With its diverse range of programming and a long history of satellite radio, Sirius XM is seen as a leader in audio entertainment within the car. However, due to its dated user interface, the design of its streaming service was not reflective of its premium content. Beyond its stations lie numerous types of content including on-demand offerings such as sports, podcasts, videos, and even concerts.
In user interviews participants expressed that while they enjoyed the wide ranging content, the way the content was designed on its app felt outdated and overwhelming. Compounding design issues users frequently struggled to differentiate between various content types.
Graphing use cases and content types to help plan updates.
To address the issues around the content, we conducted a card-sorting exercise to understand how users perceive and categorize different types of content. Based on the feedback, we organized the content into seven categories: Channels, Shows, Artist-Related, Video Content, For You, Bundles, and On the Pulse.
Based on these findings, custom content card shapes were devised to help users quickly identify and understand various content types at a glance.
To address user feedback on previous designs, we introduced shapes to visually differentiate content types, resolving a key concern. To tackle another area of criticism—outdated design—we explored several directions. The final design not only brought a refreshed look and feel but also served multiple purposes: it boldly promoted content with hero cards, highlighted channel branding with updated channel cards, and made genre cards more engaging by incorporating relevant cultural icons.
