Reimagining the Used Book Marketplace

The used book market had a huge gap. There wasn't a good way to connect individual booksellers and small bookstores with customers that actually showed books in their real condition. Plus, getting those books delivered? That was another headache altogether.

When I dug into the research of international markets and checked out existing platforms, I spotted several key issues:

• Book Condition Transparency: Used books are all over the place in terms of condition, right? Someone's "good condition" might be another person's "falling apart." We needed to show the real deal.
• Discovery Challenges: Finding the right book was like searching for a needle in a haystack on most platforms.
• Logistics Complications: Even if you found a book, getting it from seller to buyer was often a mess.

After looking at the market and how people behave on other platforms, it was clear that people want two main things:

• Authenticity: "Show me what I'm actually getting" - not some publisher's perfect stock image
• Discovery: "Help me find books I'll love" - whether I know exactly what I want or I'm just browsing

So, we needed to create a platform that could deliver both of these things and in a way that was easy for both buyers and sellers.

Booktuk is basically a marketplace where bookstores and individual sellers can connect with readers, and it handle everything from listing to delivery. However, what makes it special is that it focuses on showing books as they really are, and use a wide network of local tuktuks for delivery - pretty cool, right?

After talking with the product owner and doing my research, I zeroed in on these key areas as main design solutions: authentic book representation, multi-faceted search and discovery, streamlined seller experience, quick preview functionality.

I flipped the script on the traditional listing approach. Instead of a single, perfect image, I used a carousel of real photos taken by the seller.

• Sellers have to upload real photos, and no stock images.
• Uploaded photos show all the important condition details.
• Users can report photos that don't match the book's condition.
• These factors affect seller's rating and as a result, credibility.

I designed a search system that works for everyone:

• Simple search bar for those who just want to find something quickly.
• Essential search filters like location, price, and condition.
• Easy category browsing for people who just want to explore.
• An AI assistant that understands requests like "fantasy books with strong female characters under 1500 rupees".

From the dashboard that makes selling straightforward to the book listing process that's easy to follow, I made sure sellers have a smooth experience.

• A step-by-step book listing process that guides sellers through taking good photos.
• Simple tools to manage inventory.
• Easy tracking for orders with tuktuk delivery partners.
• Sales stats so sellers can see how they're doing.
• A dedicated AI assistant to help with any business related questions.

Everything's designed to help sellers focus on selling books, not fighting with complicated software.

Simply hovering over a book thumbnail shows a quick preview of the book's condition and other essential details, making it easier to decide if it's the right fit.

• Lets you quickly browse the book's condition.
• Gives you the most important details without taking you to a new page.
• Let you quickly add books to your cart.
• Shows you if the seller has a good reputation.

This feature makes browsing so much faster - you can check out tons of books without endless clicking.

I initially prioritized the buyer experience, but feedback revealed the seller side needed significant improvement.

• The listing process transformed from a cumbersome multi-page system to a streamlined single-page approach that progressively discloses options as needed.
• Search functionality evolved from basic filters and keywords to a sophisticated blend of traditional search methods, AI-powered support for sellers, and visual browsing pathways.

The AI integration particularly empowered sellers with smart listing suggestions, automated categorization, and personalized optimization tips, dramatically reducing the complexity of listing items while increasing visibility to potential buyers.

When everything was done, I delivered:

• High-fidelity UI designs showing all the main user flows.
• A set of user journey maps showing how users would interact with the platform.
• A medium-sized visual style guide for the website.