Gemeente Amsterdam Boekenzoeker
Gemeente Amsterdam Boekenzoeker
As part of a Visual Interface Design course in the bachelor’s program Communication and Multimedia Design (CMD) at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (HvA), a book search app was designed for middle school students. The app, intended for iPads in public libraries, simplifies book discovery through an easy-to-use, selection-based system. Its interface features an interactive wizard to guide students in finding books tailored to their preferences, along with a wishlist feature to save and track selections for later.
Wizard
The goal of this project was to design an intuitive and visually engaging app that encourages students to read more. The target audience includes students aged 12 to 15, primarily in their first three years of high school. Through a series of selection steps—such as age, reading list (based on approved school selections), format, reading level, page count, and genre—the app guides students toward books that match their interests. While a general search option is available, the primary navigation is through a guided wizard. Aesthetically, the interface needed to align with the library's general theme. To appeal to a younger audience, the background was designed to reflect the street culture and lifestyle popular among Amsterdam's youth, creating a more relatable and engaging experience.
Wishlist
The app allows users to create a wishlist of books they are interested in, which can be emailed to them for easy reference. After completing the wizard, students are presented with a selection of books displayed in a grid with cover images. Upon selecting a book, users are shown additional information, including a summary and key details, with an option to add the book to their wishlist. When the user continues browsing, the list accessible at the top, allowing users to easily keep track of their list during their book search.
