Streamlining the new PRS App: User-Centered Updates for Better Engagement
Project Details
Client
G&M Public Reading of Scripture
Project Timeline
1.5 Months
UX Designer
Role
Tools
Figma
Platform
iOS
App Page
Download AppOverview
Background
This case study highlights the design updates I recommended for my client’s newly developed PRS Bible app, a cornerstone of their PRS initiative. The app launched on the Google Play and Apple App Store launch in August 2024 and was built and designed by another vendor my client used. The app was to serve as a replacement to my client's current app "PRSI - Bible", that already had thousands of users; however, the decision to migrate users to a new app stemmed from a vision to create a unified, scalable platform that could grow and evolve alongside its users. With PRS’s global presence, a localized app was essential. The previous PRS app relied on separate versions for each language, each with its own logos, color palettes, and names—resulting in a fragmented and often confusing user experience.
To address these challenges, the new app was designed as a single, unified platform that allowed users to seamlessly switch between locales within the app, streamlining the experience for a global audience. Additionally, the migration introduced group functionality, a key feature that supports PRS’s mission to foster community engagement and align with the vision of evolving alongside its users.
My role
My role centered on post-launch optimization, where I analyzed user feedback and redesigned key screens to enhance navigation, usability, and overall user satisfaction. I collaborated closely with the vendor responsible for building and designing the app, acting as a bridge between the client and vendor to identify and prioritize updates that aligned with user needs and the organization’s strategic goals. My responsibilities included proposing actionable solutions, crafting detailed update plans, and partnering with developers to ensure seamless implementation. Once the design recommendations were completed, my colleague and I shared the recommendation with our partner. Due to time constraints, the design changes were made with meticulous care to ensure that they would not be major changes for the developers nor delay the official launch.
Research and Analysis of the Problem
Gathering User Feedback
When the app originally beta launched, we implemented a “shake feedback” feature. This allowed users to report bugs and share insights directly within the app, providing valuable input that shaped the design updates featured in this case study. We launched in beta mode nearly 2 months to gather user feedback with Shake. Additionally, we captured feedback from internal teams to guide these design changes.
Summary of what we heard from our users
During beta testing, we gathered valuable user feedback that shaped our approach for enhancing the app’s overall user experience. Several recurring pain points emerged, leading to immediate action and informing future updates:
- The new home screen was unfamiliar since users are custom to the previous app's layout, where the main navigation tab was labeled "Home."
- Terminology and icons in the app deviated from established industry standards, creating inconsistencies with user expectations and leading to confusion during navigation.
- The user registration experience was confusing and complicated
- Users could not easily download all or select all books of the Bible
- The Bible Tracker, a key differentiator from other Bible apps, is difficult for users to locate, reducing its visibility and limiting its potential to enhance user engagement.
- Internal feedback emphasized designing with a future-focused approach, prioritizing solutions that align with long-term goals and ensure scalability for continued growth.
Shake Feedback Functionality
Setting goals for updates
As previously mentioned, we wanted these initial design changes to be simple, not requiring a lot of development hours but high impact and to put the app in the direction of accomplishing long term goals. The primary goals were to enhance the user experience by addressing complex or missing UI components, streamline the transition for users, and promote long-term success by highlighting features that foster growth and engagement, like tracking reading progress and establishing Biblical Reading goals.
Problem Statement
Migrating over 1 million users to the newly developed PRS Bible app presented challenges in balancing user expectations with the app’s enhanced functionality. While the new app offered valuable features and a unified platform, beta testing revealed usability and navigation issues that hindered user adoption. Addressing these concerns became critical to ensure a smooth transition, foster engagement, and support users in achieving their Biblical reading goals.
Design Updates
Rename Home Screen
V1 of the Home Screen had multiple changes. The focus on the first was revision was on the Tab bar. The Home screen was named "Bible" because it is where the user can access the list of Bible Books, Bible tracker, Audio Bible and resume their reading session. It is the default screen when on app startup. While the design rationale as to why the the tab is named Bible is understandable; the tab name would align more with the consistency and standard heuristic if it was named "Home". Additionally, users are accustomed to the previous app's layout, where the main navigation tab was labeled "Home." Renaming the tab will streamline the transition and help users intuitively understand the app's structure.
