Kinderboekwinkel (The Children’s Bookshop)
Reimagining the magic of your local bookshop for the digital world.
De Kinderboekwinkel, the first children’s bookshop in the Netherlands, is full of colour, charm, and expertise. Stepping into the shop feels warm, cosy, and joyful, a place that sparks imagination, makes your heart feel at home, and where you feel guided and inspired.
The challenge was bringing this same feeling, magic and seamless shopping experience online.
For this project, I redesigned the e-commerce experience to reflect that feeling, creating a more intuitive and accessible journey.
Role: Product Designer
Timeline: 8 weeks
Tools used: Figma
Main Methodologies Used
Discover: Card Sorting, Competitive Analysis, Qualitative Interviews, Affinity Mapping, I-Statements, SUS, Card Sorting
Define: Personas, Retrospective User Journey Map, Empathy Map, User Flow Map.
Ideate: Problem Statements, HMWs, Crazy 8’s, Feature Prioritisation, User Flows, Sketches, Mid-Fidelity, Usability Testing.
Deliver: High-Fidelity Design, Design System.
For more detail, view the prototype, or research via the links below, or scroll down for the full case study. In Progress!
Website video
Case Study Snapshot
The Problem: The Kinderboekwinkel, Holland first children’s bookshop, is a cosy, playful wonderland where kids can explore books and toys, guided by friendly experts who make every visit magical. Yet the website doesn’t capture the shop’s magic, isn’t fully functional and accessible, failing to meet users’ expectations.
The Solution: I designed a website that meets users’ needs for a functional, easy-to-navigate space where they can discover books, get inspired, involve their kids, and browse clearly — without losing the magic of their favourite shop.
No more getting lost searching. But how? Take a look below!
The main idea was to create a seamless shopping experience by bringing ”All Books” section onto the homepage. No more jumping between pages or feeling lost in a maze. With everything in one place and strong filtering, users stay oriented, in control, and free to explore without friction. The key is not more navigation, but a visible book section and better filtering.
All books live on the homepage, scrollable in one view. Every top-bar click brings users to the same “All Books” section, with filters showing exactly what they want. No more feeling lost in a maze, just a simple, intuitive experience, like browsing in-store. For example, clicking “Baby & Toddler Books” on the menu redirects to the “All Books” view already filtered for that section, making browsing intuitive.
Also some of the Key Features enabling seamless navigation and in-store feel.
The Impact: More users now shop online, save favourites, place orders, and even pick up in-store. The site not only simplifies discovery and drives sales but also keeps the community inspired, and connected with their favourite bookshop.
Detailed Case Study, Empathise & Discover
What’s The Kinderboekwinkel?
I met Marlie, owner of De Kinderboekwinkel, the first children’s bookstore in the Netherlands, founded in 1975. She bought the shop years ago and transformed it into a magical hub for locals and tourists, with an extensive collection of Dutch and English children’s books, now a cornerstone of Jordan, Amsterdam’s literary scene.
The Challenge
Create an online experience for demanding book lovers who want the best books, best deals, and in-store magic, all wrapped in a seamless shopping experience.
High-Level Goals
An online bookstore that’s inspiring, intuitive, and cozy, with guidance, previews, reviews, smart filters, and seamless checkout, just like in-store. All to increase online usage.
Competitor Analysis
Competitors offer strong navigation and filtering but lack clarity, accessibility, and book previews. Large chains are efficient but less curated, while smaller shops have unique, community-driven collections but weaker UX. The goal is to combine both: strong functionality with curated, character-rich experiences.
Watch the complete ‘Competitive Analysis’ at Research
Heuristic Evaluation
The site shows multiple high-severity usability issues caused by fragmented navigation, inconsistent structure, and low clarity across key user journeys. Each interface element was analysed to assess clarity, consistency, and ease of use, identifying key usability improvements.
Watch ‘Heuristic Evaluation’ at Research
Element Analysis
Element analysis surfaced major usability gaps and highlighted the complexity of primary navigation themes and book filtering as a key focus areas. Watch ‘Element Analysis’ and more at Research
I interviewed 13 educators, children's professionals, and parents from around the world, aged 30-50 that allowed clear patterns to emerge.
Key Insights/Pain Points
Users love local online bookshops to find the best gems, but they
are forced to buy on bigger sites for trust, price, and ease.
Few expert reviews and previews reduce confidence online.
Users want their local bookstore online to be easy, inspiring, and personalised, so they can join a like-minded community, support local shops, and discover the latest rare finds and deals regularly.
Define Phase
Which problem has the most impact?
Users find it hard to shop for children’s books online, especially at De Kinderboekwinkel. They want an experience that’s easy to navigate, transparent, and inspiring — just like visiting the store.
“A seamless shopping experience would make me choose a local children’ bookshop, for curated books and to support small businesses.”
The problem is that Anna, our persona, struggles to find an easy to use, reliable, and inspiring online shopping experience due to a lack of key book details, trustworthy reviews, and seamless navigation, leaving her overwhelmed. Ultimately, Anna wants the magic of in-store book buying; feeling guided, inspired, and informed.
Who is Anna, the Careful Curator?
“Every book I choose shapes child's world, so I make sure each one is meaningful, enriching, and beautifully crafted.”
Anna’s Behaviours & Habits
Buys books online regularly
Relies on reviews from experts and parents to decide
Values educational, diverse books
Anna’s Needs & Frustrations
Recommendations to simplify choices
Previews or samples to see inside books before buying
A smooth, trustworthy buying experience
Ability to include children in purchase decisions
Too many choices, poor labelling, overwhelming experience
No clear expert guidance
Concern about costs
Navigation can be limited
Ideate and Design Phase
Shaping a Smarter Shopping Experience
The new Kinderboekwinkel experience should feel smooth, intuitive, inspiring, and safe yet cosy, helping users stay engaged without losing time or patience.
The Design Solutions
The main idea was to create a seamless shopping experience by bringing all books section onto the homepage. No more jumping between pages or feeling lost in a maze. With everything in one place and strong filtering, users stay oriented, in control, and free to explore without friction. The key is not more navigation, but a visible book section and better filtering.
Also add a sketch here
