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Word Bible App
OVERVIEW
Word Bible App is a singular database, a portal to a multitude of Bible experiences. Bridging the gap between reading and understanding, the Word Bible App guides and tailors to each reader’s unique quest for meaningful Bible engagement, be it explanations on specific Bible passages or profound theological truths that resonates within one’s soul.
The mission was to find solutions to enhance the Bible experience. Working solo to deliver a mobile prototype, here is what was accomplished in 120 hours.
Project Roles:
User Experience Designer
Design Tools:
Figma, Mockup, Maze
THE PROBLEM:
Decreasing engagement even with increased app downloads.
In recent years, a decline in church attendance was accompanied by a surprising upward surge in mobile Bible app downloads. Paradoxically, this increase in downloads has not translated into increased levels of Bible engagement. In fact, Bible engagement is at a historic all-time low.
THE SOLUTION:
One app tailored for every step of the faith journey.
The objective was to reverse the decline in Bible engagement by targeting Generation X. Although less than 20% of the U.S. population, they hold 30% of the wealth. This places Generation X in a position to positively impact future generations, including the Millennial and Generation Z groups.
It was critical to understand Bible reading mechanics. Bible readers are both young and old in-the-faith, so the app must be simple yet engaging. The design needs to introduce the latest technology to an ancient book that is non-threatening to traditional Bible-reading practices. Recognizing that people have various motivations for engaging, the app must be adaptive to all faith stages and immersive for all to explore.
.01 DISCOVER
“Pastoral Counseling” alongside “Pulpit Preaching”.
The discovery insights pointed to pathways for crafting solutions. In the discover stage, I uncovered user insights that helped me empathize with Gen X. By identifying their motivations and pain points, I uncovered their primary desires to find relevance in the Bible, to personalize the truths, and to share their faith.
Approaching the problem space from a “Pastoral Counseling” (one-on-one) framework rather than “Pulpit Preaching” (one-vs-the mass) made the design cross-functional, tailored to the each user’s unique faith stage and life journey need.
Deliverables:
Secondary Research
Competitive Analysis
User Interviews
SECONDARY RESEARCH:
A growing gap between Bible literacy and Bible intimacy.
My goal was to collect data from prior studies to find “cause-and-effect” relationships that could be influenced in order to attain desired results. Based on the findings, I concluded that the paradox between Bible app downloads and engagement exists because the gap between Bible literacy and Bible intimacy discourages readers from engaging. Three key relationships helped put Bible reading mechanics into scope:
Cause:
People attend church less
Lack of Bible literacy
Consistent Bible reading
Effect:
People downloaded the Bible more
Inconsistent Bible engagement
People experienced positive life impact
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS:
Two popular approaches to mobile Bible app designs.
The aim was to identify key features with Bible apps. I found two popular categories: Engagement-Themed and Study-Themed apps, each designed for distinct use cases with unique approaches to enhance the user experience. After surveying popular Bible apps, I pondered, “Is there a product that integrates the strengths of both engagement and study apps into a unified experience?”
USER INTERVIEWS:
Generation X seeks guided, community Bible experiences.
To conclude the discover stage, I conducted interviews to gain insights into pain points that can be addressed and opportunities to make improvements. I interviewed Gen X participants and learned about their Bible reading motivations and expectations. I discovered that Bible readers desire counsel from pastors/teachers and intimacy with other believers found in church participation.
.02 DEFINE
“How might we enrich the Bible reading experience…”
The voyage through the discover stage unveiled insights into user desires and struggles within their Bible experience. It was in the depth of understanding their motivations and expectations that a beacon emerged, the “How Might We” question. Taking a pastoral-counseling approach to the problem space, I crafted a user persona and user journey. These elements helped to develop the user flow.
”How might we enrich the Bible reading experience, instilling readers with confidence in their understanding and igniting deeper engagement?”
Deliverables:
User Persona
User Journey
User Flow
USER PERSONA:
A Generation Xer seeking Bible understanding and community.
Taking a pastoral-counseling inspired approach to the problem space, I crafted a user persona and user journey. These foundational elements informed the development of the user flow. The persona, named Zachary, was created based on findings from secondary research and user interview insights. Zachary’s goals, motivations, and pain points serve as a roadmap for the ideal user journey.
