In Q1-Q2 2022, I was the lead designer, responsible for ideating design concepts, conducting research, delivering final assets for production, and doing pre-launch QA. Throughout the project, I worked closely with cross-functional teams, including an Automotive product manager, engineers, and Analytics.

Project Summary

Previously, the iHeart app integrated into vehicles (such as Volvo, GM, Ford, and Polestar) didn’t support podcast downloads. Downloading podcasts will make it really easy for users to listen to the podcast without disruption when they are driving in areas without wireless coverage. With the new podcast downloads feature, users can download their selected podcast episodes directly to their vehicle for offline listening. Additionally, the app offers an auto-download feature, making it effortless for users to keep up with their favorite podcasts by automatically downloading the latest episodes.

Notes: In this project, we worked with the Android operating system directly embedded in a vehicle, where apps were installed directly within the vehicle itself. No smartphone is needed.

Challenges

• Working with the templated automotive experience of Android Auto OS.

• Crafting experience tailored to an in-vehicle specific setting.

• Creating a design for a diverse user base while having limited metrics. Previously, analytics tagging was not supported on automotive meaning we couldn’t analyze user behavior on our in-vehicle app.

Podcast Downloads in Settings page

To work around the limited capability of Android Auto, we built a page in Settings where users can download podcasts. To download podcasts, users have to put their car in park and navigate to the ‘Podcast Downloads’ section within Settings. This page provides an overview of the feature, instructions on how to download podcasts, available storage, and a list of their followed podcasts.

Followed Podcasts

In the Followed Podcasts subpage, users can tap on individual episodes to download them manually or enable auto-downloads, which downloads new episodes as they become available. If the space is running low, a warning message will appear on the page. To manage space, users may have to remove some episodes.

Browsing Downloaded Episodes

The Android Auto OS won’t allow users to play content from the Settings page, so all downloaded episodes will be playable on the browse page. After downloading episodes to their vehicle, users can access them in the “Your Podcasts” folder under “Downloaded Episodes.”

Offline Functionality

If the vehicle loses internet connection, users will be directed to their Downloaded Episodes folder, where they can play all their offline content. Once connectivity is restored, the full browsing interface will return. Playback of downloaded episodes is not uninterrupted by loss of connectivity.

Impact

With the Podcast Downloads feature, users can download podcasts and enjoy uninterrupted streaming without an internet connection. With auto-downloads, offline functionality, and storage management, users have a more seamless and customizable experience in cars, leading to increased user retention, CUME, and ATSL (Average Time Spent Listening).

Next Steps

• Work on user education on Podcast Downloads. Send an email to our active users on Android Auto.

• Share an overview of the feature with more vehicle partners and collaborate to evaluate the feature experience on their vehicles.

• Work with the market research team to conduct a user survey, gathering feedback on their expectations, pain points, and overall experience.