Vaish's journal

Amazon Kindle Redesign

Redesigning the Kindle experience to improve usability and comfort for commuters and older readers.

Topic

Human Computer Interaction

Human Computer

Interaction

Role

UX Researcher
UX Strategy & Feature Ideation
UI Design & Prototyping

Timeline

10 weeks

Team

3 Designers

Struggle in Mumbai

The Kindle pairs a digital E Ink screen with a few physical buttons, built for portability and long battery life. In Mumbai it shows up everywhere, students catching up on manga mid commute, professionals reading between meetings, older readers looking for something gentler than a phone screen. The gap between how it's designed to be used and how it's actually held, gripped, and navigated in this city became the starting point for the redesign.

The Kindle pairs a digital E Ink screen with physical buttons, built for portability and long battery life. In Mumbai, it shows up everywhere: students reading manga mid-commute, professionals reading between meetings, older readers seeking something gentler than a phone. The gap between how it's designed to be used and how it's actually held and navigated here became the starting point for the redesign.

Research and Insights

Pulled from research papers, blogs, Reddit and Quora threads, and reviews on Amazon and Flipkart. People consistently praised the Kindle's battery life, distraction free format, and eye comfort. But almost everyone who reads in bed, on transit, or one handed brought up the same friction points:

Small touch targets, hard to hit accurately on a moving train
Screen glare in bright or mixed lighting
A grip that was never designed to be held one handed for long stretches

Small touch targets, hard to hit accurately on a moving train
Screen glare in bright or mixed lighting
A grip that was never designed to be held one handed for long stretches

Ajay Mehta, 21.

Student commuter, high tech comfort.

Reads manga and study material on long train rides. Struggles to select text on the small touch zones, and worries about dropping the device on a moving train.

Ramesh Bhatt, 65. Retired book lover, low tech comfort.

Confused by touchscreen gestures and small icons, misses the feel of turning a real page, and struggles to find or translate Hindi text.

Ajay Mehta, 21.

Student commuter, high tech comfort.

Reads manga and study material on long train rides. Struggles to select text on the small touch zones, and worries about dropping the device on a moving train.

Ramesh Bhatt, 65. Retired book lover, low tech comfort.

Confused by touchscreen gestures and small icons, misses the feel of turning a real page, and struggles to find or translate Hindi text.

Problem Statement

Ajay Mehta, a commuting college student, and Ramesh, a retired professor, are readers who need a more user-friendly and reliable Kindle experience, because the current touchscreen interface and slippery grip make it difficult to use while commuting or navigating with limited tech familiarity.

Initial Product Development Stage

This stage involved hands-on exploration through paper and cardboard prototyping. We focused on translating our interface wire-frames into physical interactions particularly addressing the needs of commuters and elderly users.

The prototypes allowed us to test side-button navigation, anti-slip form factor, and a simplified UI structure. This tactile approach helped gather quick feedback and identify usability challenges early in the process

Final Prototype

Learnings