Podcasting and User Experience have a lot more in common than most people think 🧐
Whether they're reaching out to millions of listeners or a selective yet faithful audience, some of your favorite podcasts were born out of a specific need felt by their creative team as well as their target listener. The show's "why" is intrinsically linked to the audience's own interests and beliefs.
Take for instance my music history podcast CHOONS. When I developed it back in mid-2020, my career transition was the furthest thing from my mind but looking back on the beginnings of the concept, it seems I unintentionally employed some of the steps I now go through in my design process.
The idea of working on an audio podcast was there from the start...but what could I talk about, and for who?
My inspiration came in the worst of times. The whole world seemed to be closing shop on itself, and many of our simple pleasures became harder to reach. That included our entertainment of attending local concert venues, bars and dance clubs.
Something resonated with me: people spent a lot of time pondering about "the good old times." Dance music helped folks get through the pain and challenges of the pandemic, be it by playing their much-loved songs, watching TikToks or tuning into live-streaming gigs. There was clearly a connection that begged to be explored, one which didn't seem evident as I went through several other music podcasts like Spotify's "Dissect" or Slate's "Hit Parade."
Flash forward to three years later, and I am the proud host and co-producer of a podcast that tells the definitive story of under-appreciated club anthems. It's heard in places like the U.S., Great Britain, the Netherlands, France and Australia, and was only one of two music podcasts that received a honor from The Webby Awards in 2022.
As I move into the third season of the show, I don't rest on my laurels and have started a survey with its listeners in an effort to understand their podcasting habits, what they like and don't like about CHOONS, and what they hope to experience from it in the future.
Whatever the future holds for the podcast, I hope it continues to satisfy the audience and its need to open up the discussion about 'the songs they vibe to'.
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