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SiriusXM Next Gen 2021

A future state automotive solution to showcase the entertainment possibilities within a drive-safe environment.

A future state automotive solution to showcase the entertainment possibilities within a drive-safe environment.

Project type: Automotive UX

Role: Lead UX Designer

Primary Stakeholders: Automotive VP of UX, SVP Automotive Product and Technology, SiriusXM CEO

Primary Stakeholders: Automotive VP of UX, SVP Automotive Product and Technology, SiriusXM CEO

Deliverables: Journey maps, flowcharts, IA charts, service blueprints, wireframes, high fi prototype

Deliverables: Journey maps, flowcharts, IA charts, service blueprints, wireframes, high fi prototype

Objective

Build an, in-vehicle audio entertainment concept app that celbrates the content strengths of the SiriusXM family of brands (SiriusXM Radio, Pandora, & Stitcher podcasts) while maintaining the design principals that make automotive UX unique.

Acceptance Criteria

Research

Proper foundational research on the competitive space as well as various user needs for an in-vehicle audio service

Empathize

Define the primary user stories, use cases, and user journeys

Mapping

IA, supporting flow charts, and service blueprints for the app

Build

A component library that can be used to rapidly construct screens and prototypes

Preliminary Research

At the same time that the object inventory was being assembled, my half of the team worked on creating wires and flow charts for the processes that would define the majority of the user experience within the current IA. With these we were able to pinpoint weak points in our interactions in addition to collecting open questions for dev and products teams. 

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Generative research was conducted prior to the project kickoff so we could understand our users' needs and motivations, therefore guiding us in designing the most effective experience. Some high-level learnings include:

Content-Type awareness is essential for value prop

Feature awareness is currently lacking in our in-vehicle offering. Our advanced features are well received by users who find them valuable once they are made aware of them.

SiriusXM is still looked upon as "just radio"

Users don’t expect SiriusXM to offer certain types of content/features like on-demand programing or Pandora integration. This is partially driven from their mental models distinguishing broadcast products (TV, FM radio, SiriusXM) from catalogue products (Netflix, Disney Plus)

All content sources in one destination is desired

Although they tend to use multiple sources to play audio, having to constantly switch between them to get the right 'vibe ' is consistently a pain point.

How can we get away with putting all of these content types in one, easy-to-use app while also respecting driver safety standards?

How can we get away with putting all of these content types in one, easy-to-use app while also respecting driver safety standards?

The Content Problem

The users have told us they want all of their content in one place. That's all good in theory. But how, exactly, does one fit 12+ content formats, each with varying levels of control, playback behavior, user awareness, and constraints via DMCA into one easy-to-use, automotive product that causes minimum driver distraction?

The users have told us they want all of their content in one place. That's all good in theory. But how, exactly, does one fit 12+ content formats, each with varying levels of control, playback behavior, user awareness, and constraints via DMCA into one easy-to-use, automotive product that causes minimum driver distraction?

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The Architecture

In order to remedy this, our solution was to bifurcate the content offering into "Radio" and "Catalog." "Radio" would include any content that provides a 'lean back' experience: you press play and audio would stream for an indefinite period of time. "Catalog" is anything that could be viewed as on demand and requiring more user control: podcasts, albums, playlists, songs, etc. These two pillars would come together in three places: a welcome screen with hyper focused recommendations, My Stuff where anything explicitly liked by the user would live, and the search feature. When building this structure we kept in mind that the user will be using this while driving and needs relevant playable content available as quickly and easily as possible.

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In order to remedy this, our solution was to bifurcate the content offering into "Radio" and "Catalog." "Radio" would include any content that provides a 'lean back' experience: you press play and audio would stream for an indefinite period of time. "Catalog" is anything that could be viewed as on demand and requiring more user control: podcasts, albums, playlists, songs, etc. These two pillars would come together in three places: a welcome screen with hyper focused recommendations, My Stuff where anything explicitly liked by the user would live, and the search feature. When building this structure we kept in mind that the user will be using this while driving and needs relevant playable content available as quickly and easily as possible.

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Mapping the Experience

At the same time that the object inventory was being assembled, my half of the team worked on creating wires and flow charts for the processes that would define the majority of the user experience within the current IA. With these we were able to pinpoint weak points in our interactions in addition to collecting open questions for dev and products teams. 

