Project Name: BetterRead
Duration: July 2024 – Present
Role: Founder, UX/UI Design, Product Strategist, Project Manager, Researcher, Editorial Direction
Tools: Figma, FlutterFlow, Substack, OpenAI API, Firebase, WordPress, Adobe CC
Collaborators: Hamid Alalou (AI specialist), Abdul Rehman (Software engineer)
Objective: Build an innovative, user-centered platform for personalized storytelling and reading, later transitioning into a curated newsletter to provide accessible, diverse, and engaging content.
Context
I’ve always believed in the transformative power of stories. In July 2024, I set out to tackle a growing challenge: making reading more accessible, inclusive, and personal in a world dominated by overwhelming choice and dwindling attention spans.
What began as a bold idea—a tech-driven book recommendation app—soon evolved into something even more meaningful: a human-centered newsletter bridging the gap between readers and the stories they long to discover.
The Challenge: Why People Stop Reading
After conducting research, I found four (4) main barriers to regular reading.
75% of participants said they lack time to read.
34% of participants expressed a lack of interest in what was offered to them.
15% had a hard time finding books that match their interests and preferences.
20% of respondents mentioned difficulties in accessing books.
Snapshot of market research
Insight : The solution had to do more than recommend books—it needed to reframe the act of reading as accessible, exciting, and personal.
Designing BetterRead's brand assets
Curated Imagery
I selected oil paintings to exude an air of timeless elegance and sophistication, reflecting BetterRead's careful and curated vision. These images underscore the project’s commitment to delivering a classic yet contemporary experience that feels both elegant and intentional.
Selection of hand-drawn illustrations
I chose this collection of, hand-drawn illustrations because they convey a sense of care and individuality.
All illustrations credit: Mary Amato
credit: Mary Amato
credit: Mary Amato
credit: Mary Amato
credit: Mary Amato
credit: Mary Amato
credit: Mary Amato
credit: Mary Amato
credit: Mary Amato
credit: Mary Amato
Logomark iterations
The Prototype: Building an AI-Driven Recommendation platform
A. Collaborating with AI Specialist
I hired an AI expert to design the initial architecture of the recommendation system, using their skills in machine learning, NLP, and data categorization.
My Role: Defined system requirements from user research, turning recommendations into actionable components such as plot types, themes, and pacing.
B. Dataset Preparation
Data Collection: Compiled a dataset of over 60,000 texts in English, French, and Spanish from public domain sources, then narrowed it down to 6,500 for easier processing.
Preprocessing involved cleaning and tagging data with metadata such as genres, themes, and author diversity to support AI categorization.
C. Designing the Recommendation System
Tagging Framework: Developed a multilayered system to classify books by detailed attributes like: Plot types, Themes, Writing style, pacing and more,
AI Integration: Worked with OpenAI’s API to build an algorithm analyzing text for tone, structure, and pacing. I refined prompts to ensure categorization accuracy.
Initial landing page describing the key features of the app.
High-fidelity wireframes of the app
The Pivot: Embracing Human Curation
After months of development, I faced a crossroads. While the prototype showed promise, user insights revealed something profound:
• Scaling an app with limited resources risked compromising the mission.
And so, BetterRead transformed into a curated newsletter, connecting readers directly to stories aligned with their values and interests. This pivot wasn’t a step back—it was a leap forward, aligning the project with its true purpose.
Twice a month, the BetterRead newsletter delivers thoughtful themes, diverse voices from underrepresented authors and global perspectives, and multimedia stories spanning books, essays, and short films.
