Description: The Audible apps are the number one platform for purchasing and listening to audio books. Audio books are a multi-billion dollar annual industry, and discovery of new content is vital for increasing sales. As a contractor at the Amazon owned Audible, I was tasked with designing a new content discovery feature and addressing any UX issues that could result from it.
WHAT'S THE PROBLEM BEING SOLVED?
Audible's app had no dedicated way for listeners to discover new audiobooks beyond the existing purchase and category flow, and content discovery is a direct driver of revenue in a multi-billion dollar industry. Designing a new discovery feature meant exploring options without disrupting the existing experience, interpreting user research and behavioral data to guide the design, and extending the experience consistently across channels, including the Kindle ecosystem.
WHO ARE WE SOLVING IT FOR?
Existing Audible listeners who wanted an easier way to search for and preview new titles beyond what they already owned or were actively listening to. Expanding search and discovery gave this audience a built-in path to their next audiobook, directly inside the app they already used every day.
HOW WE SOLVED IT
The More Books section of the mobile application would be expanded with new search, filter and discovery features. Algorithmic suggestions would be made based on the user's library of titles. A new Wish List feature would be added to save any discovered titles that the user would want to preview and purchase later. Finally a content flagging feature would be needed in case the recommendation algorithm suggested inappropriate content to the user.
Expand More Books → Discovery Recommendations → Content Preview → Wish List Curation
User Experience
Adding a new discovery feature to the More Books section meant expanding core UX and UI elements within the app. Detailed wireframe documentation was needed to
address the key aspects of the feature. Below are just a snapshots from was a comprehensive set of wireframes to explore and solve the problem of new content discovery.
After selecting a title, either through the suggestion flow or by conducting a search, the existing checkout funnel had to accommodate the new flow throughout the experience. This included introducing sample and download features and a contextual "how to" overlay.
A UX flow to report inappropriate content was also required, in case the suggestion algorithm surfaced content a user found objectionable.
Review Process
Audible followed an effective bottom-up methodology, where design and product teams drove projects that bubbled up through management for sign-off. The company moved at a very deliberate pace when introducing major new features to an app with tens of millions of active users, and leveraging their comprehensive data on user behavior in and out of the app meant less friction for my design suggestions, ultimately leading to a smoother process.
WHAT WE LAUNCHED
Successfully ideated, designed and reviewed new UX for the expansion of More Books to include new content discovery and wishlist curation.
Kindle integration was part of the effort to connect the More Books discovery feature across other Amazon channels. The goal was
seamless syncing between a Kindle e-book and the Audible audiobook of the same title. I was responsible for
exploring and designing up-sell advertising modules within the Kindle Reader to
drive adoption of the feature.
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