Overview

Bookworm was created to introduce a fresh educational app to the university scene. We aimed to understand how useful and easy-to-use the app would be for both traditional and nontraditional students. Our primary audience comprised busy undergraduate and graduate students seeking quick solutions for buying textbooks using their mobile or tablet devices. By focusing on their needs, we strived to develop a user-friendly platform tailored to their academic demands.

Project Brief

Book worm is an application designed to allow students to buy, sell, and rent books to other students. The application is available to university populations (students, professors, faculty, etc.)

The Need state for Bookworm

Using an application to share rentals and open up a wider variety of copies for purchase, in several engagement models will ease the burden of student spending, while creating a beneficial, self-sustaining ecosystem where students can interact and share knowledge with a little less stress, and a little less strain on their wallets.

Project Duration:

April 2015 - June 2015

Role: UX Researcher

Worked on a team with 2 UX members (Designer, Researcher)

Tools:

• Axshare

Deliverable(s):

• Bookworm Protype: https://a947iu.axshare.com/#p=home

• Task Guide: HCI 430: Task List - Google Docs

Challenge

Embrace the opportunity to utilize an application that facilitates book rentals and expands access to a diverse range of copies for purchase through multiple engagement models. By doing so, students can alleviate the financial strain of purchasing textbooks while fostering a mutually beneficial and self-sustaining ecosystem.

This platform not only reduces financial stress but also encourages interaction and knowledge sharing among students, promoting a more collaborative and supportive academic community

Solution

Goal: The goal of the Bookworm project is to enhance the university experience by providing students and faculty with a user-friendly platform for accessing, purchasing, and sharing textbooks, thereby reducing financial strain and fostering a collaborative academic environment.

Measure: The success of the Bookworm project will be measured by the increase in user engagement and satisfaction, as evidenced by the number of active users on the platform, the frequency of transactions, and positive feedback from both students and professors. Additionally, the project aims to track the impact on students' academic performance and financial well-being, assessing factors such as textbook affordability and accessibility.

Problem statement:

• To evaluate the utility and effectiveness of bookworm we will attempt to gather data for the following questions:

Test objectives:

• Can users successfully locate requirements for a specific course?

• Can users successfully locate a specific book?

• Can users successfully purchase a book?

• Do users understand where their purchased book can be accessed?

• Do users understand how to navigate to and open a purchased book?

• If a user wants to deliver a book to a device, can they locate that functionality?

• Can users successfully lease out their book?

Key characteristics of Bookworm users:

• Users must have a desktop computer or laptop and a cell phone or tablet device

• Users are likely to range from the ages of 18 to 60 years old.

  • Users would be moderately literate in terms of internet and device technology

  • Users access web or native applications on a regular basis

• Users can access web or native applications on a variety of devices

• Users would frequently interact throughout the school year

  • read, rent or purchase textbooks

Bookworm logo

For our logo we decided to make sure that the word mark should always be visible upon any background..

Word Mark

• The word mark should always follow the space restrictions when locked up to the logo mark

• If the wordmark is placed over an image, the background should have a uniform tone and provide sufficient contrast.

Leasing Functionality Challenge:

The most significant takeaway from our test results is the difficulty users faced in understanding and navigating the leasing functionality. Approximately two-thirds of users found it challenging to grasp the concept of leasing a book and establishing leasing criteria. To address this, we need to reconsider the execution of this section, either by providing a more detailed explanation within the current UX model or making it a separate section for better clarity.

Course Navigation Confusion:

Users experienced momentary confusion when arriving on a page displaying quarter labels instead of specific course information. To enhance user experience, we recommend making currently active class courses immediately visible as navigable elements instead of hiding them in show/hides. Additionally, revisiting icon conventions and increasing the visibility of copy and benefits related to leasing options can improve clarity.

Book Thumbnail Identification:

Users expressed a need for clearer identification of books, particularly after posting them to the marketplace for leasing. To address this, minimal updates to book thumbnails may be necessary to provide users with identifiable markers for their own listings. As we continue to refine the app experience, addressing these key usability issues will be crucial for improving overall user satisfaction and engagement.