Product Requirements
Last Updated: January 2026 Product: Logbook - Social Reading Tracker
Product Overview
Vision
Logbook is a social reading tracker that helps readers track their reading journey, discover new books, and connect with other readers through authentic recommendations.
Core Value Propositions
- Personal tracking - Track reading progress, set goals, build your library
- Social discovery - Get recommendations from trusted friends
- Community building - Connect with readers who share your taste
Target Users
- Active readers who want to track their reading habits
- Social readers who value friend recommendations
- Readers transitioning from Goodreads or similar platforms
Launch Strategy
Approach
We're taking an iterative, feedback-driven approach:
- Private Beta - Small group of trusted testers
- Iterate - Refine based on real user feedback
- Expand - Gradually open access as features stabilize
Beta Launch Scope
The beta focuses on core reading tracking with basic social features:
| Included in Beta | Not in Beta |
|---|---|
| Library management (TBR, Reading, Finished) | Book clubs |
| Book search & discovery | Custom bookshelves |
| Basic profile | Achievements |
| Follow friends | Goodreads import |
| Friend activity feed | Notifications |
| Reading goals | |
| Reviews & ratings |
Success Criteria for Beta
- Users can track their reading without friction
- Social features feel natural, not forced
- Core flows are stable and performant
- Feedback indicates product-market fit direction
User Flows
1. Onboarding Flow
Goal: Get users set up and reading as quickly as possible while establishing their identity and preferences.
Screens (7 total)
- Welcome - Hero screen with value proposition
- Authentication - Google, Apple, or Facebook verification
- Create Profile - Name, username, avatar selection
- Reading Tastes - Genre preferences (optional)
- Set Goal - Annual reading goal (optional)
- Find People - Connect with friends, browse clubs, or skip
- Add First Book - Search and add current read (optional)
- Completion - Welcome confirmation with profile preview
Requirements
- No forced steps - all should be skippable except authentication and basic profile
- Progress indicators (dots with amber/sage colors)
- Warm, encouraging microcopy throughout
- No permissions requests (ask contextually later)
- Profile preview at end showing what they've created
User Stories
- As a new user, I want to quickly create an account so I can start tracking my reading
- As a new user, I want to skip optional steps so I can get to the app faster
- As a new user, I want to know what I'm signing up for before committing personal information
- As a new user, I want to add my current book immediately so I can see the app in action
2. Search & Discovery Flow
Goal: Help users find books, authors, and friends through unified search with clear differentiation.
Screens
- Discover Page - Featured books, trending reads, search bar, browse categories
- Search Results - Unified results with tabs (All, Books, Authors, People)
- Book Detail Page - Comprehensive book information and actions
Search Results - Result Types
Books
- Rectangular book cover thumbnail
- Title, author, star rating
- Read count ("X friends read this")
- Quick add button (+/✓ toggle)
- Highlight search terms in yellow
Authors
- Circular avatar
- Genre badge
- Book count + follower count
- Follow/Following button state
People (Friends & Book Clubs)
- Circular avatar with friend indicator
- Display name + @handle
- Metadata (books read, mutual friends, or member count for clubs)
- Action buttons (Add/Friends/Pending/Join)
Requirements
- Filter tabs with result counts
- Search term highlighting
- Active search bar with clear (×) and cancel buttons
- Consistent card styles using liquid glass design
- Real-time search suggestions (debounced)
- Empty states for no results
User Stories
- As a user, I want to search for books, authors, and friends in one place so I don't have to navigate multiple screens
- As a user, I want to see which of my friends read a book so I can ask them about it
- As a user, I want to quickly add a book from search results without leaving the page
- As a user, I want to filter search results by type so I can find exactly what I'm looking for
3. Book Detail Page
Goal: Provide comprehensive book information and enable all book-related actions in one place.
Components
Header Section
- Book cover (larger display)
- Book header bg (cover blurhash)
- Title, author, publication info
- Average rating + rating distribution
- Add to library buttons (Reading Status: Want to Read, Currently Reading, Finished)
Stats Section
- Total readers count
- Friends who read this (avatars + "X friends")
- Reading progress across network (percentage who finished)
User Actions
- Rate book (star system)
- Log pages read
- Add to bookshelves
- Mark as favorite
- Share with friends
Information Tabs
- Overview (description, genres, metadata)
- Friends (who's read it, their ratings/reviews)
- Discussions (comments, book club threads)
- Similar Books (algorithmic + friend suggestions)
Friend Activity Feed
- Timeline of friend updates (started, finished, rated, reviewed)
- Comment/like interactions
- Expandable review cards
Requirements
- Lazy loading for friend activity
- Optimistic UI updates (instant feedback on actions)
- Offline support for viewing cached book data
- Deep linking support (share specific book URLs)
- Pull-to-refresh for activity feed
User Stories
- As a user, I want to see all book information in one place so I don't have to search multiple sources
- As a user, I want to see which friends read a book so I can discuss it with them
- As a user, I want to add a book to multiple shelves so I can organize my library
- As a user, I want to log my progress as I read so I can track my reading speed
- As a user, I want to rate and review books so I can share my thoughts with friends
4. Discovery Feed
Goal: Surface personalized content, friend activity, and book recommendations to drive engagement and discovery.
