Lead Product Designer ✴︎ In-house/Storytel
Role: design exploration, interaction & interface research, visual design
Storytel, a premier audiobook streaming service, operates in more than 20 markets. The company has a playful and friendly visual identity, conveying the joy of listening to stories. However, the designers working on the digital product created their own interpretation of the visual identity and did not have unified recommendations to follow when developing the product's design.
As the lead designer, I spearheaded the research, exploration, and definition of the design principles for the digital identity of the Storytel app.
Research workshops
Over a series of workshops, we got our brand and product designers together. We talked about what makes Storytel unique, checked out our past branding wins, shared some cool ideas, and brainstormed ways to enhance the experience and branding of the Storytel app.
Design exploration
The results of the workshops were used to create a design brief, which served as a guide for me to begin exploring the future look and feel of the Storytel app. After a series of experiments, iterations, and discussions, we started identifying the key elements of Storytel's digital identity that would embody the Storytel brand and set us apart from competitors.
Digital ID Foundations
The resulting concept became a subtle yet noticeable evolution of the app's visual appearance. I dedicated specific attention to crafting the color palette, introducing a new background color, revamping the typographic hierarchy, and creating new visual elements such as a pictogram system.
By taking a user-centered approach, we identified areas of the user experience that describe the context in which the user interacts with the service. For each experience area, we developed and illustrated UX principles and visual guidelines.
Digital ID Guidelines
The next step in our process was the development of detailed guidelines, offering clear 'do's' and 'don'ts' that encompass everything from typography to the correct usage of icons and imagery.
The outcome
The creation of the Digital ID laid the groundwork for Storytel's app design system, developed in parallel. This transformation had a profound impact on the final product, delivering:
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Streamlined & consistent UI: A user-friendly, uniform interface.
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Enhanced brand consistency: Strengthened the brand presence in the app.
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Thoughtful visual palette: Enabled the creation of a more delightful user interface.
In sum, the Digital ID has streamlined the design and development process, resulting in a more enjoyable and cohesive Storytel app design.