From Goodreads to Betterreads
I love Goodreads; I’ve been a user for over ten years. I’m an avid reader, and the site has always been so useful to keep track of books that I’ve read (and how I’ve rated and reviewed them) as well as books I’d like to read in the future.
Goodreads has very strong brand positioning, and consistently ranks highly on search results – but their site lacks ease-of-use on many features and UX hasn’t changed in many years. And yet, loyal Goodreads users still stick around and slog through UI that could certainly use a refresh…
One of Goodreads’ features that is especially ripe for improvement is Goodreads Groups. For the purpose of this post I’m focusing on several smaller improvements to this feature that I think would provide great benefits to users while still prioritizing revenue and enhancing integrations.
First, here’s what we’re working with:
Existing layout of Goodreads Groups
This is a screenshot of the SciFi and Fantasy Book Club group on Goodreads of the information above the fold. You can see the hero image and Kindle integration ad take up nearly half of the available space.
If you visit the group page, you can see just how much information there is. Much of the page is dominated by different discussion threads – good in theory, as the discussion board should be the main focus, but there is an overwhelming amount of links and text for users to process.
In this exercise, I started with the same key information and focused on reorganizing and condensing it for users. You can see a simple wireframe I created with these redesign ideas below.
Wireframe showing layout changes
Here are the key updates I incorporated:
I made the discussion board the main focus – users are conceivably joining groups to connect with others and discuss different books or topics. I condensed different topics, and highlighted the top 2 threads under each; users can click into those links if they want to read more instead of being overwhelmed by text and links.
I made the search function more prominent, and gave users the ability to search by posts within the group (filtering by date, top all-time, trending, etc.). Adding these features would likely take several sprints with a Design and Engineering team.
I minimized the hero, as it took up too much space. I also minimized the group icon, to incorporate a more modern look.
I moved group meta information to the sidebar, and made it collapsible.
I ensured all key information was visible above the fold, while linking out to added information.
I’ve added functionality to support Goodreads’ Kindle integration by including a link to purchase the Kindle version of the books of the month. Look for the reading icon.
I’ve also added a direct link to purchase the book of the month/upcoming books on Amazon, to support revenue for Goodreads’ parent company. Look for the shopping cart icon.
I also added functionality for users to shelve featured books, as this is existing capability on other parts of the site. Look for the bookmark icon.
I’ve included space for ads on both the right and left columns to ensure that that revenue stream isn’t lost–but cleaned this up a bit visually for users. You can see different ad size options.
I added links to group members and the group shelf up top, as these links were buried at the bottom of the page.
My next steps would include working with a Designer to create a high fidelity version of this layout, and eventually a design prototype that could be used to validate assumptions with user testing. I would also speak to Designers and Engineers on time and effort estimates for incorporating these additions–particularly the search/filter functions and enhanced integrations. This same process could be repeated for the mobile version of this site.
What other features or functionalities would you like to see on Goodreads Groups? Let me know, and happy reading!