Issue Summary
Improved user navigation and satisfaction
Increased familiarity for returning users from the previous app
A cohesive user experience that enhances overall app usability
User Story
As a user of the PRS app, I want the "Bible" tab to be renamed to "Home," so that I can navigate the app more easily and have a familiar experience similar to the previous app layout.
Rename "Resume Reading" to "Resume Listening" In Home Screen
For V1, the button to resume a listening session was called "Resume Reading"; however, this is not consistent with audio-related terminology. Thus, the suggested change to enhance the user experience of listening to the Bible, which is a central pillar of PRS, was to rename this button to "Resume Listening"
Issue Summary
Consistency with Audio Focus: If the app emphasizes audio content, this change aligns the terminology with the primary mode of engagement, making it clear that users are resuming an audio experience.
Encouragement for Audio Engagement: The term "Listening" can subtly encourage more users to engage with audio content, promoting a deeper interaction with the material.
Brand Identity: It reinforces the app's identity as an audio-centric platform, with one of the pillars of PRS being listening.
User Story
As an end user, I want to see the option to "Resume Listening" instead of "Resume Reading,"
so that I can easily identify that I am continuing with the audio content I was engaged with.
Add "Download All" Button under Dramatized Audio Bible View
In V1, users must download each Bible book individually for offline listening, which can be time-consuming and may discourage use in offline scenarios. A Download All Button could help user engagement for users who want convenient, uninterrupted access to the audio Bible library.
Issue Summary
User Convenience: Providing a "Download All" option allows users to quickly prepare all Bible audio content for offline use, which is particularly beneficial for those who want easy access without repeated downloads.
Improved Offline Accessibility: This feature ensures users can access all audio content seamlessly, even without an internet connection.
Enhanced Engagement: By simplifying access to offline audio, users are more likely to engage with the content regularly, especially in areas with limited connectivity.
Time Efficiency: Downloading all audio files in a single action significantly reduces time and effort for users, supporting a smoother user experience.
User Story
As a user, I want a "Download All" button in the Books view, so I can quickly download all Bible book audio files at once and listen to them offline, saving time and effort compared to downloading each book individually.
After: When user clicks "Download All"
Proposal Summary
"Download All" Button: Located in the Books view, this button initiates the download of all available Bible book audio files in one action.
Progress Indicator: A visual indicator displays download progress, showing users which files are complete and the status of remaining downloads.
Automatic Download Resumption: Downloads automatically pause and resume based on connectivity, ensuring all files complete without requiring constant connection.
Offline Listening Capability: Once downloaded, users can access all Bible books in the app’s audio section without an internet connection.
Storage Check & Management: Before download initiation, the app checks available device storage and informs the user if space is insufficient and how much space the download will consume. Users are then prompted to manage storage or proceed as space allows.
Rename Plan Screen to Goals
The current reading plan names do not clearly convey the goal of reading the entire Bible in a year, leading to potential confusion. Including ‘Goals’ ties into clients’ forward-thinking plans and reinforces the purpose and timeframe.
Issue Summary
Clear Goal Communication: Renaming each plan to include “Whole Bible in a Year” helps users understand that each plan supports a yearly reading goal, aligning expectations with the intended purpose.
Improved User Alignment: Explicitly indicating “Whole Bible in a Year” helps users connect their reading time commitment to the outcome of reading the Bible in its entirety within a year.
Ease of Plan Selection: By including the session length in each plan’s name , users can quickly match a plan with their available time, making selection simpler and more intuitive.
User Story
As a user, I want clear names for reading plans that indicate the goal is to read the entire Bible within a year, so that I can choose a plan that aligns with my time and commitment to reaching this goal.
Proposal Summary
To enhance clarity and goal alignment, it is proposed to rename reading plans to “Whole Bible in a Year - (X Minute) Sessions” (e.g., “Whole Bible in a Year - 20 Minute Sessions”), as part of changing “Plans” to “Goals” in the app interface.
