Sakshi Suthar | Product Designer

SAKSHI SUTHAR

Can reading be reimagined to resonate with modern behaviours without compromising the power of narrative?

Reimagining Literary Engagement with Verse

SCOPE

Experiential Design

Brand Strategy

Motion Design

Sound Design

Experiential Design

Brand Strategy

Motion Design

Sound Design

DURATION

12 W (2024)

CREDITS

Team: Sakshi Suthar, Uttkarsh Mandaknale

Mentors: Blake Hudelson, Nathan Shedroff

Team: Sakshi Suthar, Uttkarsh Mandaknale

Mentors: Blake Hudelson, Nathan Shedroff

RECOGNITION

ADC Young Ones by The One Club for Creativity:
Experiential Design/Digital Experiences

NOTE

Best experienced with headphones for audio immersion.

SKIP TO SOLUTION

Can reading be reimagined to resonate with modern behaviours without compromising the power of narrative?

Can reading be reimagined to resonate with modern behaviours without compromising
the power of narrative?

OVERVIEW

Verse is an immersive reading platform that reimagines how younger audiences experience long-form literature. By blending generative visuals, contextual soundscapes, and spatial interactions through XR, it transforms traditional books into rich, multi-sensory worlds. This conceptual project explores the future of narrative engagement and reading behaviour.

PROBLEM

Younger readers are growing up on fast, interactive media that demand constant engagement. In comparison, traditional books feel static, harder to hold attention and easier to abandon. As a result, we’re losing touch with the emotional depth that long-form reading once offered.

PROCESS

Verse began as an exploration between two very different readers, me and my collaborator. To ground our exploration in real behavior, we spoke with young readers to understand their challenges and preferences. These conversations revealed barriers around focus, motivation, and environment, shaping how we approached engagement and immersion.

EXPERIENCE MAP

Informed by our user interviews, we mapped the journey of younger audiences from initial exposure to reading to the eventual formation of a 'non-reader' identity.

INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE

We prioritised helping readers stay engaged with a story, receive easy recommendations based on their preferred genres to reduce decision fatigue, and maintain a consistent reading habit. While XR devices may not always be carry-friendly, these habits can help readers translate sustained attention and engagement into other areas of their life.

"I still made sure to read for at least fifteen minutes every day but it sometimes felt like a task."

—Avid Reader

"I usually don’t have the patience to read so much so I often end up giving up halfway."

—Digital Native

"It [social media] gives so much entertainment in small doses. But reading takes effort. You have to pay attention."

—Digital Native

"I could really imagine the emotions, and hearing it made me feel the anger."

—Audio Book Listener

"I still made sure to read for at least fifteen minutes every day but it sometimes felt like a task."

—Avid Reader

"I usually don’t have the patience to read so much so I often end up giving up halfway."

—Digital Native

"It [social media] gives so much entertainment in small doses. But reading takes effort. You have to pay attention."

—Digital Native

"I could really imagine the emotions, and hearing it made me feel the anger."

—Audio Book Listener

"I still made sure to read for at least fifteen minutes every day but it sometimes felt like

a task."

—Avid Reader

"I usually don’t have the patience to read so much so I often end up giving up halfway."

—Digital Native

"It [social media] gives so much entertainment in small doses. But reading takes effort. You have to pay attention."

—Digital Native

"I could really imagine the emotions, and hearing it made me feel the anger."

—Audio Book Listener

"I still made sure to read for at least fifteen minutes every day but it sometimes felt like

a task."

—Avid Reader

"I usually don’t have the patience to read so much so I often end up giving up halfway."

—Digital Native

"It [social media] gives so much entertainment in small doses. But reading takes effort. You have to pay attention."

—Digital Native

"I could really imagine the emotions, and hearing it made me feel the anger."

—Audio Book Listener

KEY INSIGHTS

Attention Cost of Short-Form Content

Constant exposure to fast, fragmented content on social media makes it harder to sustain attention in long-form reading.

Visuals Aid Quicker Clarity

Supplementary visuals help readers process unfamiliar content more quickly, improving comprehension.

OPPORTUNITY

How might we design a reading experience that help readers with shorter attention spans stay emotionally and cognitively engaged throughout the story?

SOLUTION

An immersive reading app for XR devices that transforms traditional books into rich, multi-sensory experiences. Designed to deepen engagement, it blends ambient soundscapes, spatial interactions, and real-time environmental shifts, each synchronised with narrative cues to heighten emotional connection.

STORY WITH SENSORY CONTEXT

Verse restores readers to the story world by reactivating the sensory atmosphere alongside the text. Generative visuals and ambient soundscapes shift in real time with events, mood, and setting, helping readers quickly reconnect with the narrative.

PERSONALISED ENGAGEMENT

Recognising the varied impact of immersive technologies, Verse offers adjustable sensory settings. The experience adapts to individual preferences, supporting reader autonomy.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE READING

To support long-term engagement, Verse suggests what to read next based on a reader’s preferred genres to reduce decision fatigue and encourage a consistent reading rhythm.

BRAND

Verse was named to reflect its connection to storytelling, drawing from the flow found in written narratives. It also suggests entering a distinct space, aligning with Verse's goal to make reading more engaging through immersive audio-visual layers.