Components
Currently Reading Section
- Active books with progress bars
- Pages read today and streak count
- Quick actions: Log pages, Finish book
- Tap to expand book details
Friend Activity Feed
- Recent updates from followed friends
- Finished books, ratings, reviews
- Started reading notifications
- Like/comment interactions
- Chronological with smart grouping
Personalized Recommendations
- "Friends loved these" - books rated highly by friends
- Trending in your network
- Based on your reading history
- Genre-based suggestions
- "Because you read X" carousels
Reading Progress & Goals
- Annual goal progress (visual ring/bar)
- Current streak display
- Milestone celebrations
Quick Actions Bar
- Log Pages
- Search Books
- Scan Barcode
- View Profile
Requirements
- Infinite scroll with pagination
- Pull-to-refresh
- Skeleton loading states
- Empty states for new users (onboarding prompts)
- Offline support for cached content
- Deep linking to specific content
User Stories
- As a user, I want to see my reading progress prominently so I stay motivated
- As a user, I want to see what my friends are reading so I can discover new books
- As a user, I want quick access to common actions so I don't have to navigate deep into menus
- As a user, I want personalized recommendations based on my reading history
5. Profile & Library
Goal: Showcase reading identity, track reading progress, and organize personal library.
Profile Components
Header
- Avatar (emoji or uploaded photo)
- Display name
- @username
- Bio (optional)
- Edit profile button (own profile)
- Follow/Following button (other profiles)
Stats Dashboard
- Books read this year / total
- Reading goal progress (ring/bar visualization)
- Average rating given
- Longest streak
- Favorite genres (top 3-5)
Reading Shelves
- Currently Reading
- Want to Read
- Finished (default chronological)
- Grid or list view toggle
- Sort options: Date added, Title, Author, Rating
Activity Feed
- Recent reviews
- Ratings given
- Books added to shelves
- Friend interactions
- Book club participation
Requirements
- Public/private profile toggle
- Import from Goodreads/other services
- Export library (CSV, JSON)
- Share profile via link
Future Features
User Stories
- As a user, I want to showcase my reading history so friends can see what I've read
- As a user, I want to control who sees my profile so I can maintain privacy
- As a user, I want to import my Goodreads data so I don't have to start from scratch
Feature Areas
Detailed requirements for each feature area:
| Feature | Description | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Authentication | Login, signup, account management | Beta |
| Library & Books | Book tracking, reading status, reviews | Beta |
| Social | Following, activity feed, interactions | Beta |
| Discovery | Search, recommendations, trending | Beta |
| Reading Goals | Annual goals, streaks, progress | Beta |
| Notifications | In-app, push, email alerts | Future |
| Book Clubs | Group reading, discussions, voting | Future |
| Custom Shelves | User-created bookshelves | Future |
| Achievements | Badges, stickers, milestones | Future |
Success Metrics
User Engagement
- Daily active users (DAU)
- Weekly active users (WAU)
- Monthly active users (MAU)
- Session length
- Sessions per user per day
- Retention (D1, D7, D30)
Feature Adoption
- % users who set reading goal
- % users who join book club
- % users who follow friends
- % users who rate/review books
- Average books per user
- Average friends per user
Social Activity
- Comments per day
- Likes per day
- Books shared per day
- Friend recommendations per day
- Book club discussions per club
- Active book clubs
Reading Behavior
- Books finished per user per month
- Average reading speed (pages/day)
- Goal completion rate
- Streak length (median)
- Rating distribution
Future Considerations
Phase 2 Features
- Mobile app (iOS & Android)
- Desktop app
- Browser extensions
- E-reader integrations
- Audiobook support
- Reading analytics dashboard
- Premium tier features
- Author accounts
- Publisher partnerships
- API for third-party integrations
Monetization Strategy (Future)
- Freemium model
- Basic features free
- Premium: Advanced stats, unlimited clubs, custom themes
- Affiliate links (book purchases)
- Sponsored recommendations (clearly labeled)
- Author/publisher partnerships
Appendix
User Research Insights
- Users frustrated with Goodreads' outdated UI
- Users value authentic friend recommendations over algorithms
- Book clubs struggle with organization across multiple platforms
- Users want better reading progress tracking
- Privacy concerns with public reading activity
Competitive Analysis
- Goodreads: Large network, outdated UX, algorithm-heavy
- StoryGraph: Modern UX, stats-focused, limited social
- Literal Club: Beautiful design, invite-only, less features
- BookWyrm: Open-source, federated, technical barriers
Design Decisions
- Why liquid glass? - Creates premium feel without being cold
- Why emoji avatars? - Removes photo upload friction, maintains warmth
- Why no algorithmic feed? - Trust in friends > trust in algorithms
- Why book clubs prioritized? - Strongest differentiator from competitors
Document Version: 1.0
Last Updated: January 6, 2026
Status: Draft for Review