At the same time that the object inventory was being assembled, my half of the team worked on creating wires and flow charts for the processes that would define the majority of the user experience within the current IA. With these we were able to pinpoint weak points in our interactions in addition to collecting open questions for dev and products teams. 

At the same time that the object inventory was being assembled, my half of the team worked on creating wires and flow charts for the processes that would define the majority of the user experience within the current IA. With these we were able to pinpoint weak points in our interactions in addition to collecting open questions for dev and products teams. 

Click to read more

Defining Components

Once we felt confident in the structural soundness of our foundations, we started the process of assembling our component library. Since Adobe XD can prototype with audio files and voice input, which is a major interaction method within vehicles, we decided to go with that program to develop the most effective prototypes. Balancing a content heavy app with the safety needs that an in-vehicle experience requires is no small feat. We therefore decided to keep color usage in the UI to a minimum being that our content types such as radio channels, podcasts, and albums provide their own individual (and very colorful at times) artwork. We chose the Gibson font for its clean, welcoming, and non-goofy appearance. Most of the color choices and font sizes were informed by the AAOS framework. 

Click to read more

Once we felt confident in the structural soundness of our foundations, we started the process of assembling our component library. Since Adobe XD can prototype with audio files and voice input, which is a major interaction method within vehicles, we decided to go with that program to develop the most effective prototypes. Balancing a content heavy app with the safety needs that an in-vehicle experience requires is no small feat. We therefore decided to keep color usage in the UI to a minimum being that our content types such as radio channels, podcasts, and albums provide their own individual (and very colorful at times) artwork. We chose the Gibson font for its clean, welcoming, and non-goofy appearance. Most of the color choices and font sizes were informed by the AAOS framework. 

Click to read more

Hi-Fidelity Build

At the same time that the object inventory was being assembled, my half of the team worked on creating wires and flow charts for the processes that would define the majority of the user experience within the current IA. With these we were able to pinpoint weak points in our interactions in addition to collecting open questions for dev and products teams. 

Click to read more

Balancing a content heavy app with the safety needs that an in-vehicle experience requires is no small feat. We therefore decided to keep color usage in the UI to a minimum being that our content types such as radio channels, podcasts, and albums provide their own individual (and very colorful at times) artwork. We chose the Gibson font for it's clean, welcoming, and non-goofy appearance. Most of the color choices and font sizes were informed by the AAOS framework. 

Click to read more

Balancing a content heavy app with the safety needs that an in-vehicle experience requires is no small feat. We therefore decided to keep color usage in the UI to a minimum being that our content types such as radio channels, podcasts, and albums provide their own individual (and very colorful at times) artwork. We chose the Gibson font for it's clean, welcoming, and non-goofy appearance. Most of the color choices and font sizes were informed by the AAOS framework. 

Click to read more

Key Features

SiriusXM + Pandora + Stitcher

Three platforms come together, forming the most robust in-vehicle audio catalogue

Focused Pivot Options

For lean-in users we offer more opportunities for deeper enagement

AI Concierge

SiriusXM talent guides the user to content tailored to their unique tastes

Tailored Reccoes

Lean-back vs lean-in, live football or live hip-hop, our reccoes serve users' individual listening habits

Advanced Voice Search

Will leverage Cerence ASR with our NLU and recommendation engine on the backend

Podcasts

Launching podcasts on SXM represents the largest vehicle-embedded talk portfolio in-market

it’s interesting. The value in consolidation of content, easy access, giving me more content options with radio and music subscriptions. It’s nice to have that all consolidated.

~Brian

We learn to adapt and utilize stuff, and you don’t know until you know. If new vehicles have this, after six months you're clicked.

~Rick

I think it gets to the concept of having an all in one. I'm positive on the whole experience, but the biggest detail we still don’tknow about yet is the cost…

~John

Usability Testing

At the same time that the object inventory was being assembled, my half of the team worked on creating wires and flow charts for the processes that would define the majority of the user experience within the current IA. With these we were able to pinpoint weak points in our interactions in addition to collecting open questions for dev and products teams. 

Click to read more

For the next round of testing the research team organized nine moderated 2-hour focus groups with 32 participants total. The users represented a wide range of demographics including an equal number of SXM subscribers vs non-subscribers. They discussed their current in-vehicle listening experiences and then walked through our prototype. Some high-level learnings:

Reception was positive from start to finish

Even after discussing both the hits and misses during the walkthrough, participants still expressed positive interest in the concept.

