Yiwei Chang's Portfolio

¹ Situation

Fundraised (USD)

Year

2020

Partners

Self-initiated project

Overview

Podcasting has exploded—offering screenless, flexible ways to explore everything from niche hobbies to global news. According to Edison Research, podcast listenership surged by 37.5% in just three years, and Spotify's acquisition of Anchor in 2019 underscored its ambition to dominate this rapidly growing space.

Redesigning connection: How podcasts could do more than just play

As both a designer and a podcast co-founder, I noticed a critical gap: while podcast content was thriving, listener interaction remained limited on player app.
One moment crystalized this for me, hearing a popular podcast mentioned, its audience teaching other listeners: how to write reviews that get read aloud on air. That strong connection makes it a thriving community, therefore, I sought to bridge the gap between content consumption and user interaction, potentially increasing listener retention and satisfaction.

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This sparked a self-initiated project:

Could better UX turn passive listening into active community building?‍

I set out to reimagine Spotify’s podcast experience, focusing on features that could enhance engagement, loyalty, and retention, long before Spotify officially introduced a comment board feature in mid-2024.‍

² Task

Turning podcasts into conversations, not just broadcasts

In traditional broadcasting, the magic happens when audiences engage, through call-ins, live comments, or shared reactions.
Podcasts, as a modern evolution of broadcast media, have incredible potential for the same intimacy, but most podcast apps weren't designed to nurture it.

As a designer and a daily podcast listener, I recognized a key opportunity: bridge the engagement gap between listeners and creators, right inside the player app.

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Engagement thrives in the player, not on social media

Through research and observation, I found that while users might leave reviews within apps, very few followed podcasts onto external social media pages.
For instance, "The Real Story" podcast had 42.2% review engagement in the app, but only 2.35% social media follow rate—highlighting how crucial it is to foster community within the listening experience itself.

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Key insight

Podcasts aren’t just content, they're conversations.

And conversations deserve a home, not just a broadcast.

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‍Pain points

What's missing in today's podcast experience

🔸 Hard to interact‍

Most listener interactions require switching apps, finding contact info, and writing emails—an inconvenient and discouraging process.

🔸 Fragmented community‍

Listener feedback is scattered across episodes with no shared context, leaving conversations disjointed and confusing, especially for newcomers.

³ Action

⁴ Result

Spotify Podcast Interface Redesign for Revitalising Engagement

Redesigning connection: How podcasts could do more than just play

Could better UX turn passive listening into active community building?‍

Turning podcasts into conversations, not just broadcasts