Competitive Analysis
A key advantage of this project was starting from scratch—free from legacy constraints. During discovery, I led a competitive analysis of dozens of audio players, noting effective patterns, standout features, and future-facing ideas. We broke the interface into modular components and explored layout variations in box-based sketches, allowing rapid iteration without being tied to existing norms. These insights laid the foundation for our native player.
To maximize collaboration, we used a diverge-then-converge approach: Each of us selected our favorite rough layouts to refine individually, then regrouped to compare, critique, and align on the strongest directions moving forward.
As we refined layouts, a clear hierarchy emerged: playlist and share actions near the top, core playback controls centered. We also began exploring placement and sizing for a future mini-player to ensure it fit seamlessly within the native app.
We spent time refining the layout in low fidelity but moved to high fidelity early due to the icon-heavy interface. The only image element to accommodate was the audiobook cover, which varied between rectangular and square formats.
Designing for both iOS and Android required balancing consistency with platform-specific norms. Backend constraints and native interaction patterns meant the experiences couldn’t be identical, but we aimed for overall parity where it mattered.
We ran though dozens and dozens of possible layouts between both Android and iOS devices
We brought in the broader product design team for group feedback at this stage. We had established a solid foundation, but several problems still needed refinement through critique and discussion. Key topics included:
Whether to include chapter skip functionality and how it would integrate into the main controls
Feedback on play/pause iconography and whether it aligned with user expectations
Clarity and consistency of the seek icons (15s back / 30s forward)
Overall user experience around playback speed selection on Android
Early thoughts and input on the mini-player design and its future integration
Seek Button Timing
We chose 15-second rewind and 30-second forward skips based on common patterns seen in podcast apps—supporting quick replays and ad skipping, respectively. While we don’t have ads, we prioritized familiarity and user control. Two years later, with minimal feedback, these timings remain unchanged, validating our decision
Though the interface’s top and bottom felt settled, debate remained over keeping chapter skips and seek button timings (15 seconds back, 30 forward). Testing would help answer these questions.
Mini-Player
Designing the mini-player meant balancing constant access with minimal disruption. We included essentials like play/pause, 15-second rewind, a close ('X') button for control, and contextual cues like the book cover and scrolling chapter title. Tapping the mini-player expands it into the full player for deeper functionality.
The mini-player required a flow chart as it needed to be anchored to the bottom everywhere with the app, except on the audio player.
With the team's feedback, we decided to run another round of diverge-then-converge, this time in high fidelity. The goal was to interpret the feedback individually and explore how it could shape the next iteration of the audiobook player.
We split our design space again and approached the task by first outlining goals and key user tasks. We created separate prototypes from there, incorporating the latest design decisions and refinements. Once the high-fidelity prototypes were ready, we set up unmoderated usability testing using Maze to gather insights directly from users.