New Plan Names: Each reading plan will be renamed to explicitly include the goal and session length, such as: “Whole Bible in a Year - 20 Minute Sessions”
Header Addition: Above the list of Reading Plans reads a piece of text that says, "Read the Whole Bible in a Year"
In new Goals Screen, removed the + for now (not focusing on groups until that functionality is built out)
Removed Shared Plan button because focusing on individual plans for v2
Add a "Select All" and "Deselect All" buttons when logging chapters
In the first version of the app, the user was not able to select all chapters when logging in the Bible Tracker. A "Select All" button should be prominently displayed at the top of the chapter list within the Bible Tracker interface. Clicking the "Select All" button should select all available chapters in the list, visually indicating their selection (e.g., by highlighting or checking checkboxes).
Issue Summary
Time-Saving: Users can quickly add all chapters at once, enhancing efficiency.
Improved Usability: Simplifying the process encourages users to engage more with the Bible Tracker.
User Satisfaction: A convenient option enhances the overall user experience and encourages regular tracking.
User Story
As a user of the Bible Tracker feature, I want a "Select All" button, so that I can quickly add all chapters of the Bible to my tracker without having to select them individually.
After with Deselect All functionality
Proposed New Features
Replace Home Screen Hero Image with Bible Tracker Progress
In V1, the Home Tab displays a PRS Logo and 1 Tim. 4:13 Verse. However, we received internal feedback that the image and verse should be replaced with the Bible Reading Progress tracker. One of my client's major pillars is the Whole Bible; thus, encouraging users to align with that pillar of Whole Bible via groups is a major desire of my client. This recommendation would provide personalized, sharable information to the user and offer a more interactive and motivational user experience.
Issue Summary
Engagement: Replacing the logo and verse with a Summary Tracker encourages users to check and mark their reading progress frequently, creating motivation through visibility and progress updates.
Clarity: An at-a-glance progress view lets users immediately understand how they are tracking toward their reading goals, eliminating the need to navigate to a separate page for this information.
Personalization: Showing combined progress across all trackers (if the user has multiple) adds a personalized touch, making the app feel more tailored to their journey.
Navigation Ease: Tapping the tracker takes the user directly to the relevant Bible Tracker screens: for new users, onboarding guidance; for registered users, a detailed view of completed readings. This facilitates a seamless navigation experience.
User Story
As an end user, I want to see my progress towards my Bible reading goals directly on the Home Tab, so that I’m encouraged to stay consistent with my reading plan, track my progress, and complete the Bible within my target timeframe.
Proposal Summary
- Summary Tracker Display: Shows an overall view of the percentage of the Bible read for the year. If a user has multiple, it would combine all their progress to render for the year.
- Removed Search: Removed the Search feature from the menu because it does not enhance the user experience and client requested to add the "What is PRS?" document instead
- "Audio Bible" Button Renamed: Renamed the "Audio Bible" button to "Dramatized Audio Bibles" because that is aligned with the brand initiatives
- Updated Menu Order: Made a few minor changes to the menu including moving up the the "Audio Bible" button into the menu, and moving the "Resume Listening" to the bottom.
Replace Logo and Verse: To conserve screen real estate, replaced the yellow logo and 1 Tim. Verse with this feature. Retain logo at the top in a smaller screen for brand
First-Time User Experience: The chart will show 0% at the time of first registration. Tapping it for the first time will prompt a setup to start a Bible reading tracker.
Returning User Experience: Tapping the tracker brings the user to the Bible Tracker screen, where they can see which books they’ve completed and track their ongoing goals.
Share Feature: A share button on the Biblical Tracker will allow users to showcase their progress. Share takes users to the same modal currently in app, but would be a preview of the Tracker that can be shared. Users can generate a QR code and a message, e.g., “Download the app, join a group, and meet your Biblical reading goals,” to invite friends to join the app. The QR code is a downloadable image with a link to the App Store.
Key Learnings and Next Steps
Next Steps
These changes have been proposed to the engineering team and are currently in production. They are scheduled to be rolled out in the upcoming versions, marking the next step toward implementation.
Key Learnings
Collaborate effectively with your developers by making thoughtful design decisions!
During the app’s beta launch, we aimed to avoid overwhelming the engineering team with time-intensive changes that could delay the full rollout. As a result, the biblical reading progress feature was strategically introduced in V2 and seamlessly moved into production.
