CASE STUDY
Book Oasis
Your private reading journal. Keep track of what you read and add notes you can revisit at any moment.
View interactive prototype
01 — THE PROBLEM
The Problem
Existing platforms don't offer private note-taking, so users hold back and they skip writing notes altogether resulting in the possible risk of forgetting them.
02 — THE SOLUTION
The Solution
Book Oasis provides a private space for notes and reflections, allowing users to express freely without an audience.
The Brief
TIMELINE
4 Weeks
ROLE
End-to-End Product Designer
TOOLS USED
Lovable: MVP infrastructure
Maze: Usability testing
Google Stitch: Rapid UI generation & visual layout
Claude Code: Merge the MVP and design
I enjoy being able to track my books on Goodreads, but I ran into a constant frustration: the lack of private note-taking. I didn’t want every note, plot summary, or reaction displayed on a public board, which meant I avoided writing notes altogether.
As a result, when discussing certain books later, I couldn't recall how stories ended or how key plot details played out. What started as a solution for my own reading routine quickly revealed a broader market gap for readers seeking privacy over performance.
DISCOVERY PHASE
Competitive Insights
Existing platforms push readers to choose between social pressure (Goodreads), tedious data entry (Libib), or cognitive overload (Bookshelf).
Goodreads
Massive database: Powered by Amazon
Strong community reviews and shared reading challenges
Outdated UI mobile experience
All notes and ratings post to public feeds by default
B. Libib
Rapid barcode scanning to keep track of what you own at home
Keeps books, movies, and board games organized in one app
Prioritizes technical data entry such as format, price, and ISBN.
Editing notes requires navigating through multiple menus
C. Bookshelf
Modern interface with dark mode & custom book cover layouts
Built-in reading timers and visual progress stats
Overwhelming setup with too many tags, sliders, and metrics
Prioritizes tracking pages and timers over private plot notes
VALIDATION & PROTOTYPING
Building the MVP with Lovable
While Figma AI builds realistic static UI, it can’t fetch live API data or save persistent state. Moving from visual mockup to Lovable unlocked a functional prototype for realistic user testing.
Live Book Discovery
OPEN LIBRARY API
Lovable Functional Capability
Real-time search finds books and authors.
Figma AI Limitation
Fixed paths with placeholder text.
Persistent Storage
SUPABASE
Lovable Functional Capability
Notes stay saved across sessions and devices.
Figma AI Limitation
Typed text wipes clean on refresh.
THE PRIMARY OUTCOME
Participants focus on searching and journaling rather than navigating prototype workarounds.
Usability Testing: Round 1
Conducted moderated usability testing with 3 participants using Maze on the live Lovable MVP. The goal was to validate core note-taking flows, search mental models, and privacy indicators.
Search & Navigation
INITIAL MVP
1. Users typed book titles into the Home search bar expecting global web results, but it was restricted to their saved library.
2. Realizing the search failed, users ended up clicking an external "Open Library" link to find new titles.
3. Confused by the multi-step navigation, users bypassed search and jumped straight to manual entry to add a book.
ITERATED DESIGN
1. Combined local and global search into a single Home input, eliminating extra clicks and manual entry fatigue.
2. Structured search results into two categories, prioritizing "In Your Library" matches at the top and placing "Add to Your Library" web results directly below.
Onboarding & Privacy Indicators
INITIAL MVP
1. Due to a lack of information about Book Oasis, users mistakenly believe it is a public social feed where others can view their personal notes. This perception is completely opposite to the message that Book Oasis aims to convey.
ITERATED DESIGN
1. Introduced a three-slide orientation that explains the core purpose and features of Book Oasis before users create their accounts.
2. A note with a private entry tab reassures users that their notes are confidential, reducing confusion about public versus private entries before they create an account.
System Feedback & Microcopy
INITIAL MVP
1. The lack of visual feedback when saving or updating book details led users to verify their changes repeatedly.
2-3. Labeling publisher details as "Summary" while personal summaries lived under "Synopsis" created competing mental models, causing users to look in the wrong section for their writing.
ITERATED DESIGN
1. Implemented real-time toast notifications to confirm book detail updates instantly, preventing users from needing to double-check their changes.
2-3. Relabeled publisher details as "Book Description" and user notes as "My Summary", establishing clear plain language and explicit personal ownership.
Usability Testing: Round 2
The revised navigation pattern was a resounding success. Time-to-find-chapter decreased by 60%, and overall task satisfaction scores jumped from 3.2 to 4.8 out of 5.
−60%
TIME TO NAVIGATE
4.8/5
SATISFACTION SCORE
Visual Exploration
Visual Direction
The final visual language leans heavily into editorial restraint. By stripping away extraneous UI elements and adhering to a monochromatic palette with a single vibrant accent, the content becomes the interface.
Bodoni Moda / Inter
Final Design
Experience the Final Build
Explore the interactive prototype to see the dynamic typography, ambient progress tracking, and refined navigation in action.
LAUNCH PROTOTYPE
HELLO