Scaling Capabilities With Wondery
Web Application
Timelime
2020
Role
Senior UX Designer
Overview
Wondery, known for its premium podcasts, needed to create a web application that extended its engaging audio experience into a seamless digital platform. The challenge was to design an intuitive and visually compelling interface that made content discovery effortless while supporting subscription management and increasing user engagement.
Business Objectives
- Elevate Wondery’s Brand Visibility to attract content creators and enhance podcast listenership.
- Enhance podcast promotion by focusing on individual podcasts to increase audience engagement.
Challenges
- The podcast advertising space lacks standardized tools for accurately assessing campaign performance and ROI, posing measurement challenges.
- Lack of standardized tools for accurately assessing campaign performance and ROI in the podcast advertising space.
Outcome
The Wondery web app features relevant content, improved search and filtering capabilities, and a user-friendly subscription management system. Advanced ad analytics tools empower advertisers by providing actionable insights, leading to enhanced subscriber acquisition and retention. Responsive layouts and interactive elements ensure seamless usability across desktop and mobile platforms. These enhancements contribute to brand recognition and effective advertising strategies, aligning with Wondery’s objective of elevating its market presence and attracting content creators.
Implemented Solutions
- Collaborate with RLM PR to enhance Wondery’s brand image and promote individual podcasts.
- New feature in the Ad Analytics Suite, improves transparency and performance measurement for advertisers.
- Enhanced filtering capabilities
- Accessibility incorporated in a new web design system
Outcomes & Impact
- Increased visibility and attraction of content creators lead to brand recognition.
- The Ad Analytics Suite offered more insightful data on campaign performance, enhancing advertising effectiveness.
Results
0.0
increase in user engagement
0.0
uptick in subscription conversions
Research
User Behavior
Podcast listeners frequently switch between devices and value consistent, cross-platform experiences. Many users were frustrated by fragmented access to podcast episodes and subscription features.
User Needs
Users wanted easy navigation to discover new content, robust search and filtering options, and clear subscription management.
Competitor Analysis
Competitor platforms prioritized functionality but lacked the immersive storytelling aesthetic that aligns with Wondery’s brand identity, providing an opportunity to elevate Wondery’s unique positioning.
Ideation
Initial concepts explored immersive homepage designs featuring dynamic podcast artwork and personalized recommendations based on user preferences. Sketches also emphasized prominent navigation for content categories like “True Crime,” “Business,” and “Kids.”
High-level flows mapped out key journeys, including discovering a podcast, starting a free trial, and managing subscriptions. The goal was to minimize friction and guide users seamlessly from discovery to engagement.
Refinement
Testing revealed that users loved the immersive visual experience but struggled with the filtering options for discovering new content. Based on feedback, we refined the filtering system to include multi-select filters and added a “Recently Played” section for quicker access to in-progress episodes.
Impact
This project underscored the importance of balancing aesthetics with functionality. Designing for a multi-platform user base required meticulous attention to responsive design and user flows. The biggest challenge was maintaining Wondery’s premium storytelling aesthetic while delivering a scalable, user-friendly experience—a rewarding effort that highlighted the power of research-driven design.