User Persona : Meet Our Book Heroes

What Do Students Really Need?

Meet Sarah Amyra — A resilient learner

Sarah is a 22-year-old student at Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM). She comes from a middle-class family (B40), in Kuala Lumpur and currently lives in a shared campus room at Inasis Bank Islam. It’s not fancy, but it keeps her close to her classes, her friends, and everything that matters in her university life.

She’s bright, hardworking, and deeply motivated to succeed. But like many students, Sarah’s journey isn’t without its struggles, especially when it comes to money.

Every semester, she faces the same challenge, how to afford all the textbooks she needs. New books are expensive, and more often than not, the library copies are already checked out. Sure, digital versions exist, but they’re not always easy to read and sometimes they’re just not there at all.

Sarah does her best. She looks for part-time work, applies for financial aid, and finds creative ways to get by. She’s resilient, curious, and always pushing forward, even when things get tough. She’s not just studying for grades, she’s building her future, one day at a time.

She dreams of a simple solution. Something that could make it easier for students like her to get the books they need without breaking the bank. Something that connects students to one another where someone who just finished a course can pass their books to someone just starting out.

A used book platform built for UUM students could be that solution. For Sarah, and for so many others, it’s more than just saving money. It’s about having a fair shot at success, feeling supported by a community, and turning small, everyday problems into real opportunities.

Time (min:sec)	Evidence
0:56	"I mostly get second-hand books... it’s just cheaper and faster for me." → "Mostly got second-hand book" user persona

Time (min:sec)	Evidence
1:03	"In first year I used to always buy new books at the bookstore... it was so pricey." → "Pricey book" user persona
1:25	"Now I usually buy second-hand books if I can find them... saves a lot." → "I usually buy second-hand book"

Comments

Meet the Team Behind the Book Swap System

WELCOME TO OUR BOOK SWAP SYSTEM 🕮 We’re a passionate team from Chill Penguin aiming to reduce textbook waste and promote sharing through our Book Swap System. What is Book Swap? Book Swap is a student-powered system where textbooks are exchanged instead of bought. It’s sustainable, budget-friendly, and community-driven! Follow us for updates, events, and book listings.

What are the Problem Here?

THE TEXTBOOK STRUGGLE IS REAL ! Buying textbooks every semester is one of the biggest headaches for students, not only are they expensive, but finding second-hand options often feels like searching for a needle in a haystack. While new students scramble to find affordable books, senior students are left with stacks of used textbooks they no longer need, with no easy way to pass them on. This mismatch creates a real gap: first-years face financial pressure, while seniors miss the chance to recoup some of their costs. Without a simple, centralized platform to connect the two, valuable books go unused, and students end up spending more than they need to. It’s an ongoing cycle of wasted money, time, and resources, and we think it’s time to change that.

Inside a Student’s Mind: The Book Swap Experience

EMPATHY MAP This image shows an empathy map for users of a book swap or second-hand textbook marketplace, likely for UUM students. An empathy map is a visualization tool used in design thinking to gain deeper insight into users by exploring different aspects of their experience. Core Components of the Empathy Map Central Focus The map places the user (represented by a silhouette) at the center, with six key sections radiating outward to capture different aspects of the user experience. THINK Section (Left, Light Green) Key thoughts : "Are the books in good condition?" "Can I trust this seller/buyer?" "Why buy new if I can get it cheaper second-hand?" "I want to save money on textbooks and still get good quality." This section captures the rational considerations and questions users have during the book swap process. DOES Section (Top, Light Blue) Key behaviors : "Sends messages to negotiate prices or ask about book condition....

Book Swap System

Search This Blog