Redesigning Headway

Expanding accessibility and engagement on a book-summary app — for users who read in Hindi, get distracted, and want their reading to belong to them.

Year: 2025
Discipline: UX · UI
Platform: Android
Scope: 50+ screens · 2 weeks

THE WHY

Why redesign it

Outdated visual style

Limited customization

English-only language support

Low engagement after onboarding

Weak audiobook experience

PROCESS

Discover → Define → Ideate → Design → Test

DISCOVER

Competitor Analysis

User Surveys

OLD

NEW

One text size only

Text adjustable across 4 fonts

Light + Dark backgrounds only

Light · Dark · Beige · Black

Audiobook (basic)

Audiobook + white-noise (rainfall · gentle waves)

No ratings or reviews

Ratings & reviews per book

Library without customization

Custom reading lists

English-only language

Multiple languages, including Hindi

Translate prompt

Built-in dictionary

Streak prompt

Streak animations + non-blocking notifications

—

Annotation sharing

DEFINE

What we set out to fix

01

Complicated navigation

Users get lost between sections; features hide behind extra taps.

02

Lengthy onboarding

Too many intro cards. Users fatigue before seeing value.

03

Interruptive streaks

Mid-read prompts break flow and ask for attention at the wrong moment.

04

Restricted discovery

Search and recommendations feel narrow; no language variety.

05

No customization

One reading mode, one font, no notes. Reading is forced to fit the app.

User Journey Map

User Persona

IDEATE

Restructured around how readers move

PROTOTYPE

Wireframes

Style Guide — the visual system for new pages.

THE SCREENS

High-Fidelity UI Designs

REFLECTION

Key Takeaways

The most impactful design decisions came from what was removed, not added. Simplifying onboarding, reducing interruptions, and eliminating unnecessary choices showed that clarity and restraint often create a better experience than adding more features.