Publish
Searching for publishers is often tedious and time consuming for children’s book authors because the current process is outdated and inefficient. The goal of Publish was to simplify this process and connect authors with publishers for their work.
MY ROLE
UX/UI Designer
UX Researcher
TEAM
Jessie Bergstrom
Danielle Elchick
PROJECT TIME
3 Weeks
PROBLEM
Writer’s need publishers.
The current process children’s book authors use for finding a publisher for their work is tedious and time consuming. They can spend weeks combing through publisher listings and descriptions to find the ones that meet their criteria.
OUR SOLUTION
Simplify the search.
The main resource writers use to search for publishers is an online publication that is only updated once a year. My solution was to simplify the search for publishers by developing an app that allows them to easily filter through publishers and only view the ones that match their criteria.
DISCOVERY & RESEARCH
I performed interviews and a conducted a competitive audit.
I interviewed three people, all of whom are writers. They each agreed that the current process of searching for publishers is inefficient and frustrating and felt a mobile app would be very useful. Based on their feedback, I was able to determine what content should be included in the app, the best way to lay out the information, and how the app should flow.
User Pain Points
Combing through publisher listings in the current online publication is tedious and time consuming.
It can take weeks to look through all of the listings and sift through the details in each publisher’s description.
This publication is only published once a year and the information it contains can become outdated quickly.
Competitive Audit
I found that no comparable mobile products exist on the market.
The closest competitor is the SCBWI’s “Book” which is an online publication that contains very helpful information but is lengthy and requires the writer to manually sort through the content.
The usability and efficiency of the process would be greatly improved if there was a search and filter feature.
USER PERSONA
Who is the target user for our app?
Based on information from my client, I was able to identify the typical user of this product and develop a persona.
“I just wish there was an easier way to search through publisher listings. I spend so much time sifting through it only to discover my work no longer fits their submission criteria.”
Stephanie Watson
43-year-old children’s book writer and single mom with a young son.
Lives in South Minneapolis and values art and culture.
Has written and published a handful of picture books for children.
Would love to have an agent who could help with her search for a publisher, but it’s difficult to find one.
Frequently reads Publishers Weekly to stay up-to-date in her field and uses “The Book” to search for potential publishers.
USER STORIES
With a focus on satisfying the business requirements given to me by my client, I prioritized three user stories for this project.
“As a writer, I want to find a publisher for my manuscript so my work can be printed and distributed to the public.”
“As a new writer, I want guidance with the publishing process so I can be sure I’m going about it correctly.”
“As a writer, I want to get more information on the publishers I’m interested in so I can see if they’re a good fit for my work.”
USER FLOW
Defining the user experience.
I created a user flow to visualize the path a user would take to accomplish their goal.
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IDEATION
Generating ideas and possible solutions.
Sketching, storyboarding, and wireframing were used to further visualize user flow and plan the visual hierarchy of the product’s design.
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Sketches & Storyboard
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High-Fidelity Wireframes
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USER TESTING
Usability tests were conducted with three users.
In order to determine the usefulness of the app and if users had any difficulties navigating through it, I gave them one task to complete and organized the results into a chart:
“You just finished a manuscript that is intended for the educational market and are looking for a publisher. Find one that accepts non-fiction titles for the 2nd through 4th grade audience and then figure out how to get more information on one that meets your criteria.”
User Testing Responses
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KEY FINDINGS
Important insight was gained from user testing.
2 out 3 users found the initial landing screen confusing and difficult to navigate. Users had trouble understanding how to search for a publisher and it was obvious o me that this screen needed to be simplified.
The search & filter screen was useful and intuitive for all users. Users liked the categories and easily filtered their search.
Once users reached the results page, they did not find the publisher descriptions helpful for narrowing down their search further. I changed the descriptions from short bios about each publisher to summaries of the kinds of manuscripts each publisher accepted for submissions.
The publisher profile screen was intuitive to users. They easily understood how to access more information about the publisher by selecting the “website” button.
2 out of 3 users suggested eliminating the “email” button on the publisher profile screen as an option because it could be detrimental to users. Writers should be encouraged to “do their research” and make sure a publisher is a good fit before contacting them.
The content on the publisher profile page wasn’t very useful. Users suggested including examples of some “Top Books” released by the publisher and adding an additional warning for writers to further research a publisher before contacting them.
PROTOTYPE
Figma was used to create a prototype.
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Publish High-Fidelity Prototype
FINAL THOUGHTS / LESSONS LEARNED
An effective solution.
Simplifying the publisher search for writers was the goal of this project. Currently, writers spend countless hours combing through pages of publisher listings, searching for a good fit for their work. By allowing them to choose filters and narrow down publishers based on their own specific criteria, we have not only simplified the process, but will undoubtedly save writers a lot of valuable time.
Some things I will keep in mind for future projects…
Do not change the design of the product during user testing! When I discovered the publisher summaries were not helpful during my first user testing session, I changed them before testing the product with my remaining users. I learned afterwards that this is not the best practice and should be avoided.
Keep users focused! Throughout this process, I learned effective ways to better manage moderated user testing by keeping users task-oriented and focused only on the information I need.