As presented on October 6, 2015 at HOW Interactive Design Conference in Chicago.
NPR One is a personalized audio experience designed to be heard. If we are doing our job well, then you likely aren’t even looking at your device. But being out-of-sight creates a unique set of constraints for building a mobile app. How do we craft an experience for that is audio-first? How do we design interfaces that are simple, content-first, and easy-to-understand, even if they're only used once in awhile? And how does the team work to evolve the experience and add new features while avoiding bloat and retaining the focus that is the hallmark of the app?
In this session, l'll discuss the evolution of NPR’s new digital radio platform, from inception to obstacles to examples of interactions built for listening. I'll talk about team dynamics and process, user research and A/B test findings, and delve into the paths not taken. Ultimately, you'll be able to learn from our successes and missteps as we continue to build the ultimate audio news and storytelling experience.
9. Designing the Listening Experience
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Now it’s time for jazz plus jazz equals jazz.
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Today, we have a recording of Benny Goodman
played over a separate recording of Miles Davis.
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Research shows that our listeners love jazz.
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Public radio may be easy to parody,
but we think of it like this…
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National Public Radio will serve the individual;
it will promote personal growth;
it will regard the individual differences with
respect and joy rather than derision and hate;
it will celebrate the human experience as
infinitely varied rather than vacuous and banal;
it will encourage a sense of active constructive
participation, rather than apathetic helplessness.
Bill Siemering
Founding Board Member, NPR
17. Designing the Listening Experience
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“Broadcast radio is the cockroach of media.
You can’t kill it. You can’t make it go away,
it just gets stronger and more resilient.
That doesn’t mean that I see digital radio as a
passing fad. It’s for real. I’m a huge Spotify
user. I think it’s a great service, but I use
broadcast too.”
Jarl Mohn
CEO, NPR
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NPR has long been at the digital forefront
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Stories
Lead
Break
Core
Invest
Collections
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Stories
Lead
Break
Core
Invest
Collections
Newscast
Local Newscast
Lead
Core
Break
Local Story
Break
Invest
etc…
Flow
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Stories
Lead
Break
Core
Invest
Collections
Newscast
Local Newscast
Lead
Core
Break
Local Story
Break
Invest
etc…
Flow Listener
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Promos
Promoted Show
or Segment
Promo
Hey NPR One fans!
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Promos
Promoted Show
or Segment
Promo
Did you know that coming close to winning but not quite
reaching your goal can actually be a great motivator?
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Promos
Promoted Show
or Segment
Promo
I’m Shankar Vedantam. Be sure to tap the button
on your screen to hear my podcast, Hidden Brain.
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Promos
Promoted Show
or Segment
Promo
This week, it’s all about near-misses.
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Promos
Promoted Show
or Segment
Promo
So… If you missed that the button the first time, don’t
worry. I’ll give you another chance.
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Promos
Promoted Show
or Segment
Promo
Tap that button on your screen now.
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Audio-First
Hi. I’m NPR’s Guy Raz, and you’re listening
to NPR One. Public radio made personal.
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Audio-First
Your local news plus the stories we know
you will love from all over the world.
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Audio-First
Things you’ve already listened to? They’re over here.
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Audio-First
You can search for podcasts you know you like, and we
have tons of new ones for you to check out, as well.
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Audio-First
But before we get started, a couple quick things:
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Audio-First
Just let us use the mic on your
phone so you can talk back to us.
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Audio-First
And you have to log in, so we can make sure
we’ll never play you the same story twice.
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Audio-First
Here we go! This is NPR One. Public radio made personal.
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Agile
Our core philosophy of how we work.
Scrum
The vehicle inside which we get things done.
Lean
How we know we’re working on the right stuff.
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75% of all searches can be attributed
to the name of a show or podcast
57% of show searches
are for NPR shows or podcasts
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National Public Radio will serve the individual;
it will promote personal growth;
it will regard the individual differences with
respect and joy rather than derision and hate;
it will celebrate the human experience as
infinitely varied rather than vacuous and banal;
it will encourage a sense of active constructive
participation, rather than apathetic helplessness.
Bill Siemering
Founding Board Member, NPR
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People aren’t binary;
personalization shouldn’t be, either.
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Listeners find great content
through trusted companions.