Spartacus Books.
Designing a Digital Home for a Community Bookstore.
Team
Donna Li
Ana Rodriguez
Aoi Netsu
Daianne Malabanan
My Roles
User Research
Wireframing
Prototyping
5 days
Duration
Spartacus Books is an independent bookstore in Vancouver that has served as a community hub for readers, activists, and artists since 1973. While the physical store fosters connection and discovery, its current digital presence does not fully reflect this experience.
This project explores how a redesigned website could better communicate the bookstore’s identity while making books, events, and community initiatives easier to discover online.
Through user research, wire framing, and prototyping, our team designed a digital experience that supports community engagement while expanding access to Spartacus Books’ offerings.
Overview.
Background.
In this 5-day hackathon project, we developed a cohesive brand style guide and a user-friendly website for Spartacus Books. The project involves creating a landing page, calendar events tabs, books filter, and content library. The objective is to enhance the overall customer experience, increase community engagement, and expand the bookstore’s reach.
How might we translate Spartacus Books’ community-driven identity into a digital experience that engages readers and expands access to its events, books, and initiatives?
Problem Statement
Poor event
visibility.
Upcoming events are not clearly displayed on the website, making it difficult for visitors to discover.
Limited Book
Discovery.
Users cannot easily browse or explore books through clear categories, which limits to discover new titles.
Weak
Community.
The website does not clearly reflect Spartacus Books’ role as a community space.
Problem.
While the physical store fosters conversation and discovery, the digital experience does not fully reflect the bookstore’s identity or make it easy for visitors to explore books, events, and community initiatives.
User Journey
Primary Users
Key Insights
Spartacus Books is not a bookstore with events.
It is a community space that happens to sell books.
Community Explorer
Wants events, discussions, connection.
Doesn't care about browsing books first.
Intentional Visitor
Already knows Spartacus.
Wants quick access to event info or updates.
Had to rethink what was the mission.
Less made the experience stronger
Reflection.
Design thinking is about prioritization.
Effective design requires deciding what matters most by putting yourself in the user's shoes.
Removing clutter and simplifying things made everything clearer.
Spartacus is not about selling books. It's about community, and that changed how I approached the entire design.