Goodreads is widely used by book lovers — but its mobile app is outdated, cluttered, and inconsistent with user expectations for modern UX.

My goal in this project was to reimagine a mobile Goodreads app with improved usability, aesthetics, and information discoverability based on feedback from real users.

I collected feedback from five users. My goal was to identify key pain points in the mobile app experience and opportunities for a more modern and intuitive design.

Navigation & Layout

• “Accessing my profile shouldn’t be buried in the menu. It’s so hard to get to.”
• “Search and Discover are basically the same thing- why are they separate tabs?”
• “So many items in the main menu are not important enough to be there and I think it would be nice to customize what is in your menu. People value different things.”

Visual Design & Modernization

• “It looks like something from the 2000s. The app doesn’t feel clean or fresh.”
• “I want to have features other tracking apps have, like streaks and monthly statistics.”
• “The pop-ups on the home screen look bad and I never use them.”

Book Interaction & Discovery

• “It’s really frustrating that you can’t award partial stars. I also want to see star ratings on books at a glance.”
• “I wish reviews were more prominent! They’re the most helpful part of Goodreads.”
• “I wish there were a section to take personal notes on books. The majority of users on Goodreads just want to read and track for personal means.”
• “I want to mark a book ‘Not Interested’ and not have it be recommended again.”

Community Features

• “The social feed on the homepage is so cluttered with friend notifications and recommendations. Those can be viewed elsewhere.”
• “I want to be able to see friends’ reviews easily for each book.”