Bookbarter
Interface Concept + Design
Bookbarter is a conceptual interface design for a book trading and community building app.
Bookbarter is a platform created to foster community and affordability for book-lovers. Designed with sustainability and connection in mind, it lets users swap books locally and nationally, saving them money while allowing them to share their joy of reading. Personalized recommendations and custom lists based on genre, mood, or theme help readers discover new favorites. With a virtual shelf to track your current collection and spark tailored suggestions, Bookbarter makes it easy to refresh your library, connect with fellow book-lovers, and give cherished books a second life.
Bookbarter is a brand identity project and Figma prototype. Keep reading to gain more insight into my process and workflow!
Main Navigation Screens
Research Phase
To ensure I developed a relevant and usable approach, I spent quality time collecting general data on reading habits, user interviews, and a competitive analysis. This included research on user attitudes toward used books and established reading platforms to uncover ways to improve how people discover and share books. This led me to explore a primary competitor, BookMooch (now out of service). Although it had room for improvement in its interface design, it inspired Bookbarter’s credit-based exchange system. I also analyzed Goodreads and Fable, identifying opportunities to stand out with a more intuitive interface, free access to key features, and a flexible rating system that better reflects user feedback.
Affinity diagram based on four interviewees and a 32-person digital survey
Wire-framing + Planning
As I moved into designing the interface, I explored various layouts through sketches, a flow map, and refined wire-framing. Ultimately, I decided to divide the app into four main navigation screens: Home, Discover, Barter, and Me. I also chose to create three subsections under the "Me" page: Profile, Lists, and Shelf. This felt like the most streamlined approach to splitting up Bookbarter's main features in an intuitive, user-friendly way.
Low-fidelity wireframe sketches
Brand Identity
Bookbarter’s brand is built on three guiding principles: sustainability, community and accessibility. As a result, it felt integral to create a solution that feels approachable, friendly, and down-to-earth. I designed a simple, minimal, and intuitive interface that still carries personality through color, type, and playful graphics. The color palette combines soft off-white and charcoal grey with vibrant accents of teal, orange, green, and yellow, creating a warm, bookish feel. The logo and header font, Roca, enhances this approachable tone, while the secondary font, League Spartan, maintains a clean, readable balance.
Brand identity style tile
In Fruition
View the full case study and prototype on my Behance page.
*The prototype is located at the end of the case study.