Tools
Figma
Skills
Wireframing, Prototyping, User Research
Role
Designer & Strategist
Duration
July-August 2024 (1 Month)
Background
Understanding the App And its Goals
Amazon’s Kindle iOS app is a digital reading application that provides users with the convenience of accessing a vast library of books, magazines, and newspapers on their mobile devices or tablets. The app offers a customizable reading experience tailored to curate readers’ preferred reading experience with adjustable font sizes, themes, and brightness settings. With millions of global readers, Amazon’s Kindle platform is a prominent source for books, offering a diverse range of titles across various genres.
Before vs. After Redesign
The Process
- Research
Competitor Analysis
In my competitor Analysis, I analyzed the differences between Kindle iOS with its competitors (Google Play Books, Apple Books, and Libby). The interface designs of these competitors highlighted both the strengths and weaknesses of Kindle iOS. One of the most significant weaknesses that stood out was the ease of navigation. The Kindle iOS app’s user interface was complex and disorganized, which resulted in a navigation experience that felt unappealing and unfriendly to users.
Desk Research & User Feedback
Before diving into the design process, I spent time using the app to understand the user experience and identify what the interface was missing. As an avid reader who enjoys unwinding each with a good book, I associate reading with calmness and relaxation, valuing the simplicity of the experience. Consistent with many reviews on the App Store, I found myself overwhemed by the app’s complex functionality and the abundance of irrelevant book recommendation sections. This highlighted the need for a more streamlined and user-friendly design to enhance the overall reading experience.
“I do not like how Amazon Kindle app automatically opens to home page forcing you to see a bunch of garbage…I want to go directly to my library and read.”
“The lists of ‘books’ I may like is a waste of space and I wish it would go away. Reading is my quiet, unwind time, but not so much anymore.”
“No cataloguing, tagging, sorting. Sad excuse of an app developed by people who don’t read a lot, or a variety of books. “
“Whoever decided to change the layout of the kindle app is clearly someone who doesn’t use the app at all! Why would you remove the streak countdown and hide it on the very last tab in the least intuitive spot you can find. The point of that streak is to be out there to keep encouraging the reader to keep going. “
Identify Problems
To define the problem, users seek a simplified design that offers user-friendly navigation, reduces clutter, and includes organizational features to promote consistent reading. This includes features such as sorting and tagging.
2. Synthesis – User Personas
3. Ideation
…
Moodboard
User Flows
After mapping out the user flow, I was able to clearly identify problems in the current user interface design. From the Homescreen, there was a long list of different selections that could be clicked into, where many were of similar purposes to recommend the user their next book. In the redesigned userflow, the homescreen is significantly simplified, reducing the redundancy f have several different recommendation sections to the reader. Instead, the recommendations are combined into one area, and sorted based on their Goodreads “Want to Read” Shelf, what they are currently reading, and continuing series.
4. Final Designs
Final Prototype
Conclusion/Reflection
After completing this case study for the Amazon’s Kindle iOS app, I reflected on the skills I have strengthened throughout this process. I utilized technical techniques such as auto-layout, variables, and ____. Additionally, I have grown in my design thinking by thinking analytically to develop solutions that simplify problems while maintaining the app’s intended features.