Background

Nowadays, children as young as two play with electronic devices, including video games, televisions, mobile phones, apps, computers, tablets, and PSP games. Many electronic products are enjoyed by and targeted to the youth market, although it is also true that parents use these devices to keep their children quiet and occupied for periods of time. Electronic devices can be useful but can also have a negative impact if they are over-used.

Problem

Declining reading habits among youngsters.

Kids nowadays are mostly tethered to electronic devices, giving them little to no time to read. The more time they spend with digital media, the less time they spend reading, and this has negative impacts on children.

Solution

A mobile app that offers physical book subscription for kids. This will help break the length of electronic device usage. 

Changing the kid’s environment by providing consistent access to physical books and offering incentives immediately to encourage reading habits. This will help busy families plan a more nurturing activity for their children.

Empathize

Research Methodology

Through my user interview and competitive analysis, I was able to gain a deeper understanding of users, validate design decisions and create a data-driven, user-centered designs that meet both user needs and business objectives.

User Interview

I recruited families with kids ages 9-12 for my user interview. I noted the key insights that I learned during our sessions.

• Kids ages 9-12 are in a stage wherein they decide on what book they want to spend their time reading.

• Parental control is an important aspect to make sure kids are reading the appropriate books for their age and reading level.

• Parents and kids still likes to buy physical books! (This helped me validate the feasibility of the subscription)

• Rewards makes reading more exciting.

Competitive Analysis

I utilized SWOT method to analyze four kids book subscription platforms - Kids Book Subscription Competitive Analysis . After an in-depth analysis, I found some opportunities for BookWorm Jr. .

Key insights:

• Offer a diverse, personalized recommendation of books based on the kid’s reading interests, history, age and reading level.

• Offer rewards, engage them in a challenge or simply capture their journey by providing reading insights to keep them motivated.

• Offer a Book Club  with a community of other subscribers.

Research Findings

I created an Affinity map to organize all the facts, opinions and problems that I gathered during user interview and competitive analysis.

Define

I formulated POV and HMW questions to define and formulate the right task so I can solve them purposefully and focus on the target user.

After establishing our target users needs, I started to write down the Key Features and created a Sitemap for the App. I also created User Flows and Task Flows to show the paths a user will take in the app to complete a task.

After working on the flows and features, I worked on some sketches and mid-fidelity wireframes.

App Key Features

Prioritization of key features helped me determine what should be included in the initial product. The goal is to rank the functionalities by importance and necessity within the project’s scope and timeline.

Task flow

Task: Sign up, choose a subscription plan and set-up shipping and payment.

Let’s start building to test the ideas

UI Component Library Kit

I decided to put together a UI Library Kit to keep reusable user interface components in a single place and to make the entire task easier and faster.

Wireframes, Testing & Iterations

Wireframing, may it be on paper or software-rendered, ensures that I am ideating towards optimal and user-focused product. This helps me demonstrate what interface elements will exist on key pages.

This section will show the key screen wireframe development of BookWorm Jr. from low-fidelity to final hi-fidelity with regards to high priority iterations after conducting usability test.

Usability Testing was conducted live through google meet and by using Figma presentation. I chose this method because my participants were families with kids ages 9-12 (3 families - 3 parents and a total of 5 kids).

Task 1: Parent - Sign up and choose a subscription that works for the budget.

Task 2: Child - Sign in, browse books and add one book to the reading list.

Task 3: Child - Check rewards program to redeem points and use the points to unlock new Avatars, then upgrade the current profile Avatar.

USABILITY TEST KEY INSIGHTS

Homepage for Subscribers

My approach was to create a generic sketch for both subscriber and non-subscriber homepage. The difference will be seen in the Hi-Fidelity versions. The CTA buttons and navigations are different on each dashboard.

Iterations:

Enhancement iteration: I replaced the original hero image with the subscription box bundle to make it more informative and to lessen real estate it is taking.

Landing Page for Non-subscribers Iteration

When a non-subscriber explores the app, they will be able to explore the book options under different categories before signing up. I decided to showcase what products are being offered in the subscription and give the target user an option to sign up by adding a CTA button “view subscription plans”.

Payment Option Iteration

The first version of the payment screen caused confusion to test participants.

Navigation Iteration

Testing participants frequently took more time than anticipated to locate the rewards category. Additionally, many expected to find it within the navigation and the avatar under account settings. In response, I am iterating the design to align with these expectations. By placing rewards prominently in the main navigation, I aim to enhance user excitement and reinforce the concept that reading books leads to rewards.

What’s Next?

Impending ideas for BookWorm Jr.:

• Design an option to pre-select books for more than 1 delivery. Beneficial to busy families.

• Create more options on where users can spend their reward points. Kids mentioned a lot of cool ideas during the usability test. (Ex. pets for their Avatars, app wallpaper, free or discounts on subscription etc.)

• Cater to wider age range. Currently it is designed for 9-12 year old kids.

Reflections

Throughout the process of designing BookWorm Jr. app, I have gained invaluable insights and experiences that have shaped my understanding of designing for young users. This project provided a unique opportunity to create a digital platform that not only encourages children to read but also fosters their love for storytelling and imagination.

One of the challenges I encountered was finding the right balance between simplicity and engagement. I had to ensure that the app's interface was intuitive, visually appealing, and easy to navigate. Incorporating colorful and playful elements like rewards and avatars while maintaining a clear information hierarchy proved to be helpful in creating an engaging and delightful user experience.

Continuous iteration and testing were essential to the success of this project. Conducting user tests with children and their parents helped uncover usability issues and provided valuable insights about their preferences and expectations.

Working on this app has been a fulfilling experience. I have not only grown as a designer but also developed a deep appreciation for the power of design in shaping the behaviors and futures of our youngest users.