Journal
An Audiobook That Still Feels Like a Book
Exploring an experience where listening and reading can live together.
In 2019, I explored a simple question: Can an audiobook app offer the convenience of listening without losing the feeling of reading a physical book?
Most audiobook interfaces focus entirely on playback. For this concept, I wanted users to listen to the narration while also following the text on the screen. The experience was designed to make switching between listening and reading feel natural.
The concept
The interface combines an audio player and a digital reading experience on the same screen.
The book cover, title, author and rating establish a clear visual identity for the selected book. Familiar playback controls allow users to pause the narration or move between sections, while the progress bar connects the listening position with the current page.
A text preview remains visible beneath the player, helping users follow the narration without navigating to a separate reading screen.
Bringing a book-like feeling to the interface
I wanted the design to feel closer to holding a book than operating a conventional media player.
The curved white panel creates the impression of a page layered over the book’s background. Each book also introduces its own colour palette, drawn from the cover artwork, making the reading environment feel more personal and immersive.
Small details—such as the page number, bookmark action, reading progress and visible text—were included to connect the digital interface with familiar book-reading behaviours.
Looking back
This concept was created on April 12, 2019, when audiobook and reading experiences were often treated as separate formats.
Looking at it again today, I still like the central idea: users should not have to choose between listening and reading. A thoughtful digital product can make both experiences work together.
The visual style reflects the design trends and techniques I was exploring at the time, but the underlying experience remains relevant—a seamless way to listen, read and continue a story in whichever format feels right.