OVERVIEW
The Problem
While reading on the go, interruptions like train arrivals or social interactions often lead to abandoning interesting articles or adding them to a "read later" list. Audiobooks and podcasts address this issue, but users miss out on features like bookmarking and highlighting, leaving room for improvement in the audiobook experience.
My process
Secondary Research
Understanding the pros and cons of audiobooks was critical as it helped retain the essence of audiobooks and improve other aspects without reinventing the wheel.
RESEARCH
Research Goals
1.
Learn about advantages and disadvantages of audiobooks from users firsthand
2.
Understand which platforms are most popular for consuming content
3.
Determine and validate the pain points as well as core needs of audiobook users
1. Portable
2. Helps visually impaired people
3. Can anticipate time taken
1. No feel of books
2. Possibility of distraction
3. Difficult to scan and skip
I used Reddit and AppStore reviews for the secondary research. People post anonymously on Reddit, which helped me understand their pain points and desired features.
Primary Research
I chose to ask my brother, who is a frequent listener of audiobooks and podcasts, a couple of questions about his experiences.
It helped me understand how a user would use these mobile applications along with the problems faced.
How often do you listen to audiobooks?
Almost daily for at least 45 mins
When do you listen to audiobooks/podcasts?
Mostly while commuting and working
Which apps do you use to consume content?
Spotify and Audible
What do you think are the drawbacks of these apps?
There is no way to bookmark content on in Spotify. Audible subscriptions are difficult to manage from the app. I find it difficult to skip back and forth in the content, I almost always end up rewinding or forwarding more or less than required, and end up losing where I was in the audiobook/podcast.
How do you remember the content you have consumed?
There are quite a few times when I want to mark something or note it down to share it with somebody or just to refer. I have used the feature on the audible app but it is a little tedious to use. But most times I will send a message to whoever I want to share it with.
According to you, what are the advantages of audiobooks?
I really like the flexibility that they provide. Normally I would not have been able to get through books this easily, as I used to be too tired after work to physically read.
According to you, what are the disadvantages of audiobooks?
Sometimes while I am working, if I truly need to be immersed in the activity, I find it difficult to concentrate and also to pick up where I left off from. Also, the experience of viewing and understanding content through diagrams is just not the same in audiobooks.
Competitive Analysis
Analysis of Audible
Screenshots of the Audible highlighting process show that the user has to manually drag the audio to select it.
The user has no way to know till what point the clip has been selected, meaning it could be the middle of the sentence, during a silent portion, etc. The user will have to constantly play the audio in order to validate the selection.
Drawbacks discovered from Competitive Analysis
Research Insights
IDEATION
User Personas
I divided the potential users into three categories- depending on what situation they would use the app in. This helped me come up with an efficient solution considering almost all scenarios and their constraints.
I want an app which:
Is easy to use and navigate while traveling
Has a way for me to revisit and mark content
Has a way for me to share and store my marked content
My problems are:
I cannot look at the screen while traveling due to motion sickness
I find it difficult to relocate any interesting bits from my consumed content
I think audiobook apps are not engaging enough and I get bored after a while
Conclusion: Ankita is not comfortable using the app for controlling the content. Gesture-based navigation or quick controls via smart watches might be more convenient for this user.
I want an app which:
My problems are:
Does not need a lot of manual intervention and can be used while driving
I cannot look at the screen while traveling as it is risky
Has a way for me to revisit and mark content
I try not to use my phone at work as it is distracting
Has a way for me to sort my marked content
As a multitasker, I often lose track of where I was in the audiobook
Conclusion: Akshay will not be able to use the mobile application to control content while driving. In such situations, the user can invoke a voice assistant to use the application.
I want an app which:
Allows me to share interesting content with my friends and family
Helps me connect with people who enjoy the same audiobooks
Has a way for me to share and store my marked content
My problems are:
I have to write down any bits that I want to share with my friends
I cannot make new friends though this hobby the way I do through sports or games
I cannot share this hobby with friends
Conclusion: Viraj is comfortable using the mobile application and this will be his primary way of controlling and managing content that he wishes to consume.
Success Metrics
1.
Enhance the experience of listening to an audiobook and make it as similar as possible to the traditional book experience
2.
Allow the user to highlight segments, take notes and make use of these highlights
3.
Provide a way for the user to engage with other users
4.
Help the user navigate within the audiobook in a better way
SOLUTION
How can the audiobook experience be as similar as possible to a physical book?
The user can view transcripts of the audio being played
Transcripts will assist in better navigation within the content
Searching using keywords is possible within the transcripts
Long tapping on a word will look up the meaning of the word
Diagrams and illustrations will be a part of the transcripts
How can users retain information in a better way and use it more effectively?
Bookmarks can be saved for any timestamp or for a clip selected by the user
Transcripts will assist in choosing the right timestamp
The user can add a note on this bookmark
Bookmarks can be categorized with ‘labels’ define by the user
All the user’s bookmarks will be available in the library and can be edited
These bookmarks and notes can be shared by the user using WhatsApp, iMessage, etc
How can users engage with other users?
Any user can start a bookclub, choose the book along with the meeting frequency
Users can join these clubs by searching using club name, book name or an invite link
The bookclub will also have a collection of user notes and highlights, if shared by users
How can users control the content without accessing the application?
The user can use earphones to move between content
As usual, tapping will pause and resume playback, double tapping will skip forward and triple tapping will skip back
Long tapping will save a bookmark for a particular timestamp
User can navigate between content using the app’s watch user interface
A dedicated bookmark button will be present to store bookmarks
Using the watch’s side button and wheel for this function is not feasible as these buttons perform predefined functions
The user will invoke the voice assistant and use it to move back and forth within the content
The user can use this feature for bookmarking a particular timestamp
Adding notes and labels using the voice assistant will not be supported
Users might be using voice assistants while driving, working, etc and this could be potentially distracting with huge implications
REFLECTION
While coming up with solutions which involve supplementary devices, it is important to think from every perspective. These decisions were critical as introducing such functions means that the user will have to relearn or learn new actions.
Such a short timeline forced me to prioritize tasks and features based on their impact and importance. I learnt to identify and focus on essential elements that contribute significantly to the user experience.
Thank you for reading!
CHECK OUT MY WORK!
