Just Read – Social Reading Companion App

Project Overview

Just Read emerged from a personal passion for reading and a recognition that existing book tracking apps were either too complex or focused on ebook consumption rather than the physical reading experience. The goal was to create a digital companion for readers who love physical books—a space that celebrates the tactile reading experience while providing modern tracking and social features.

The app was designed as a comprehensive reading ecosystem that starts with simple book logging and provides optional features for create an engaging social experience around reading habits, progress tracking, and book discovery.

The Challenge: Bridging Physical and Digital Reading

The primary challenge was creating a digital solution that enhances rather than replaces the physical reading experience. Unlike ebook readers, physical book readers needed a way to easily track their progress without interrupting their reading flow. The app needed to:

• Make session tracking intuitive and non-intrusive

• Eliminate manual data entry through smart API integrations

• Create meaningful social interactions around reading

• Provide valuable insights without overwhelming users

Core Features & User Experience

Reading Session Management

The heart of Just Read is its reading session system. Users can start and stop sessions in real-time or log them retrospectively. Each session captures:

• Start and end page numbers for accurate progress tracking

• Reading duration and session timestamps

• Automatic progress calculations and reading pace analytics

Smart Book Database Integration

Rather than forcing users to manually input book information, Just Read integrates with public book APIs to auto-populate book data. Users simply search for their book, and the app handles the rest—from cover images to page counts and publication details.

Personal Library Management

The app allows users to organize books into customizable lists:

• Currently Reading

• Want to Read

• Planning to Read

The Digital Bookshelf: A Unique Social Feature

One of Just Read's most distinctive features is the digital bookshelf system. Users can create visual representations of their personal libraries by:

• Dragging and dropping books onto virtual shelves

• Customizing shelf arrangements and book positioning

• Creating themed collections (favorites, recommendations, etc.)

• Sharing their curated bookshelves with friends and the community

This feature transforms book organization from a simple list into an expressive, visual experience that readers can share and discuss with others.

Reading Analytics & Personal Insights

Just Read's statistics dashboard transforms reading session data into meaningful insights without overwhelming users. The analytics focus on metrics that readers actually care about: total books completed, hours spent reading, reading pace (pages per hour), and session patterns.

Rather than complex charts, the interface presents clean, digestible statistics that help users understand their natural reading rhythms and celebrate achievements. Key metrics include average session length, longest reading sessions, and total pages read.

Technical Architecture & Development Journey

Initial Development (Ionic Angular)

The project began with Ionic Angular to leverage hybrid app capabilities and ensure cross-platform compatibility. This foundation provided:

• Native mobile performance with web technology flexibility

• Consistent UI across iOS, Android, and web platforms

• Rapid prototyping and iteration capabilities

Migration to Ionic React

As the project evolved and React grew in popularity and stability, I migrated the core application to Ionic React. This transition offered:

• Better component reusability and maintainability

• Improved development experience and debugging

• Enhanced integration with modern React ecosystem

Design System & User Interface

The design philosophy centered on creating a warm, book-focused aesthetic that feels comfortable and inviting. Key design decisions included:

• Unobtrusive color palette to not interfere with the covers of the books

• Prioritizing book covers as the key visual elements

• Subtle design decorations that do not distract from the user journey or off-app reading experience

• Intuitive iconography that readers immediately understand

The design system was built to be consistent across all platforms while taking advantage of each platform's unique capabilities and conventions.

Social Features & Community Building

Just Read incorporates several social elements designed to enhance the reading experience:

• Friend connections and activity feeds

• Book recommendations and sharing

• Discussion threads around specific books

• Reading challenges and group activities

• Bookshelf sharing

Personal Growth & Technical Learning

This project served as a comprehensive project in modern app development, allowing me to review changes in the tech landscape and further refine skills in:

• Cross-platform mobile development strategies

• Social app architecture and user engagement patterns

• API integration and data management

• UX design for habit-forming applications

• Design systems and component library development

The project also reinforced the importance of building tools that solve personal pain points, as the most authentic solutions often come from addressing problems we experience ourselves.

Future Vision & Lessons Learned

Just Read represents both a completed prototype and a foundation for future social reading innovations. The project demonstrated the viability of creating engaging social experiences around traditional reading habits while highlighting the technical challenges of building cross-platform social applications.


Key lessons learned include the importance of progressive feature introduction, the value of community-driven development, and the technical considerations required for social app scalability.


Explore the current version and learn more at excitoenterprises.com/just-read.