Onomato is a mobile web comic reader.

THE PROBLEM

The client’s sister is a comic artist and he likes to read her latest work. However, her series is only delivered on a website built exclusively for desktop. As a busy engineer, the client prefers to read on mobile when he has a few spare moments, such as on metro or Uber rides.

Through interviewing the client, I came to understand that he wanted:

A clean, yet functional reading mode
Browse and search features for users to discover new comics
Ability for readers to subscribe via URL to any comic on the web

COMPETITIVE RESEARCH

It's no surprise that many of these features have been launched on other comic apps. No app yet combines them. While these each have strengths, they only allow access to their own curated content. Readers can’t pull their favorite comics from the web into a single app.

WIREFRAME

E-pen and tablet in hand, I set to crafting various screens and flows that this app could take.

THE SOLUTION

Browse the latest feed upon opening Onomato.

Easily access all subscriptions and see how much time is needed to catch up on them.

Find new comics by browsing recommendations or through search.

What sets Onomato apart is the ability to scrape any comic from the web.

READING EXPERIENCE

A major problem in designing a web comic reader is that the formatting of web comics have significant variability.

My challenge was to identify solutions that addressed these differences.

USER JOURNEY

I charted the journey of Katia on a 20-minutes subway ride from work to home before she downloaded Onomato and after.

BRAND + AESTHETIC

I needed to develop a brand and aesthetic that has personality and harmony, yet doesn’t impose on the comics. This began with thinking of a meaningful name.

Onomatopoeias are famously connected to comics. “Onomato” fits Japanese phonetic structure. Japanese people are some of largest consumers of comics in the world and the comic world is inextricably linked to Japanese culture.

I also needed a style that honored the comic artform but didn't compete with the individual comics.

Creating a style guide helped standardize design decisions. I needed text and icons that were punchy like comics, yet not distracting. I needed a saturated theme color that wouldn't be dwarfed by the comics, but that also didn't already have a widely excepted connotation.

Once a style guide was established, I developed a family of visual assets that reflected the comic-viewing experience and gave personality to the app.

NEXT STEPS

The client was happy with my execution of this project and is currently engineering it.

Possible V2 developments include:

On-page commenting with visibility that can be toggled on or off. Research would need to be conducted concerning whether readers would be interested in seeing public comments or only comments from other readers who they follow.
An artist-facing product that gives ability to control viewing rights, such as linking their content to a Patreon account for donations.
An option to customize notifications for each comic.