WEBTOON
Mobile App MVP
Add a feature to mobile app to improve user engagement
UNDERSTANDING DEMAND
In 2020, webtoons—digital comics originating from South Korea—saw explosive growth with a 64% increase in sales, surpassing 1 trillion won.
As the #1 rated online comic app, WEBTOON is immensely popular among both readers and creators, with users consuming weekly releases at an astonishing pace. This rapid consumption began the importance of a strong connection between creators and readers.
Disclaimer: the DISCOVER feature project for WEBTOON was a student project
BOOKMARK THE EXPERIENCE
Creating webtoons often starts as a hobby for many artists, who are given a platform to share their stories with passionate readers.
Using the WEBTOON mobile app, readers can bookmark and support creators.
However, with countless creators and an overwhelming number of comics available, many webtoons get lost in the vast sea of content.
THE CHALLENGE
CREATE A CONNECTION
My goal for the project was to design a feature that enhances meaningful user engagement within the WEBTOON app by providing readers with a more personalized experience, connecting them to content that aligns with their specific reading preferences.
For readers: offer personalized recommendations to help discover new webtoons
For creators: boost engagement and increase subscriber count
170
MILLION ACTIVE USERS
24
MILLION CREATORS
MY ROLE
As part of a student-led project through DesignLab, I chose to focus on a product I personally use: WEBTOON.
Collaborating with fellow users and design professionals, I conducted research and analysis to create the visual design of a new feature.
This feature, completed in 2023, enhances user engagement and strengthens connections between readers and creators within the app.
KICKOFF
UNDERSTANDING THE COMPETITION
Manta and Tapas are two of WEBTOON’s major competitors.
The key difference is that, while paid features exist, WEBTOON is the only platform offering a completely free reading experience as an option for all webcomics.
However, a common challenge across all platforms is the overwhelming amount of content and the current search methods, which make discovering new webcomics difficult unless they are directly recommended to the user.
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CURRENT SEARCH FEATURES PROVIDED
- Readers need to know the title or specific creator's name & results aren't always accurate
- Limited 16-genre WEBTOON filter option without unique story tropes
- Limited sort options
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THE DISCOVERY
UNDERSTANDING THE READING PROCESS
Users have very specific genres and story tropes they prefer to read.
Their current method for discovery is recommendations from friends or third-party platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Discord.
EARLY INSIGHTS FROM READERS
After collecting data provided from 20 WEBTOON users, I formulated interview questions to collect a deeper insight of the reader’s journey.
Primary Questions:
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Why do you choose to use WEBTOON over competitors?
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How do you find webtoons to read?
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What motivates you to subscribe to a webtoon?
Summary:
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82% use third-party sources or personal connections to find recommendations
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80% find the filter and sort feature lacking
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64% spend time comic surfing to find new webcomics to read
DEEPER INSIGHTS
LIMITED FILTER FEATURE
Readers are frustrated they spend more time searching for new webtoons to read rather than reading them because the filter & sort features are lacking.
Filters were limited to 16 genres without an option to multi-select popular tropes or types.
While an icon indicates the comic status (completed/ongoing/hiatus), readers are unable to sort by status, which is one of major preferred category to sort by for readers.
LIMITED ENGAGEMENT WITH THE ENDLESS SCROLL
Creators have a few seconds to catch a reader's interest with the thumbnail while competing with thousands of comics.
The sad fate of many webtoons is that they get lost in the endless list. And readers slowly become numb to the act of scrolling.
At the end of the day, readers only subscribe after reading the first few episodes to test out the art/writing style and flow of the story.
THIRD-PARTY RECOMMENDATIONS ARE PREFERRED
Instagram/TikTok and Discord are the major third-party social platforms that readers use to find new recommendations because it is hands-on and leads to more personalized results.
SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM
Users enjoy the movement of visual video teaser trailers on Instagram Reels and TikTok
VOIP SOCIAL PLATFORM
Discord provides readers with a community where individuals who share similar interests can connect and share personal recommendations.
Readers don’t mind the inconvenience of utilizing third-party platforms if it means better quality matches for recommendations. While time is a factor, quality trumped it.
THE RE-EVALUATION
EXPANDING SORT OPTIONS & ADDING A FILTER OPTION WEREN'T ENOUGH
At first, I believed improving the existing sort feature and adding a multiple filter option would help readers find comics more efficiently.
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“Better methods to search don’t necessarily lead to subscribing.”
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I had to better understand the primary motivation of readers that led them to subscribe and commit their support to a webtoon.
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"Readers want to READ, not SEARCH, no matter how simplified the process is."
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83% of readers subscribed after reading the first couple of episodes
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Genre/ Story trope
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Art Style
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Writing Style
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Flow of first couple of episodes
THE REDESIGN
BETTER RECOMMENDATIONS, MORE SUBSCRIBERS
Three primary questions informed my design strategy:
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How do you design by highlighting the comic illustrations rather than the written information?
