iHeartMedia Industry Sponsored Project
iHeartMedia is a leading mass media company specializing in radio broadcasting, podcasts, music streaming, and live events. While offering diverse content, the platform struggles to engage younger audiences under 35, as awareness of its full capabilities remains limited. Its user base skews older (35+), leading to increased churn among younger users.
iHeartMedia
Aug 2024 - Dec 2024
Namrata Dharmadhikari, Monisha Mansukhani, Lingchuan Zhou, Manasi Ghutukade, Oluwatolani Adekoya, Abhi Kevadiya, Yixiao Zhao
Cognitive Task Analysis, Usability Testing (of the current app and the prototype created), User interviews, Ideation
TL;DR
iHeartMedia tasked us with addressing declining engagement among users under 35. Through research and analysis, we uncovered key issues such as poor navigation, lack of personalization, and cluttered UI.
Prototyping and usability testing ensured the final solution addressed these pain points, delivering a modern, user-centric app tailored to younger audiences while meeting iHeartMedia’s business goals.
Target Audience
Users under 35 years of age who have churned out or are at the risk of churning.
"How might we create a more intuitive and engaging app to retain user’s attention and reduce the drop-off rate?"
Research Summary
What we did?
Secondary Research
Literature Reviews
Digital Ethnography
Competitive Analysis
Market trends Analysis
Congnitive Task Analysis
Primary Research
User Interviews
Usability Testing
Affinity Mapping
Prototyping & Testing
Wireframing
Design System
High-Fidelity Prototyping
Usability Testing
Major Findings and Insights
“In the spotlight section, under the speak with Kamala Harris section, the I couldn’t figure out how she could record my questions to ask in the podcast.”
I did not like the sudden ads playing over my streaming content.
“I didn’t prefer being asked her DOB twice since I felt like I was forced to fill in and I did not want to view personalised songs according to my age.”
“I was frustrated when after downloaded one of the podcasts and liking a playlist i was not able to find a separate library and my own curated playlist on any of the pages.”
Key Insights from Interviews
01
Onboarding
Through all the research and interviews, 82% users have problem with onboarding process.
02
Navigation
User found it difficult to understand the functionality of the features because of the complex navigation.
03
Customization
Users weren’t able to locate their saved playlists easily because of confusing tabs in the navigation.
04
Engagement
Podcasts/Radio listeners were unable to interact with the hosts/radio jockeys which caused a disconnect.
05
UI Design
User found the overall UI disengaging and cluttered.
Based on these research insights, we identified the following:
Design Opportunities
Accommodate flexible onboarding by allowing users to skip through secondary information.
Provide relevant feedback messages informing users of task completion, number of skips allowed, etc.
Add in a customised “My Profile” page for users which contains all the liked songs and user’s created playlists.
Increase user engagement by allowing them to participate and interact during live events/incorporate live chat feature.
Highlight trending podcasts (similar to the music and radio station highlights on the app)
Incorporate “Melody Match” feature that allows users easily identify trending TikTok/Instagram songs they hear on the go.
Final Solution
Based on these opportunities, we decided to enhance the onboarding, main homepage, podcast page and profile page to incorporate the feedback received from User Research.
We decided to not prioritise the melody match feature, due to the feedback given by our sponsors and focused on our other opportunities.
Streamline Onboarding
Based on the feedback from our sponsors and users, we streamlined the onboarding process by allowing them to skip unnecessary screens.
Homepage
We Changed Actions on Top Nav Bar as we wanted to add preferences settings and Library for Users.
Advanced Settings
This will include all non primary settings.
My Library
User can manage all their liked and downloaded content. Additionally now they can customize their genres and artist selection as well.
Live Radio
The current screens were updated according to the feedback received from users during usability testing where icons are made more accessible, and new features like call your host, live chat and song dedication are added to increase user interaction.
Call Your Host
This button allows users to directly engage with their show host and go on air over call.
Live Chat
Allows listeners of the current radio program to connect and engage in real-time discussions over text.
Song Dedication
Gives listeners the chance to request their favorite songs, dedicate it to someone and engage directly with the show host.
Podcast
Enhanced overall UI
We enhanced engagement by making UI less cluttered
My Library
User can manage all their liked and downloaded Musics. Additionally now they can edit their genres and Artist selection as well.
Comment
Added new function for community building and user interaction.
Comment
Users can comment on individual episodes, while creators can launch interactive polls to gather insights and build audience connections.
We conducted 7 Usability Tests on Usertesting.com and gathered their inputs on our design proposal.
User Testing Insights
Changing their location
Users often got confused and went to their account settings when trying to change their location.
“Song Dedication” Relocated
users assumed they could only request the currently playing song.
Unclear icon usage
We added supporting text to the button “Mark as played” since it was little confusing for users to guess what it does.
Connecting devices limitations
The participant expected easier access to output music to multiple devices
Incorporating testing insights
“Location” Relocated
The “Location” setting is relocated to the Profile Slider for easier change.
“Song Dedication” Relocated
Users assumed they could only request the currently playing song. To address this, the feature was relocated to the main radio station page, ensuring clearer functionality and a better user experience.
Added Supporting texts
We added supporting text to the button “Mark as played” since it was little confusing for users to guess what it does.
What I learned from the Project?
01
Collaboration and Agile Processes
Working with iHeartMedia taught me to collaborate with clients and cross-functional teams effectively, while adopting an agile approach to project planning, ideation, and iteration based on insights and feedback.
02
Communication and Feedback
Regular sync-ups, stakeholder presentations, and 1:1 discussions with the sponsor highlighted the importance of tailoring communication methods to different audiences while refining presentation skills and integrating feedback.
03
Research Backed solutions
Conducting primary and secondary research helped uncover user pain points and market trends, shaping solutions that aligned with business goals while addressing user needs.
04
Team Dynamics and Growth
Respecting diverse opinions, fostering open communication, and adapting to feedback enhanced team collaboration. This experience also emphasised the need for scalability in solutions and continuous growth in presenting and defending ideas effectively.
Thank you for your time!