Building a New Experience for the Sharing of Used School Books.
Context
In 2022, in Brazil, over 9 million students attend private schools, and at the beginning of each school year, the purchase of school supplies directly impacts the family budget. To save money, many parents choose to buy used school books.
However, the practice of book exchange is not always encouraged by all private schools, and there is often a lack of organization on the guardians' social networks to facilitate this initiative.
Challenge
The goal of this project is to develop a new experience for the sharing of used school books, aligned with the guardians' needs.
Research
My initial approach involved immersive research, analyzing news and online content, as well as exploring Facebook and WhatsApp groups associated with private schools.
The goal was to deepen the understanding of the context surrounding the acquisition of school books, examine how guardians negotiate and obtain educational materials, identify usability and design challenges in the apps they use, understand user perceptions, behaviors, and goals, and also analyze key competitors in the market.
This approach allowed for a more comprehensive and user-centered view to inform the subsequent stages of the design process.
Desk Research
The preference for used school books, supported by sustainable practices and the search for specific materials, reflects a financial and environmental awareness in the school community.
The importance of verifying whether the ISBN of the used books matches those on the school list to ensure the correct edition is a crucial insight, as well as the constant concern of parents about the fate of their used books.
User Research
I conducted quantitative and qualitative research with 39 participants, as well as in-depth interviews with 5 parents and guardians, to understand the difficulties and obstacles faced in the exchange of used books, as well as the underlying reasons behind their behaviors.
Insights from User Interviews
After analyzing the interview data, I created a persona and an empathy map to better understand the needs, frustrations, and motivations of users in this process. I identified response patterns indicating that acquiring used books requires significant user effort, posing challenges that impact the overall experience.
User Journey
Continuing, I mapped out the pain points and opportunities in the User Journey:
Pain: Finding all the books on the school list
Opportunitie: create a list of wanted books
Pain: Verifying whether the ISBN number of used books matches those on the school list
Opportunitie: Search for book sets based on matches of users' ISBN numbers
Benchmark
Unable to find products dedicated exclusively to used school books, I analyzed indirect competitors, seeking opportunities and understanding user interactions.
I identified a gap by observing that most competitors focus on buyers and sellers, creating an opportunity to cater to the demand for a community that values the donation and receipt of school books.
I knew I was on the right path:
Enhanced user experience, providing greater autonomy to find and donate used school books.
Strategy
After studies, research, and learning, I developed a solution that was in line with the users' objectives. The initial solution was as follows:
01 Book Registration through ISBN Number
02 Search for book sets based on matches of users' ISBN numbers
03 Recommending donor profiles by proximity
04 Book Listings through Barcode Scanning
The decision for an app was driven by the intention to provide greater autonomy in book exchanges while also meeting the demand for a community that values the donation and receipt of used school books.
User Flow
To design an efficient interface, I mapped out the screen flow in both directions - both for the action of listing books and for searching books. This process allowed for a detailed understanding of user journeys within the app.
Structure
The Information Architecture of the navigation menu was defined by prioritizing and grouping the functionalities identified in the Job Stories.
Site Map
Primary Navigation Menu Actions: 'Wanted' - Find books I'm looking for and connect with donors, 'Donate' - List books I want to donate, 'Chat' - Interact with donors and recipients, 'Profile' - User profile details.
Job Stories and Features
I documented Job Stories to capture the primary desires, anxieties, and motivations of users, allowing for a more precise conceptualization of the product requirements.
Navigation Menu
Upon a detailed analysis of the navigation bars of benchmarking players, I prioritized and grouped features based on Job Stories to emphasize the key user objectives, defining key actions in the navigation menu.
Interface
With the strategy and Information Architecture defined, it was time to think about the interface.
Firstly, I focused on navigation and main pages, such as the 'Browse Books' and 'Donate Books' homepages. Subsequently, I designed the 'Find Donors' and 'Book Details' page templates. Finally, the Onboarding, Login Page, and secondary areas like Messages and Profile.
The entire process involved hand-drawn sketches, refinement into wireframes, application of visual design, and development of navigable prototypes.
Usability
Testing
and iteration
I learned a lot from the testing sessions regarding flow, usability, and interactions. I iterated continuously along the way after each interview. Next, it was time for testing with the high-resolution prototype. I refined the proposal, design and selected some parents to participate.
I conducted visual studies to create a style guide aligned with the Sprout visual identity. I used black and gray tones in typography, with blue as the primary color. Warm colors such as pink, orange, and yellow were strategically applied to contrast and highlight specific elements in the interface.
The choice of typography in the app aimed to convey its personality, ensuring readability at different text sizes. The 'Curiosa' font by Fabio Haag type design studio, was selected for its sans-serif style, evoking nostalgia with rounded terminals that provide comfort.
Onboarding
Flow
The Onboarding explains a bit about the purpose and dynamics of the application. On the last screen, it is possible to either register in the app or log in through Google, Facebook, or Apple profiles.
With the school material list in hand, the user enters the ISBN of the books and adds them to the "Wanted" section.
• The results display donors possessing the largest quantities of the Wanted books near the user's residence.
• Filters enable the user to refine results based on proximity and book condition.
• Saved searches allow users to receive notifications when new donors match the criteria.
• Users can assess book photos and descriptions to request books directly from donors, as well as message donors, confirm meeting preferences, and locate donors on the map.
Donating books involves scanning the barcode to register the title, then adding the book's condition, description, photos, and selecting meeting preferences and location via ZIP code.
Defining the product scope and metrics
To enhance the product and service strategy, I employed the Lean Canvas, focusing on user needs and business feasibility.
Defining which success metrics will be monitored to verify if the application is on the right track.
Registration completion rate
Book request success rates
Average time for donations
User retention
Conclusion and learning
The high-fidelity prototype received positive feedback from users in terms of usability, book listing, and finding donors. The project proved to be a success, reducing the time spent on searching for used books and facilitating donations.
Next steps
• Adapt the MVP for implementation.
• Offer the MVP to companies that sell textbooks.
• Expanding to share items like uniforms, workbooks, and school supplies.
• Developing a gamified version for teenagers to alleviate parental task load.
