A practical design choice
Book and chapter pickers: list, grid or drill-down?
Choose the browsing shape independently from the search field.
Start here
Start with full book names and a clear selected state.
Compare the alternatives
A · Book list
Full names, optional grouping and an obvious selected row.
Use when: Readers may not recognise abbreviations
Consider: A long list needs preserved position, search and meaningful headings.
B · Book grid
A compact overview with readable names.
Use when: Readers scan familiar books frequently
Consider: Long names and large text may require fewer columns or a list fallback.
C · Progressive selection
Book → chapter → optional verse in one recoverable flow.
Use when: A small screen needs room for one choice at a time
Consider: Extra steps should not erase the previous selection or scroll position.
Original wireframe proposals · No live controls · Grey rows represent schematic text, not loading states · Labelled placeholders are not Scripture quotations
Download this wireframe as SVGWalk through the flow
- Open the picker with the current book and chapter identified.
- Choose a book using its full name, search or a labelled grid.
- Show that book’s chapters; optionally offer a verse step.
- Open the chosen destination, or cancel and retain the original reading position.
People, benefits and drawbacks
Who this helps—and where it can get in the way
Useful when
Choose the browsing shape independently from the search field.
Potential benefit
Start with full book names and a clear selected state.
Cost and drawback
A dense grid saves space but asks people to recognise names or abbreviations quickly. A long list supports full labels but requires more scrolling. Opening another level can hide the current selection.
Different circumstances
Long names and large text may require fewer columns or a list fallback.
A question for discernment
Can someone unfamiliar with book names still complete the flow?
Try it with people
Find an unfamiliar book, select a chapter, go back and cancel. Repeat with long translated names, enlarged text, a one-chapter book and missing edition coverage.
Editorial review: 5 October 2026. Benefits and risks here are contextual design judgments to investigate, not measured outcomes.
Behaviour, edge cases and flows
How it works
Start with full book names and a clear selected state. Compare a list, a compact grid and progressive book-to-chapter selection for the intended readers. Keep search available, preserve the current location on cancel, and use the selected edition’s actual book and chapter availability.
Watch for
Unexplained abbreviations; tiny grid targets; assuming one canon or ordering; losing the list position when returning from a chapter; an unavailable book silently opening elsewhere.
Try this
Find an unfamiliar book, select a chapter, go back and cancel. Repeat with long translated names, enlarged text, a one-chapter book and missing edition coverage.
In a complete journey
Begin at the reader’s current location, make the change explicit, then verify cancellation, return and unavailable content.
Evidence, examples and reflection
Sources and limits
Editorial design proposal. These are original design proposals, not user-validated outcomes. Editorial review: 5 October 2026.
- Scripture structure documentationRelevant structure and marker references reviewed · A format is not a complete model of app behaviour, annotations or formation.
- Understanding ReflowOfficial guidance reviewed on 5 October 2026 · Semantic scroll restoration is an original design proposal, not a requirement stated by this criterion.
- VSB prototype: combined passage pickerLocal component implementation reviewed 5 October 2026 · Source-code review of a local prototype, not a live user study. Source is not publicly linked. A separate grounded inline-answer view was not established by this review.
Faith and interpretation
Canonical grouping is edition- and tradition-dependent. Labels should explain the collection rather than imply every Bible contains the same books.
Design principles in this decision
Editorial application of Missional by Design. These values frame review questions; they do not validate a pattern’s effectiveness.
- Hospitality — Who can use this approach in their actual context, and what complete alternative exists for someone who cannot?
Compare alternatives using the task and evidence above. Record competing needs instead of treating a principle as an automatic verdict.