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What quick actions do you want to provide readers?
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What informative content do readers want before subscribing?
WORKING BACKWARDS FROM PERFECT
I reversed the polarity of the imperfect subscription to jumpstart creativity. Four key design challenges emerged:
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How might we understand why the Reader subscribes?
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How might we form a design that minimizes effort and saves time?
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How might we remove the need for “doom scrolling” recommendations?
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How might we better adapt to human mistakes?
ADAPTATION - A FLEXIBLE ARCHITECTURE
I designed a flow centered around sparking readers' curiosity. Each reader has their own unique motivations, whether it’s the art style, writing style, or story tropes that draw them in.
Rather than focusing on just one path, I created a flexible system that allows readers to explore recommendations in their own way, following the journey that suits their interests.
THE DISCOVER FEATURE
FIRST IMPRESSIONS ARE IMPORTANT
Short-form visual content from Instagram + Personalized Discord experience = the DISCOVER feature
This feature offers a teaser episode of a webcomic, allowing users to either Like, Subscribe, or skip to the next teaser.
THE ANALYTICS BEHIND THE RECOMMENDATION
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Like a recommendation? Similar webtoons will be added to your queue
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Subscribe a recommendation? Similar webtoons will be added to your queue and the webtoon will be shortlisted in your library
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Skip a recommendation? Similar webtoons will be filtered out
The more users engage with the DISCOVER feature, the more accurately the algorithm tailors recommendations to their preferences.
VISUAL DESIGN
DESIGN CONTINUITY & READER EXPECTATIONS
The icons are playful with simple lines and add a creative contrast to the text.
WEBTOONS’ dark neutral colors allow the illustrated thumbnails to stand out when users are scrolling through them.
The created icons maintained the same style as the native design to ensure seamless integration of the new feature. Also, keeping icons like the checkmark to subscribe ensured continuity and user understanding.
THE TESTING
INSTRUCTIONAL MODAL
I initially designed a quick instructional modal to help first-time users understand how the DISCOVER feature works before using it, aiming to improve results and reduce user error since their interactions directly influence future recommendations.
The modal would appear for first-time users and provide a brief overview of how the DISCOVER feature functions.
There were a couple of pain points that occurred:
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Poor visibility contrast
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Users disregarded the modal and closed it without reading
Ultimately, I decided to scrap the modal. Instead, readers would immediately access teasers boasting simplified and limited interactions. Since the interactions were straightforward, it would reduce user confusion.
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USER INTERACTION
Initially, I planned to incorporate a swipe left/right feature, similar to the popular dating app Tinder.
However, early testing revealed that readers often accidentally swiped left or right while scrolling through the teaser, as the touch movements were too similar. This led to higher rates of inaccurate reader preferences.
'"Accidental swiping was more likely to occur during vertical scrolling."
So instead, three major interactions were provided for readers:
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Subscribe (Icon: checkmark)
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Like (Icon: heart)
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See next or previous webtoon teaser (Icon: right & left arrow)
User thumb movement when reading revealed movement from the bottom center up to the outward to the edges of the screen, so buttons were positioned outside of the thumb green zones.
ERROR FORGIVENESS WITH HISTORY
While tastes and preferences don’t change often, initial impressions can. To account for this, I introduced a 'history' feature that logs the reader’s interactions with the teasers they've viewed. This allows the algorithm to stay accurate in case users want to change their interaction.
I added the DISCOVERED list under the MY SERIES option, enabling users to undo a past LIKE. This ensures the algorithm accurately reflects their preferences by pushing recommendations similar to the "hearted" teasers.
This feature allows readers to see an overall summary of their interactions to ensure the highest level of accuracy.
Adjusted the Like/Dislike interaction to a singular "heart" toggle icon button to maintain a synonymous action to "hearting" a webtoon episode.
THE RESULTS
INCREASED READER INTERACTIONS & TIME SPENT ON APP
The DISCOVER feature would lead to increased time on the app.
Benefits for WEBTOON:
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Increased genuine connection between readers and creators
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Increased time spent on app by users
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Potential revenue source with ad options
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Additional platform to advertise WEBTOON ORIGINAL series
Benefits for Readers:
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Personalized experience
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Efficient method to find webtoons to read
Benefits for Creators:
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Expand content reach to potential subscribers
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Connect with compatible readers
INTO THE FUTURE
EXPANDING CREATOR/READER ENGAGEMENT
Creators are inherently creative and passionate about sharing their work with as many people as possible. The DISCOVER feature offers them an additional way to reach potential subscribers.
Potential feature options for creators include:
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Uploading a specific teaser instead of using the default first episode
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Uploading different media types, such as a short animated version of their project
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Paid ad options to promote their content
Potential feature options for readers include:
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A comment option on teasers to encourage interaction and build connections
THE END.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING ME FOR MY WEBTOON SERIES CASE STUDY.
