Safety model
Defined the controlled environment first so browsing, requests, and exchange actions could sit inside sensible limits rather than being patched later.
Live application / Education exchange
BookBata
A school-based book exchange platform that helps students discover, share, and access books inside a controlled environment.
RoleProduct design, development, deployment
SectorEducation, student access, resource sharing
Core needMake book sharing useful while keeping the environment controlled
FocusSafety, catalog clarity, request states, student-friendly UX
Challenge
Creating discovery without losing safety.
The platform needed to make books easier to find and exchange, but the audience meant safety could not be treated as a later feature. Students needed a clear browsing experience, while schools needed a controlled structure that reduced misuse.
The key design tension was openness versus supervision: enough discovery to make the product useful, enough constraint to keep it appropriate for a school setting.
Process
Starting with boundaries before screens.
Catalog and item states
Structured the experience around clear book visibility, ownership, availability, and request status so students could understand what was possible at a glance.
Student-friendly interaction
Kept the interface direct and readable, reducing the number of decisions required before a student could find or request a book.
Solution
A safer exchange system with clear access paths.
- Created a controlled book discovery experience for school communities.
- Designed clear states for books, requests, and user actions.
- Reduced confusion by making the catalog structure simple and scannable.
- Balanced student usefulness with the responsibility needed in an education product.