Exploring UX Design with Book of the Month
Overview
Book of the Month is a monthly subscription box service for readers. Readers can pick from a curated selection of books and audiobooks to enjoy each month. Book of the Month emphasizes access to early releases and debut authors.
I turned a question they asked on their application for an Associate Product Designer into a design study.
My Role
Research
UX Design
Wireframes
Copywriting
Prototyping
Problem
In their search for an Associate Product Designer, Book of the Month (BOTM) asked:
One of BOTM’s key value propositions is helping readers discover books they otherwise wouldn’t have found. What is an improvement we can make to the site to better communicate this?
I turned this question into a “how might we” statement to frame this study.
How might we enhance the website's user experience to effectively communicate BOTM's key value proposition of helping readers discover books they otherwise wouldn't have found?
Proposed Solution
Redesign the Book of the Month landing page to showcase the books featured in their boxes so readers can more easily discover them.
Approach
My process in answering the How Might We statement involved accessing how the landing page was currently communicating its key value proposition with a design audit. This was followed up with research into how competitors within the industry position themselves and speak to their audiences. After gathering this information, I determined a design direction for the landing page.
Ideation
Design Analysis
I reviewed the existing Book of the Month landing page and researched their product. I noted what could be improved to answer the How Might We question.
A snapshot of the Book of the Month landing page at the time of this study.
The imagery could be improved.
I expected to see more photos of the actual box and books. Because the product isn't showcased, I questioned whether this was a physical or digital subscription service. The lack of product photos is a missed opportunity because BOTM's books are quality hardcovers featuring beautifully printed dust jackets and gold embossed lettering (Source).
Note: As a brand designer, I would love to expand this project's scope and fortify the foundations of the BOTM brand with a stronger visual identity. However, this would go beyond the scope of work I defined for myself in this study. For this reason, I chose to stick with the existing design system and focus on improving the information architecture through layout, copy, and imagery.
The product isn’t clear.
Book of the Month is marketed as a subscription box service, but their landing page also mentions having credits that you can use to redeem your books. I read their TOS to understand the details of their service works.
The subscription service is for one monthly credit that can be used to redeem a hardcover or audiobook. If you choose a hardcover, it’ll be shipped for free in the BOTM box. If you choose an audiobook, you must download it through their app. BOTM will send you a curated selection of books to choose from at the start of each month. You can skip anytime to save your credit for another if you don’t like any of the available titles. Members are also able to purchase additional books at a reduced cost.
The copy could be more user-centric.
"Books are cool again" is the current hero headline. It suggests that the audience that doesn't value books. From research, I learned that Book of the Month is known as the subscription box service for avid readers and is valuable to readers for this reason (Source). There are many blog posts reviewing the BOTM service. These reviewers are people who read a lot (Source) or people who want to read more (Source). This tells me that Book of the Month has multiple target audiences.
They are:
The avid reader
The casual or non-reader who wants to read more
Gift givers for readers
The copy throughout this landing page could be improved to better connect with the core users who would subscribe to BOTM.
Book of the Month offers audiobooks alongside hardcover books.
This is a unique feature within the book subscription box market. The availability of audiobooks can be a deciding factor for readers who prefer to listen to their stories (Source).
There should be more social proof.
Book of the Month is the oldest subscription box service available. They’ve been in business since 1926 and have a legacy of offering bestsellers before they become popular (Source). A small blurb on their landing page mentions how long they’ve been in business, but it’s not a strong example of social proof considering their long-standing success as a company.
Competitor Analysis
This audit was followed up with a competitor analysis. I researched how other subscription box brands and booksellers structured their landing pages. I used Miro to compile my notes.
My main findings were:
Each competitor had a niche and made it clear who its target audience was through its branding and copy
Competitors showcased the physical product with beautiful photos
Images of books and the products they sell are featured throughout the landing page
Competitors included social proof sections in the form of testimonials
The pricing and subscription models were easy to understand
Miro collection of notes from competitor analysis
Design Phase
Based on the design audit and competitor analysis, I created a list of goals for designing the landing page.
Create a featured book section for the monthly box. This section exists on another page of the site. By featuring these books prominently on the landing page, new users can quickly discover what's available without leaving the landing page.
Rewrite the copy throughout the page to clarify the service and encompass all the targeted user groups.
Emphasize audiobooks alongside hardcovers.
Add additional social proof to build trust and confidence in users. Adding this will help show that BOTM is an industry leader and inform new users who are just discovering BOTM.
Add more images of the product throughout the page.
I began sketching landing page layouts to explore solutions to these goals.
Wireframe sketches with design brainstorming
I turned these sketches into wireframes in Figma. I explored different designs for the featured books section. Since this is the page's main feature, I wanted the design to be engaging. I experimented with an interactive carousel that rotated through the available books. To highlight that audiobooks are available alongside hardcovers, I added a tab to switch between the two offers.
Because the real copy was available I was able to use it to help design the wireframes and balance the elements in each section.
These are some of the layouts I explored for the featured book carousel section.
My last step was turning the wireframe into a high-fidelity landing page design. I pulled in photos from other areas of their website and social media. I worked on copywriting to improve the communication throughout the page.
Here’s the outcome.
The new hero section now has a headline relevant to existing readers and people who want to read more. I added a full-width hero image showcasing the hardbound BOTM books.
The hero is followed by a social proof section with logos of trusted publications BOTM has been featured in.
This carousel is the main feature of the page, showcasing the current books available in the monthly box. Users can browse the books and switch between viewing hardcovers and audiobooks.
I rewrote the copy in the How It Works section to clarify the subscription model to users. I used language to highlight the reading experience and emphasize that BOTM aims to help readers discover new titles.
I added a second social proof section in the form of testimonials. These currently exist in the Book of the Year section of the site. Bringing reader reviews to the landing page and keeping them attached to the book they’re about helps show the value that BOTM has brought to its users.
This CTA section is the final push toward the end of the page to encourage users to subscribe to BOTM. The cost is listed alongside purchase assurances to reduce friction during checkout.
Finally, I spiffed up the footer with a little more social proof because during my research, there was so much content about how tried and true BOTM is for readers. It’s well-loved within the community.
Conclusion
This proposed redesign of the Book of the Month landing page successfully addresses the How Might We statement that defined the scope of this study. However, as a UX project, it’s missing essential elements.
User Research
A successful UX design project includes in-depth user research. I would’ve liked to start this project by interviewing potential users. Then after completing this first draft of the landing page, conduct user testing to see how users interact with the page and absorb the content. This would give additional insight into improving the design.
Stakeholder Input
Although this study was formed from a question asked by the BOTM stakeholders, there were moments during my research and design phases when I would’ve liked additional input. For example, I identified user groups, but I would have liked insight into how BOTM prioritizes its users. For instance, they may feel secure in how they serve the avid reader and want to put more effort into targeting gift-givers. Direct input about business objectives informs the design as much as the user research does.