Role
Skills
UX Research, Market Research Prototyping, Usability Testing
UX Design Lead
Timeline
8 Weeks, Spring 2023
Team
Peter Chen, Gunho Joh, Ariel Kim, Katelyn Tran
Webtoon Case Study
Design Innovation Illinois
Webtoon stands as one of the largest digital comics platforms available today, offering readers access to thousands of series. It averages over 89 million monthly users with a thriving global audience and creator community.
In this project, my team delves into the distinctive aspects of the Webtoon fan community. We aim to identify the unique features and dynamics that define this particular community and explore how these elements can be effectively integrated into the design of the mobile app.
Preliminary Research
User Interviews
To better understand the context of Webtoon and its users, our team conducted preliminary research that included user interviews. Our team developed survey and interview questions addressing topics such as user backgrounds, behaviors, and a live app walkthrough.
Competitor Analysis
To understand the market space in which Webtoon operates, we conducted a competitive analysis of other apps that could serve as potential competitors. We focused on apps offering similar services and attracting comparable audiences. This analysis helped our team identify areas where Webtoon excels and where it may fall short.
Key Insights
After conducting thorough research on Webtoon’s users, our team developed several key insights about the user community. These insights served as guiding principles to inform our design decisions for the app’s redesign. We categorized them into three main sections: Community Engagement, Controlled Personalization, and Streamlined Navigation.
Community Engagement
Users like to share interests & interact
with those in their inner community circles.
Controlled Personalization
Readers like to have direct control of the content that is recommended to them.
Streamlined Navigation
Users want to have a streamlined experience for improved discoverability & immediate access to their series.
Users like to organize their series which provides a personal & expressive space.
User Personas & Journey Maps
To define our target users’ goals and understand their processes and interactions within the app, we created potential user personas and corresponding journey maps. Our team focused on these users’ goals, needs, and pain points to highlight the areas of the app that require our attention. The journey maps outlined each persona’s proposed actions, feelings, and thoughts during their interactions with the app, helping us identify potential areas of opportunity.
Information Architecture
Before diving into our designs, we first established the information architecture for the redesign to create a solid foundation for the app’s overall structure. The new design includes the following key sections: For You, Originals, Canvas, Library, and Profile.
Initial Design Phase
Low Fidelity Wireframes
The first phase of our design work involved creating low-fidelity wireframes that reflected the content in our information architecture. These wireframes included redesigns of existing app screens as well as entirely new concepts.
Redesigns
New Concepts
User Testing
Before finalizing our high-fidelity screens and prototype, our team conducted user testing on several screens with potential users. We implemented A/B testing for screens with multiple iterations and used SMEQ testing to assess the intuitiveness and user-friendliness of certain features.
Final Designs
By the end of the project, our team’s redesign included 40+ high-fidelity fully prototyped screens. We built out two entirely new features from the ground up and efficiently revamped the entire organizational structure and user interface of the rest of the app for our final product.
For You Page
The redesign of the For You page emphasizess controlled personalization, addressing the issue of irrelevant series and content in the previous design. The new layout allows users to manage their reading preferences directly, resulting in more accurate suggestions. It also makes it easier to return to saved series, creating a familiar and enjoyable experience.
Inbox
Original & Canvas
The redesign of the Originals and Canvas pages focuses on streamlined navigation. The previous design was confusing, leading to user frustration when exploring these sections. The new layouts are similar, making it easier to differentiate between Originals and Canvas while simultaneously creating a more pleasant and efficient search experience overall.
Library
The redesign of the library section focuses on both streamlined navigation and controlled personalization. The new layout organizes series into relevant, commonly used tabs, reducing clutter. Users can easily navigate these lists using the search bar at the top. The ability to create personalized viewing spaces fosters a homey and reflective atmosphere.
Reading Lists
Reading Lists is a new addition that addresses the need for community engagement and controlled personalization. Users can create personalized "book playlists," enabling them to organize their reading that suits their preferences. These lists can be personal or shared, fostering connection and interaction around their reading choices.
Profile
The creation of personalized user profiles is another new feature aimed at enhancing community engagement. Users can now set up profiles to follow their favorite creators and share their reading lists with others. This allows them to receive updates from those creators and see what types of creators and series their friends are interested in.
Inbox is a new feature that enhances the community engagement aspects of the previous newly developed sections. Users can now message each other and share content directly within the app, eliminating the need for external platforms. This fosters a stronger sense of community by allowing interactions to occur entirely within the app.
Learnings & Outcomes
As a first-time UX project lead, I learned the importance of prioritizing a user-centric approach, clearly communicating project objectives, and fostering collaboration among teams. Regular usability testing and prototyping are essential for continuous improvement, guided by user personas. Staying informed about UX trends while balancing creativity with functionality is key to delivering an optimal user experience. Additionally, adaptability and flexibility were vital for our success.
