Designing a cozy digital space for book lovers.
Designing a cozy digital space for book lovers.
Designing a cozy digital space for book lovers.
How might we create a system that gently supports personal reading goals, without relying on phone notifications, gamification, or digital overreach?
This project investigates how IoT and ambient interaction can be used to foster slow, meaningful engagement with personal libraries—prioritising presence over productivity.
How might we create a system that gently supports personal reading goals, without relying on phone notifications, gamification, or digital overreach?
This project investigates how IoT and ambient interaction can be used to foster slow, meaningful engagement with personal libraries—prioritising presence over productivity.
How might we create a system that gently supports personal reading goals, without relying on phone notifications, gamification, or digital overreach?
This project investigates how IoT and ambient interaction can be used to foster slow, meaningful engagement with personal libraries—prioritising presence over productivity.
PROBLEM
PROBLEM
Digital platforms have reshaped how people engage with reading, yet tools for managing physical books lag behind. Many systems still rely on outdated workflows, leading to misplaced books, missed deadlines, and limited insight into personal reading habits.
Meanwhile, communities on TikTok and Instagram have revived interest in reading, especially among younger audiences. However, they often promote surface-level trends with little genre diversity or critical discussion. In contrast, physical book clubs offer deeper engagement but are hard to coordinate and limited by location.
This reveals a gap for readers seeking both the tactile joy of physical books and the personalised, social features of digital platforms.
Read the full report here!
Digital platforms have reshaped how people engage with reading, yet tools for managing physical books lag behind. Many systems still rely on outdated workflows, leading to misplaced books, missed deadlines, and limited insight into personal reading habits.
Meanwhile, communities on TikTok and Instagram have revived interest in reading, especially among younger audiences. However, they often promote surface-level trends with little genre diversity or critical discussion. In contrast, physical book clubs offer deeper engagement but are hard to coordinate and limited by location.
This reveals a gap for readers seeking both the tactile joy of physical books and the personalised, social features of digital platforms.
Read the full report here!
COMPETITOR & USER RESEARCH
To shape the direction of the system, both user research and competitor benchmarking were conducted.
User and competitor research informed the design direction. Interviews and usability tests with students, professionals, and casual readers revealed needs around physical book organisation, light-touch community features, and minimal-friction engagement. Benchmarking focused on apps supporting physical book tracking and social discovery (excluding e-book-only platforms), highlighting gaps in tools that combine tangible reading with meaningful, personalised interactions.
To shape the direction of the system, both user research and competitor benchmarking were conducted.
User and competitor research informed the design direction. Interviews and usability tests with students, professionals, and casual readers revealed needs around physical book organisation, light-touch community features, and minimal-friction engagement. Benchmarking focused on apps supporting physical book tracking and social discovery (excluding e-book-only platforms), highlighting gaps in tools that combine tangible reading with meaningful, personalised interactions.
WIREFRAMING TASKS
User scenarios were created based on developed personas to illustrate key tasks: (1) adding a book and (2) joining a book club. These scenarios guided the development of user flows for prototyping and testing.
User scenarios were created based on developed personas to illustrate key tasks: (1) adding a book and (2) joining a book club. These scenarios guided the development of user flows for prototyping and testing.
The above flows were iteratively wireframed based on insights from user focus groups. Paper prototypes were developed to validate design decisions and assess the clarity of key interactive features.
The above flows were iteratively wireframed based on insights from user focus groups. Paper prototypes were developed to validate design decisions and assess the clarity of key interactive features.
MEET NOOK
© Rhea 2023 ⚡