Barnes & Noble, the largest bookstore chain in the US, is at a crucial point in its transformation from a brick-and-mortar retailer to a global digital service provider. While the company has made quick work of capturing almost 30 percent of the e-book market, the rise of digital reading has increased the pressure on Barnes & Noble to devise a long-term strategy to compete with Amazon. The challenge for the Nook Simple Touch was to create a lower-cost full-function e-reader and to do so on a timeline that would allow it to move to market quickly. The goal was to evolve and engage new and existing customers by creating a product experience that expresses an intimacy and understanding of their needs, something that Barnes & Noble has always done with its in-store experience.