USER JOURNEY:
From skepticism to empowerment, the ideal Bible journey.
The ideal user journey map illustrates Zachary's envisioned Bible engagement experience, highlighting opportunities at each phase to overcome frustration and hesitation. The opportunity area encompasses elements from engagement and study apps, forming a clear path to features for the Word Bible App.
USER FLOW:
A guided Bible experience.
The user flow was meticulously crafted with Zachary's motivations and expectations in mind, aiming to create an experience that would make him feel as though he were guided by a trusted pastor, equipped with reliable resources to support his journey.
Much like a first-time visit with a pastoral counselor, the app offers a range of options for discussing the Bible, whether by life topics, a specific Bible book or chapter and verse, or a theological subject. After reading the chosen passage, our 'counselor' presents a series of thought-provoking questions. Based on Zachary's responses, the app recommends resources for deeper understanding and practical application.
With Word Bible App, Zachary can seamlessly revisit his sessions or embark on new ones every time he opens the app, ensuring a consistent and enriching Bible engagement experience.
.03 DESIGN
A fusion of engagement and study app features.
My task now was to merge all that was explored into a cohesive and intuitive interface. After a rapid sketching process, three tasks emerged to address the user’s core concerns and provide a holistic prototype experience. The three tasks are onboarding the app, engaging the Bible, and sharing the faith journey.
The objective was clear: fuse the most compelling elements from both engagement and study apps, creating a harmonious blend that resonates with the user’s needs and expectations.
Deliverables:
Wireframes
Interactive Prototype
WIREFRAMES:
Understanding user intuition and meeting expectations.
Wireframing delved into understanding how users naturally interact with design and whether their expectations align with the app’s behavior. By observing their gestures and engaging in dialogues, I gained insight into necessary adjustments for enhanced functionality. A significant decision was made to abandon the category button in favor of a more user-intuitive vertical and horizontal swipe interface.
INTERACTIVE PROTOTYPE:
Surface issues with UX writing and visual clarity.
The interactive prototype, crafted in Figma, underwent rigorous testing to ensure its usability. It was crucial to ascertain whether users could effortlessly navigate the app, recognize the novel approach to Bible reading, and feel comfortable sharing passages.
Users encountered challenges when answering insight questions. They felt intimidated and confused by the available response answers, often finding them too closely related. Users were also uncertain about the resources, lacking clarity about what to expect after making a selection. Iterations were then made to address user concerns and expectations.
.04 DELIVER
A Bible experience where growth knows no bounds.
Word Bible App aspires to make the Bible experience accessible to all by offering a guided Bible journey tailored to different faith stages and life circumstances. The final design elegantly fulfills this vision by:
Guiding individuals to relevant Bible passages.
Personalizing Biblical truths and practical applications.
Catering to each person’s unique learning preference.
Deliverable:
Final Prototype
REFLECTION:
Bible app design aspirations meets real-world challenges.
The Word Bible App is a database housing many commentaries, sermons, and other biblical resources. Acting as a Bible counselor, the app guides users of all faith stages to find exactly what they need.
While navigating the problem space and ideating solutions, I was confronted with the reality that many Christian learning resources are copyrighted. For Word Bible App to scale, support from Christian publishers is an essential.
Through wireframe usability testing, I learned that user familiarity often yields the best results. In line with the principle “don’t fix what’s not broken”, emulating Apple’s iOS store interface greatly enhanced usability by aligning with user intuition and expectations.
NEXT STEPS:
A small forward step towards a greater mission.
While continuing to refine the Word Bible App, the focus lies in elevating the user experience. These endeavors aim to improve usability, create a stronger communal experience, and enable better file management for users. These are the next steps:
To further improve usability, increasing the product card’s size is essential.
Seek solutions for creating a robust communal Bible experience.
Explore options for a file management system, enabling users to bookmark, annotate, and journal their faith experiences.
In just three weeks, encompassing 120 working hours, a prototype of a unique Bible app experience emerged. However, this concept is merely one facet of the broader mission of evangelism and spiritual revival. In this divine endeavor, we rely on the Holy Spirit for inspiration, guidance, and ultimate success.
