Foliano
A contextual reading experience that brings AI into the moments when curiosity interrupts reading.
Overview
Foliano is my UX/UI redesign of a book-reading application. When curiosity strikes during reading, existing apps force readers out of the book into web browsers or dictionaries, breaking their cognitive flow. I redesigned the mobile experience to integrate contextual AI directly into the margin, allowing readers to explore and retain literary context without ever leaving the page.
My work encompassed UX exploration, user flows, wireframing, high-fidelity UI design, and micro-interaction prototyping.
Surfacing reading rhythm over commercial clutter.
The Library organizes active volumes with clear percentage milestones (“80% read”), custom paperback covers, and instant single-tap continue triggers within thumb reach.
“Reading flow is fragile. When curiosity or confusion strikes, readers are forced to leave the book to search externally, breaking their immersion and train of thought.”
Broken reading continuity
Leaving the reading view to query historical references, foreign terms, or literary allusions destroys immersion and cognitive momentum.
Forgotten context & buried notes
Insights discovered during reading sessions are rarely retained, getting trapped in disjointed bookmarks or forgotten search histories.
Interface clutter & sensory noise
Traditional reading apps crowd the page with navigation bars, ads, and store banners instead of honoring the quiet sanctity of prose.
The Contextual Reading Loop
How readers transition seamlessly from focused reading to contextual inquiry and back without losing immersion.
Distraction-Free Canvas
Generous optical margins, warm contrast, and zero UI chrome during continuous reading.
Tactile Selection
Highlighting any passage surfaces immediate actions: Explain, Ask Foliano, Quote, or Copy.
Contextual Lens
Instant in-situ preview card explaining references without obscuring surrounding text.
Inline Foliano AI
Deep natural dialogue in a bottom-sheet panel that preserves reading position.
Core Screen System
A curated selection of the primary Foliano interface views. The screen carries the visual story; the text provides intentional context.
Surfaces active reading progress, covers, and one-tap resume without commercial store clutter.
Distraction-free typography canvas with generous optical margins and custom night illumination.
Answers curiosity directly on the page through a contextual sheet without breaking reading flow.
Automatically synthesizes all literary queries into an ongoing personal study companion.
What I Changed and Why
Inline Contextual Inquiry
Rather than ejecting readers to external apps, Foliano renders AI explanations directly over highlighted text with a single tap.
Content-First Typographic Canvas
All navigation and progress sliders dissolve during active reading, giving prose 40% wider optical breathing room like fine print.
Automated Insight Archiving
Every question asked during reading is quietly preserved in the Insights tab, allowing readers to review and continue conversations later.
Where the Interface Dissolves into Literature
What This Project Taught Me
Foliano reinforced that restraint is the highest form of UX craftsmanship. By eliminating commercial distractions and designing AI as an unobtrusive margin companion, the product honors the reader's focus.
Aura Pay
Fintech · Mobile Experience · 2025Next-generation contactless financial platform designed with frictionless transaction flows and data clarity.