Kindle Group Reading Feature

For this project, we were given a 10-week timeline and presented progress to our client via Zoom every 2.5 weeks. This advertising project aimed to create an inventive and entertaining campaign for the streaming service Paramount + that brings to life their brand proposition that they’re entertaining in every way. We created a global event with OOH, Social, Guerrilla, Influencer, and commercial marketing.

To see the full process book with a detailed look at the advertising, click here!

I was the research lead on this project, so this case study will focus more on how my research insights translated to design criteria for the film and advertising team. I had an amazing time being brought into the fast paced and complicated world of film making. I included a section on some of the process that went into our 2:30 commercial spot! Check out that section for a bts shot of me as an actress for one of the scenes!!

Inspiring User

A look into the avid kindle and audible reader that helped to guide our innovative solution.

Project Organization

The new idea proposed by Joe Stitzline is to use an inspiring user to guide innovation in a company, instead of using the traditional target audience (someone who might not be a current user of the product) and designing to appeal to them.

His workshop encouraged us to the right user, an inspiring user.

“listen to the voice of the consumer” and use them as powerful creative filter. He noted that it was important that this is a real person. Someone we can interview, talk to, be around.

Traditionally in the ad world, the target audience is just a persona, a fake person crafted with data and intent.

For our project, we decided to use my mother! She’s been an avid reader her whole life and now she reads everything using kindle and audible.

Insight and Concept

Our key observation, misconception, user truth, and guiding insight.

Observation:

Kindle’s functions are barebones and don’t reflect the passion readers feel for books.

Misconception:

Reading happens in your head, therefore it’s QUIET, INDIVIDUAL, SELF CONTAINED

User Truth:

Reading happens in your head, therefore it’s EXCITING, EXPERIENTIAL, EXPRESSIVE

Readers know that because reading happens in your head, they’re an active participant in the storyline which makes everything even more exciting, experiential, and expressive. The social experience doesn’t have to start at the last chapter of the book, we want to share our thoughts with each other throughout the reading experience.

Insight:

Kindle, Audible, and Goodreads are missing LIFE & LIVE elements

Our solution emphasized the LIVE aspect of sharing, rejecting Goodreads' archival approach, and instead embracing a simplistic yet meaningful, seamless, and active experience within Kindle's UI. We addressed some of the major problems that have plagued book clubs and reading circles for centuries, creating a solution designed to transcend barriers of time and space that cater to the different speeds of readers.

User Scenario

Looking at the impact of our solution through the lens of a mother and daughter endeavoring to build a connection as adults despite
being 2,000 miles apart.

They start the book at the same time, but since they have different schedule during the week a different pace of reading, they reach thrilling chapters at farther and farther intervals.

They reach chapter 8 only 3 days apart,
chapter 19 6 days apart, and chapter 30 14 days apart.

This difference is frustrating for the fast reading mother because as she uncovers shocking events in the book, she has to wait days until she can share her excitement and feelings with her daughter.

The difference is frustrating for the daughter because when she eventually reaches chapter 30 and is full of emotions ready to share, her mother already moved on a different book and isn’t in the same mindset she was before when she just finished the book.

On the Kindle, there will be an added group read feature. In this user scenario, the mom and daughter would create a group with just them two. Their progress will be updated and displayed on each other’s devices.

Within the book, the mother and daughter can write and respond to comments made throughout the chapters. The mother has a satisfaction knowing that she can capture her emotion, create it for her daughter to read, and she knows it won’t get lost. Often times, when reading we say in our minds “oh my gosh, I have to ask ___ what she thinks about __” but when the time comes, it’s hard to remember all of these thoughts. With this simple but meaningful new feature, it’s designed with the awareness that we read at different paces and want to share our thoughts with each other throughout the reading experience.