Must Ship):
Google authentication
Book search and ratings
Friend connections
Public/private accounts
Basic feed functionality
P1 Features (Cut for Time):
Reading recommendations
Want-to-read lists
Leaderboards
P2 Features (Future Vision):
Reading streaks
Interest groups
Trending books
My collaboration with three developers has taught me a valuable lesson: perfect designs are insignificant if they can't be shipped. We learned to prioritize ruthlessly, cutting features that could disrupt our timeline, while always ensuring that the core functionality remained intact. By doing so, I was able to release a successful MVP, allowing me to prioritize designs that mattered for the final product.
Below is how we prioritized product development features.
P0 Features (Must Ship):
Google authentication
Book search and ratings
Friend connections
Public/private accounts
Basic feed functionality
P1 Features (Cut for Time):
Reading recommendations
Want-to-read lists
Leaderboards
P2 Features (Future Vision):
Reading streaks
Interest groups
Trending books
From Wireframe to Code
From Wireframe to Code
From Wireframe to Code
From the start we wanted our designs to match the mobile Beli-esque style. However, after discussing the limitations and time constraints of our engineers, we decided to pivot to a web-first approach, which meant rethinking every aspect of our interactions.
Close cooperation with engineers represents daily trade-offs between ideal design and technical feasibility. The result? A responsive web app that works on any device.
From the start we wanted our designs to match the mobile Beli-esque style. However, after discussing the limitations and time constraints of our engineers, we decided to pivot to a web-first approach, which meant rethinking every aspect of our interactions.
Close cooperation with engineers represents daily trade-offs between ideal design and technical feasibility. The result? A responsive web app that works on any device.
From the start we wanted our designs to match the mobile Beli-esque style. However, after discussing the limitations and time constraints of our engineers, we decided to pivot to a web-first approach, which meant rethinking every aspect of our interactions.
Close cooperation with engineers represents daily trade-offs between ideal design and technical feasibility. The result? A responsive web app that works on any device.
Before
Before
Before
After
After
After
reflection
Lessons Learned
Lessons Learned
Lessons Learned
Working on this project was my first experience building a real product from concept to deployment. Collaborating with a cross-functional team while racing against an 8-week deadline taught me invaluable lessons about design to development.
Working on this project was my first experience building a real product from concept to deployment. Collaborating with a cross-functional team while racing against an 8-week deadline taught me invaluable lessons about design to development.
Working on this project was my first experience building a real product from concept to deployment. Collaborating with a cross-functional team while racing against an 8-week deadline taught me invaluable lessons about design to development.
#1
#1
#1
Ship beats perfect
We cut reading streaks, trending books, and interest groups—features that felt essential. But shipping 5 working features taught us more than planning 20 ever could. Working around constraints taught me a lot about adapting to my situation. Real users validated our core hypothesis better than any mockup.
Ship beats perfect
We cut reading streaks, trending books, and interest groups—features that felt essential. But shipping 5 working features taught us more than planning 20 ever could. Working around constraints taught me a lot about adapting to my situation. Real users validated our core hypothesis better than any mockup.
Ship beats perfect
We cut reading streaks, trending books, and interest groups—features that felt essential. But shipping 5 working features taught us more than planning 20 ever could. Working around constraints taught me a lot about adapting to my situation. Real users validated our core hypothesis better than any mockup.
#2
#2
#2
Collaboration is the design
Meeting with the engineering team twice a week felt more like design sessions than meetings. Every technical constraint forced me to think creatively, making me question what needed to be prioritized. This approach not only enhanced the design but cultivated a sense of shared responsibility and creativity.
Collaboration is the design
Meeting with the engineering team twice a week felt more like design sessions than meetings. Every technical constraint forced me to think creatively, making me question what needed to be prioritized. This approach not only enhanced the design but cultivated a sense of shared responsibility and creativity.
Collaboration is the design
Meeting with the engineering team twice a week felt more like design sessions than meetings. Every technical constraint forced me to think creatively, making me question what needed to be prioritized. This approach not only enhanced the design but cultivated a sense of shared responsibility and creativity.
#3
#3
#3
Constraints create clarity
The 8-week time constraint forced us to document everything and consider prioritization. No time for perfect designs meant focusing on what actually mattered. The key lesson here is that the value of a product lies not in its perfection, but in its ability to address real user needs.
Constraints create clarity
The 8-week time constraint forced us to document everything and consider prioritization. No time for perfect designs meant focusing on what actually mattered. The key lesson here is that the value of a product lies not in its perfection, but in its ability to address real user needs.
Constraints create clarity
The 8-week time constraint forced us to document everything and consider prioritization. No time for perfect designs meant focusing on what actually mattered. The key lesson here is that the value of a product lies not in its perfection, but in its ability to address real user needs.