Sirius XM

MEDIA / ENTERTAINMENT

UX DESIGN

The Opportunity

With emergent competition approaching the digital audio space with fresh new offerings and innovative new business models to match, Sirius XM looked to Code and Theory in modernizing its internet based service offerings through a new cross-platform app experience across desktop, mobile and connected home.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Discovery
• Stakeholder Interviews
• User Research and Synthesis
• Competitive Analysis
• Concept Ideation
• Motion Prototype Studies

ROLE

Senior UX Designer

TEAM

PM Lead
UX Director
Creative Strategy Lead
Tech Lead
Creative Director
Designer

Insights and Core Challenges

We conducted a series of interviews with a diverse set of users regarding their entertainment consumption habits. User behaviors were mapped against content discovery and exploration, and content switching. Insights were drawn against mindsets and attitudes against key moments along the user journey.

PROMOTING SIMPLICITY

For Sirius XM loyalists, familiarity with the channel lineup meant that access to preferred content was intuitive and effortless. The nature of digital streaming provides listeners with greater flexibility and personalization with respect to "programming". The challenge with marrying the two was in allowing for the dynamism of digital streaming while retaining the ease of the traditional radio "dial".

PERCEPTION OF CONTROL

Content licensing for digital "radio" prohibits users from making on-demand music requests. At the same time, competitors from on-demand streaming services had reset user expectations for a greater degree of control over music selection. For Sirius XM, maintaining parity with emerging players meant to extend a perception of control while staying within the bounds of content licensing restrictions.

Concepts Ideation

Concepts were developed through a series of rapid sketch sessions and brought to life through motion prototypes. I was responsible for developing the "Bento Box" concept and producing motion prototypes.

Key Ideas

Enhanced Supplemental Content
Richness of Sirius XM's human curation brought to life through media-rich supplemental content.

Discrete Content Navigation
Increased granularity for content navigation — particularly with original programming.

Dynamic Recommendations
Recommended channels and generated playlists based on content similarity, user history and content affinity.

Personalized Groupings
Ability to save content based on user defined listening contexts.

VIEW ADDITIONAL CASE STUDIES