VIRGIL
A Storybuilding Tool for the Modern Era
ROLE: Sole Designer
Project Summary
Project Summary
OVERVIEW
BACKGROUND
Virgil is a product concept I created for my Master’s thesis. It is a tool for authors that helps them write via a timeline-based approach.
BACKGROUND
Virgil is a product concept I created for my Master’s thesis. It is a tool for authors that helps them write via a timeline-based approach.
MY ROLE
While there are seemingly more opportunities than ever to make money from writing, authors are struggling to make a living. Publishing houses are consolidating, making for a less competitive market and offering worse contracts to authors. And the looming threat of AI only compounds authors’ anxiety.
MY ROLE
While there are seemingly more opportunities than ever to make money from writing, authors are struggling to make a living. Publishing houses are consolidating, making for a less competitive market and offering worse contracts to authors. And the looming threat of AI only compounds authors’ anxiety.
Discovery and Definition
Discovery and Definition
DISCOVERY
MARKET RESEARCH
There are almost countless word processors for writers to choose from plus accessory tools like grammar checkers and now AI assistants. However, most of these are used by students or copywriters, not authors who tend to stick to MS Word or Google Docs.
GAP ANALYSIS
A gap analysis of word processors marketed towards authors reveal that authors seem to appreciate 4 key features: Organizational tools, Editing sections individually, .doc Format support and Offline access.
MARKET RESEARCH
There are almost countless word processors for writers to choose from plus accessory tools like grammar checkers and now AI assistants. However, most of these are used by students or copywriters, not authors who tend to stick to MS Word or Google Docs.
GAP ANALYSIS
A gap analysis of word processors marketed towards authors reveal that authors seem to appreciate 4 key features: Organizational tools, Editing sections individually, .doc Format support and Offline access.
Gap Analysis
User Research & Insights
User Research & Insights
RESEARCH
USER INTERVIEW
In user interviews I found that they generally all seemed to be overwhelmed. Authors today have many tasks apart from putting words on the page; they have to deal with contract negotiations, run marketing campaigns via social media, try to get libraries and bookstores to actually carry their book, etc.
AUTHORS’ NEEDS
The only aspect of all of this that authors enjoy is the writing, so while they would consider other tools besides Word and Google Docs that offer some niche features besides word processing, they don’t have the time to spare learning a new program when they feel they should be using every spare minute for writing.
USER INTERVIEW
In user interviews I found that they generally all seemed to be overwhelmed. Authors today have many tasks apart from putting words on the page; they have to deal with contract negotiations, run marketing campaigns via social media, try to get libraries and bookstores to actually carry their book, etc.
AUTHORS’ NEEDS
The only aspect of all of this that authors enjoy is the writing, so while they would consider other tools besides Word and Google Docs that offer some niche features besides word processing, they don’t have the time to spare learning a new program when they feel they should be using every spare minute for writing.
Archetypes
ARCHETYPES
ARCHETYPE MATRIX
Authors can be grouped into 4 archetypes on a matrix according to their writing experience and their willingness to adopt new technology.
ARCHETYPE MATRIX
Authors can be grouped into 4 archetypes on a matrix according to their writing experience and their willingness to adopt new technology.
HOBBYIST
If you’re an author that has maybe published a book in your spare time and you’re just using Google Docs because it’s free, then you’re a Hobbyist type of writer.
VETERAN
Above Hobbyists we have Veterans. Maybe they’ve been writing books in Word since 2003 and they’re sticking with it because they know it works.
TECHIE & TRAILBLAZER
But as the willingness to adopt technology increases we get archetypes like the Techie and Trailblazer. Maybe they have written a lot of books, maybe they are just starting out, but they are always looking for the next thing to help make their workflow better, more efficient.
HOBBYIST
If you’re an author that has maybe published a book in your spare time and you’re just using Google Docs because it’s free, then you’re a Hobbyist type of writer.
VETERAN
Above Hobbyists we have Veterans. Maybe they’ve been writing books in Word since 2003 and they’re sticking with it because they know it works.
TECHIE & TRAILBLAZER
But as the willingness to adopt technology increases we get archetypes like the Techie and Trailblazer. Maybe they have written a lot of books, maybe they are just starting out, but they are always looking for the next thing to help make their workflow better, more efficient.
Example Flow
Example Flow
Video Walkthrough
Information Architecture & Layout
Information Architecture & Layout
Virgil Layout
RESEARCH
WORKSPACE LAYOUT
Instead of getting lost in a bunch of different pages, we have a workspace that is similar to a browser in that it has tabs. You can open and close them at will, which makes the space modular. This intuitive design is familiar to users, even non-technical ones, since everyone is used to working with browser tabs.
