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App for the largest storytelling platform in India
B2C · Content · Series A · UX · Bangalore
As the first designer on the Pratilipi team, Gaurav laid the foundations of how millions of users would discover, create and consume content on the Pratilipi App.
Ranjeet Pratap Singh, CEO, Pratilipi
Designed the first app of its kind in India, to support millions of readers and writers in over a dozen languages.
Worked directly with the CEO in the early days of a company which ushered in the local language UGC era in India, growing with the hundreds of millions of people who came online for the first time.
Today, Pratilipi is valued at more than 100 Million USD, has more than 120 employees and operations across five verticals. But at the start in 2014, it was the vision of the CEO, Ranjeet Pratap Singh who wanted the people to create and consume stories in their own language, and not just in English.
He engaged us to design a reader and writer experience for the Android Platform. This challenge was exciting because no other directly competing app existed, at least not in India. We had to think through the problem from scratch.
A few priorities were clear:
Content Discovery - the app would need to surface content which many wanted to read, surfacing many categories and bifurcations between free and paid content. We also needed a search bar to help readers find content, and signals to help them choose content.
Core reading experience - This should be immersive, and at the same time support common user actions like bookmarking, font size changes and brightness change. Moreover, it should support people to consume content in multiple languages without changing the overall integrity of the app. The app should ask users to login for specific kinds of content, while keeping the other content directly reachable.
Author identity and metrics - Authors should be drawn to the app through the appeal of a wide audience. They should find it easy to manage their profile and work on the platform.
Mapping user flow: Early map of how users would navigate
Screen Sketches: Giving shape to the flow
We figured out clear flows through the app, making sure readers could pick their language, and see a lot of categories to start off.
We also added New and Featured content - to help readers discover more freely.
The sketches led to many internal discussions on getting the flow right, as well as sped up the understanding of the product within a small, fast team.
Reading experience: Making it immersive while giving users ability to customize
We did secondary research as well as usability testing to figure out the right interactions for the reading experience - especially on a mobile screen.
Finding out the right controls and settings our users would need.
Author Profile & Metrics: Author page on the Android app - the ‘Follow’ button was critical
We designed the author page to look visually appealing with a header image and surfacing metrics about their popularity - inspiring them to engage more with the platform.
In addition, we made it easy to ‘Follow’ an author - to introduce the dynamics of a social network into the platform, making it more sticky for users.
Author page: Sketching the author’s profile for the writing experience
We also explored the desktop experience especially for authors to manage their metrics as well as their works.
This was designed along with the app to keep the interactions consistent.
Long-lasting design: The Pratilipi Experience in 2026 - retains the core from 2014
Today, more than 10 years and millions of readers and writers later, the app retains the core designs and interface elements which delight people as they immerse themselves into a world of stories.
Media Mentions: Announcing partnerhsips with established names
As Pratilipi has expanded, the power of this platform has grown and attracted deals from big names like Disney, Amazon and HarperCollins.
And they continue to innovate and expand.
Are you too building a product which will touch the lives of millions?
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gaurav@purpledrop.nl