Content-Type awareness is essential for value prop

Users wanted to know why and how recommendations

were shown and sourced.

Comparisons to streaming video model were constantly cited

Throughout the session parallels between audio streaming services and TV streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu and Roku were frequently made.

Users suggested that the platform could be used to bundle external services

Many use multiple music apps and desired a centralized hub where they could all be accessed together.

'Catalog' tab confused some users

Participants had difficulty

understanding the taxonomical distinction between Radio and Catalog. "On Demand" was suggested as an alternative.

Reception was positive from start to finish

Even after discussing both the hits and misses during the walkthrough, participants still expressed positive interest in the concept.

Comparisons to streaming video model were constantly cited

Throughout the session parallels between audio streaming services and TV streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu and Roku were frequently made.

'Catalog' tab confused some users

Participants had difficulty

understanding the taxonomical distinction between Radio and Catalog. "On Demand" was suggested as an alternative.

Content-Type awareness is essential for value prop

Users wanted to know why and how recommendations

were shown and sourced.

Users suggested that the platform could be used to bundle external services

Many use multiple music apps and desired a centralized hub where they could all be accessed together.

Expansion To Entertainment Hub

At the same time that the object inventory was being assembled, my half of the team worked on creating wires and flow charts for the processes that would define the majority of the user experience within the current IA. With these we were able to pinpoint weak points in our interactions in addition to collecting open questions for dev and products teams. 

Click to read more

It was apparent from testing that users' mental models placed our service alongside video streaming platforms like Amazon Prime Video where external services can be added in an a la carte manner. This aligns with the often un-prompted user desire to have a 'hub' for their multiple music/podcast subscriptions in the vehicle to avoid having to switch between apps. Revenue share with car makers also made this an attractive business case. This expansion drove the next phase of refinement, both on the design side and the product management side

Click to read more

It was apparent from testing that users' mental models placed our service alongside video streaming platforms like Amazon Prime Video where external services can be added in an a la carte manner. This aligns with the often un-prompted user desire to have a 'hub' for their multiple music/podcast subscriptions in the vehicle to avoid having to switch between apps. Revenue share with car makers also made this an attractive business case. This expansion drove the next phase of refinement, both on the design side and the product management side

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CES 2022

At the same time that the object inventory was being assembled, my half of the team worked on creating wires and flow charts for the processes that would define the majority of the user experience within the current IA. With these we were able to pinpoint weak points in our interactions in addition to collecting open questions for dev and products teams. 

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The "Radio Plus" entertainment hub gained traction with the involved stakeholders and a lot of work was undertaken, not just by design, but across multiple teams like legal, buis dev, and product management to make sure that this moonshot vision could become a viable product. As an integral part of SiriusXMs future visions presentation at CES 2022, Radio Plus received much interest from automakers.

Conclusion

At the same time that the object inventory was being assembled, my half of the team worked on creating wires and flow charts for the processes that would define the majority of the user experience within the current IA. With these we were able to pinpoint weak points in our interactions in addition to collecting open questions for dev and products teams. 

Click to read more

WINS: After a strong performance at CES and a big push by design leadership to the C-suite; Radio Plus was awarded the future offering of record for SiriusXM and was added to the automotive product development roadmap. What started out as a lowly R&D concept had graduated to being a full-fledged, corporate-backed product.

LOSSES: Unfortunately, due to a huge corporate shakeup in 2022, our new CTO decided to shift investment from product development to completely revamp our backend content delivery system. This meant that our work was shelved; an occurrence is an unfortunate reality of working in the R&D space. However, a few of the individual Radio Plus features have been earmarked for development in current platforms like our tailored and content pivot recommendations.

That being said, our team was quite proud to have created a product from the ground up that was slated as the future product of record for one of the largest audio entertainment companies in the world. If only we had a little more time - like that actually exists!

it’s interesting. The value in consolidation of content, easy access, giving me more content options with radio and music subscriptions. It’s nice to have that all consolidated.

~Brian

We learn to adapt and utilize stuff, and you don’t know until you know. If new vehicles have this, after six months you're clicked.

~Rick

I think it gets to the concept of having an all in one. I'm positive on the whole experience, but the biggest detail we still don’tknow about yet is the cost…

~John