Role
UX/UI Designer
Focus
User Research, Search Optimization, Information Architecture, Mobile UX, UI Design
Year
2021
About The Project
As part of my FIT (SUNY) UX Design Certification, I redesigned GoodReads' core search experience. GoodReads is one of the most widely used platforms for book discovery, but its search feature had long been a source of frustration for users. Through user research, journey mapping, and rapid prototyping, I developed an advanced search interface that gave readers the precision they needed to discover books efficiently.
"I just give up and use Google instead. At least there I can search 'fantasy 2020 female author' and actually find what I want."
- User Interview
The Challenge
Readers who wanted to find books by specific criteria such as author, genre, or publication year had to sift through endless pages of broad, irrelevant results. The single search bar forced users into one generic entry point, regardless of whether they were looking for a specific title or browsing by interest. Many users admitted they preferred to leave the platform and use Google instead, which allowed them to enter specific variables and get accurate results more quickly.
Research and Insights
I conducted 22 user interviews and analyzed feedback from GoodReads community forums. Patterns emerged consistently: confusion over limited search options, frustration with irrelevant results, and frequent platform abandonment. Users wanted a more guided search process that reflected their natural decision-making. Rather than forcing them into a single vague entry point, the platform needed to give them tools to filter and refine.
Data-Driven Pain Points
Average Search Time per Book
Users spent an average of 8 minutes browsing through irrelevant results before finding their target book, often abandoning the search entirely.
~8 minutes
before redesign
⬇
~45 seconds
after redesign
Search Success Rate
Only 40% of users successfully found their intended book using the original search. Most gave up or switched to external search engines.
Platform Abandonment
Nearly 60% of interviewed users admitted to leaving GoodReads to search on Google, representing lost engagement and missed opportunities for discovery, reviews, and recommendations.
The Solution
I redesigned the search function to allow users to input multiple variables directly. Instead of one generic bar, the new interface included separate fields where users could specify title, author, genre, publication date, and keywords. These elements worked together to narrow results quickly and accurately. The interface was kept minimal and intuitive, so that even users unfamiliar with advanced filtering could see immediate benefits. By surfacing the most relevant matches first and giving users control over how they searched, the system transformed from a frustrating bottleneck into a powerful discovery tool.
Projected Results and Impact
Live Prototype (Figma)
Search Time reduced by 90%
from 8 minutes to under 45 seconds
85% Search Success Rate
from 40% before the redesign
Increased session duration and platform engagement
Higher satisfaction scores (4.2/5 vs. 2.1/5)
More opportunities for book reviews and recommendations
Stronger foundation for discovery ecosystem
Key Learnings
Foundational features matter most. Sometimes the biggest impact comes from fixing the basics rather than adding new features.
Users follow natural mental models. Aligning search with how people already think about finding books eliminated friction.
Exit behavior reveals deep problems. When users consistently leave your platform to complete core tasks elsewhere, fundamental expectations aren't being met.
Small improvements compound. Reducing search time didn't just save minutes. It changed users' entire perception of the platform's value.
All metrics and projected impacts reflect research, industry benchmarks, and prototype modeling within an academic project context.
60% Fewer Users Left Platform
stopped abandoning to Google search