Client
My Role
Platform
Apple Podcasts is an audio streaming service and media player application developed by Apple Inc. for downloading, streaming, discovering, playing, and sharing podcasts. This new update will allow the user to have more access to personal customization. Giving the user the ability to choose what sections are shown on what pages, customizable playlists, who can see what on their profile, and vice versa.
An additional feature of this update is a new section called For You where users are able to rate, recommend, and vote on their favorite podcasts for other users to see. This section was created to give the user more insight into podcasts other than what's generated for them. An in-app version of a real-world take discovering something via word-of-mouth.
User Research: Extensive research was conducted across various demographics. Key findings included pain areas with lack of control over the app and bad UX causing many users to leave for other streaming services
Competitive Analysis: A thorough examination of competitor platforms revealed many users switched to other platforms due to a lack of customizable organization, lack of social/sharing capabilities, and not having access to both music and podcasts in the same app
User Testing: Involved conducting an online survey to recruit participants who would engage in a usability test. During the test, participants were observed as they interacted with the platform, and their feedback was carefully collected and analyzed to gauge their experiences and suggestions for improvement.
Created a usability plan and conducted multi rounds of usability tests and interviews to develop a more in-depth understanding of users experience navigating the proposed updates to Apple Podcast app and here are some of those observations from the participants.
A toggle feature to hide/show certain sections built into the layout would be helpful for users and save them time from having to go into the settings to customize their layouts
A better way to organize/setup podcast episodes in each individual user's way. Many have their own methods of organization and want to be able to set up their playlists in each's own style.
Lack of control over the app and bad UX caused many users to leave for other streaming services
Having a notifications style setup would be interesting to have when a user first opens the app to see what they missed, or what was shared with them.
Conducted a How Might We design sprint to brainstorm solutions and narrow the focus to the most important components.
Carefully structured to provide an intuitive user journey, balancing educational content, interactive features, and community engagement.
Early wireframes led to interactive prototypes, which were tested and iterated on. This phase was crucial for refining user flows and interface elements.
Focused on creating an organized and appealing updates to an already visually appealing mobile application. Following the design systems set up by Apple but expanded upon those key features.
A comparison from looking at the first round of user testing to final round of user testing.
Many users feel it is crowded with features not relevant to their listening experience and that it negatively impacts their use of the app.
Those who listen to podcasts often, likely tech-savvy individuals who enjoy convenient access to a wide range of audio content, spanning from entertainment to educational topics.
Proposed app updates aim to empower users with a fully customizable experience, enabling them to organize their favorite shows and episodes according to their preferences. These updates will incorporate tools to enhance usability across various contexts and to infuse delight into the user experience. Additionally, by integrating social features, the updates seek to engage with the thriving podcast fan community. Overall, the objective is to design an interface that is less cluttered yet more informative, optimizing the podcast listening journey for all users.