DYNAMIC LAYOUT
Users can open up multiple scenes they are working on and have the canvas open next to the manuscript. This allows them to see reordering happen live and synchronously. Alternatively, they can just open one document to stay focused on it, even hiding the navigation panel for a distraction-free writing session.
WORKSPACE LAYOUT
Instead of getting lost in a bunch of different pages, we have a workspace that is similar to a browser in that it has tabs. You can open and close them at will, which makes the space modular. This intuitive design is familiar to users, even non-technical ones, since everyone is used to working with browser tabs.
DYNAMIC LAYOUT
Users can open up multiple scenes they are working on and have the canvas open next to the manuscript. This allows them to see reordering happen live and synchronously. Alternatively, they can just open one document to stay focused on it, even hiding the navigation panel for a distraction-free writing session.
User Testing & Feedback
User Testing & Feedback
TESTING
TEST PROCEDURE
User testing was conducted via virtual meetings with users sharing their screen containing a prototype made in Figma.
The result: the general flow in which you would use the app was intuitive, but more importantly really useful.
FEEDBACK
There were a few things that should be changed or would need to be learned with a first-time walkthrough. And there were some suggestions for minor additive features that would make it better. But there was also the discovery of a missing critical feature.
TEST PROCEDURE
User testing was conducted via virtual meetings with users sharing their screen containing a prototype made in Figma.
The result: the general flow in which you would use the app was intuitive, but more importantly really useful.
FEEDBACK
There were a few things that should be changed or would need to be learned with a first-time walkthrough. And there were some suggestions for minor additive features that would make it better. But there was also the discovery of a missing critical feature.
EXAMPLE CAUGHT OVERSIGHT
For example, you cannot map an action to a swipe gesture on a small element with a slider because it would trigger two actions with a single interaction. Mapping out the interactions ahead of time was crucial to avoid such issues.
Scene and Manuscript icons were not distinct.
“Add Margin Note” button was not affordant.
Add scene by dragging & dropping highlighted text.
RECEIVING FEEDBACK
COLLABORATION
Virgil needs a seamless way to share the manuscript back and forth with the user’s publisher. While collaborative writing is not necessary for most authors, they do need a way to share their work and receive feedback.
SEAMLESS INTEGRATION
This feedback process needs to allow authors to keep writing without having to import documents or switch between applications. Microsoft Word is the standard in the publishing industry, as publishers will often mark up manuscripts in Word and send them back.
INCOMBATIBILITIES
If the author isn't using Word, they'll have to import the manuscript back into their own software, which risks corrupting the publisher's markups. Google Docs is another good method, as it sidesteps the need for desktop software altogether by being hosted on the web.
COLLABORATION
Virgil needs a seamless way to share the manuscript back and forth with the user’s publisher. While collaborative writing is not necessary for most authors, they do need a way to share their work and receive feedback.
SEAMLESS INTEGRATION
This feedback process needs to allow authors to keep writing without having to import documents or switch between applications. Microsoft Word is the standard in the publishing industry, as publishers will often mark up manuscripts in Word and send them back.
INCOMBATIBILITIES
If the author isn't using Word, they'll have to import the manuscript back into their own software, which risks corrupting the publisher's markups. Google Docs is another good method, as it sidesteps the need for desktop software altogether by being hosted on the web.
Next Steps
Next Steps
IMPROVEMENTS
SHIFT TO WEB APP
Because of the need for collaboration with other parties like editors at the authors’ publisher, Virgil should change from being a desktop app to a web app like Google Docs or Miro. This would allow anyone to access a shared document for review regardless of their operating system or installed software.
BROADER AUDIENCE
This also opens the up the possibility of more seamless collaboration with multiple document editors like Docs or Miro. While not necessarily useful to most authors, it would be useful to users in similar fields that do need a tool to develop stories collaboratively like screen writers. By making the tool less hyper-specialized, yet still useful to the original intended demographic, the product can reach a wider audience.
SHIFT TO WEB APP
Because of the need for collaboration with other parties like editors at the authors’ publisher, Virgil should change from being a desktop app to a web app like Google Docs or Miro. This would allow anyone to access a shared document for review regardless of their operating system or installed software.
BROADER AUDIENCE
This also opens the up the possibility of more seamless collaboration with multiple document editors like Docs or Miro. While not necessarily useful to most authors, it would be useful to users in similar fields that do need a tool to develop stories collaboratively like screen writers. By making the tool less hyper-specialized, yet still useful to the original intended demographic, the product can reach a wider audience.
CONTACT
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