Podcastori
Designing a podcast streaming service that connects creators with their audience.
Role
Product designer
Duration
3 months
Deliverables
Ideation, Branding, User research, User interface, Information architecture, Visual design, Interactive prototype
Challenge
Podcastori is a side project that emerged from a problem I was personally experiencing, as well as one I observed among podcast creators in my surroundings. As a podcast enthusiast, I regularly listen to content from a wide range of creators on platforms such as Spotify and others. While listening, I often find myself wondering what other listeners think about the topics being discussed. Beyond simply consuming content, listeners currently have very limited ways to interact with creators, which can create a sense of distance between the two.
At the same time, I was hearing from close friends who had launched their own podcasts that building an audience and making a sustainable living from podcasting is extremely challenging. A major source of discouragement for them was the lack of listener engagement. Inspired by platforms like Twitch and Patreon, Podcastori aims to address this gap by creating a space that fosters meaningful interaction between creators and their audiences.
At the same time, I was hearing from close friends who had launched their own podcasts that building an audience and making a sustainable living from podcasting is extremely challenging. A major source of discouragement for them was the lack of listener engagement. Inspired by platforms like Twitch and Patreon, Podcastori aims to address this gap by creating a space that fosters meaningful interaction between creators and their audiences.
Problem Statement
“Podcast streaming platforms currently offer limited tools for creators to meaningfully engage with their audiences. This lack of interaction often leads to lower audience engagement and reduced motivation for creators. How might we design a platform that better connects creators with their audiences, increasing the success of podcast content through active audience participation?”
Process
1 | Product ideation
While remaining mindful of my personal biases, I drew on my experiences across multiple podcast streaming platforms to identify opportunities for a new service offering. Because I was considering the idea as a potential business, I used Ash Maurya’s Lean Canvas to define a simplified business model and clarify the product’s unique value proposition. Through this process, emerging podcast creators surfaced as a strong group of potential early adopters.
2 | Prototyping
The platform was initially designed with a strong focus on creating a compelling experience for podcast listeners. While working on the minimum viable product (MVP), I defined the company name and began shaping its brand identity. In parallel, I developed a design system using the atomic design approach, creating a set of reusable UI components. These components were then used to build an interactive prototype, allowing for iterative validation of the product’s design and its alignment with user needs.
3 | Interviewing podcast creators
The next step was to validate my assumptions about podcast creators through user interviews. Because I personally knew several creators, I was able to reach out to them directly to learn more about their creative process and gain a deeper understanding of the challenges they face. The interactive prototype from the previous stage was used during these sessions to explore and iterate on ideas, allowing the platform to evolve based on real creator feedback.
4 | Implementation
The interactive prototype effectively validated the MVP and led me to begin translating it into a functional product. I approached this phase as an opportunity to further develop my full-stack skills. While the implementation was rewarding, the market evolved during development, notably with Spotify launching similar features. This shift ultimately led me to step away from the project as a business venture. Podcastori remains an ongoing learning project, however, and I continue to revisit it to experiment, refine ideas, and further develop my coding skills.
Results
Design System
The design system was developed in parallel with the high-fidelity mockups. UI components were created and documented in Figma using the atomic design approach. In addition to accelerating the interface design process, the design system proved especially valuable when translating mockups into ReactJS code. Its modular structure aligned seamlessly with React’s component-based architecture, making the transition from design to development more efficient and consistent.
Homepage
The homepage was designed to clearly communicate the platform’s unique value proposition. Each section combines a concise header with a call to action tailored to specific user needs, enabling users to explore the platform through the features most relevant to them. The visual design emphasizes openness and creativity, reinforcing the platform’s goal of inspiring creative freedom.
Browse
The browsing and search experiences were designed using familiar patterns inspired by existing platforms, helping users quickly understand how to discover content. The “Browse” tab in the main navigation presents curated podcast selections across multiple sections, such as current trends and personalized recommendations. Users can also explore podcasts and episodes by category or use the search bar to find specific content.
Podcasts & Episodes
The podcast and episode interfaces were designed to encourage engagement within the community. Each episode page features a dedicated comments section at the bottom, allowing listeners to share reactions and insights with one another. This space also enables creators to gather feedback on their content and engage directly with their audience.
Creator’s Page
The creator’s page allows listeners to explore all content published by a podcast creator, including recent episodes. Listeners can subscribe to creators of their choice to unlock exclusive content and support them directly through a monthly subscription. This subscription grants access to exclusive podcasts, episodes, and posts, all available within the “Community” tab of the creator’s page.
Creator Studio
The Creator Studio enables creators to publish content and engage with their community from a single, dedicated space. It includes a range of tools that allow creators to monitor community growth, communicate with listeners, and manage revenue generated through exclusive content. The Studio also offers customization options, allowing creators to personalize their page and express their creativity and unique identity.
Prototype
The following video provides an overview of the interactive prototype created to test the product with users. It demonstrates key navigation flows across the platform, including the process of subscribing to creators to unlock exclusive content. The video also introduces the Creator Studio, highlighting features that enable creators to publish content, engage with their community, and track the growth of their audience.
Reflections
A key learning from this project was the importance of validating high-risk assumptions as early as possible. In hindsight, gathering feedback from creators and listeners at the business model stage would have surfaced critical insights sooner, as many of these were only evaluated later during prototype testing. I also realized that moving quickly is essential when translating an idea into a business, particularly in evolving markets. Additional takeaways include:
- Recruit participants who can remain engaged throughout the design process and provide honest, ongoing feedback;
- Remain aware of personal biases when designing solutions for problems you experience firsthand;
- Features alone are rarely a sustainable value proposition, as they can be easily replicated or released by competitors.