Concept: Google Podcasts Redesign for Accessibility
Accessibility: Designing for hearing loss
This concept was developed as the final project for the Google UX Design Specialization.
Introducing podcasts for everyone
Podcasts have become a powerful information tool for all topics and genres. People who are deaf or have hearing loss may not feel included in this community. What if we find a way to introduce podcasts for everyone?
Understanding the habits of people with hearing loss
They use sign language to communicate and consume content and often look for volume controls and subtitles. They also read and look for transcripts of audio-related content. However, not all people with hearing loss are fluent in English, so using a simplified language can benefit everyone.
Through user research, we found that people were more open to using text transcripts as an additional feature in an existing app they already use than downloading a new one. Keeping that in mind and considering inclusion, we decided to develop a new feature for Google Podcasts where users could read the episode notes, a summary, the whole episode transcript or watch the ASL (Amerian Sign Language) recordings when available.
To accommodate the new feature, we added some accessibility settings to give different groups of users control over how they interact with the app. We also added a shortcut to access the transcripts on the player screen.
When in the episode screen, the user can activate ASL recordings so they show in the transcript tab before the text. Once the user scrolls, the video floats on the top of the screen and the text and video are both showing at the same time.
Following the app's screens, we developed the desktop and tablet versions to ensure the experience and the way the feature is presented remains the same throughout different devices.
We, as designers, should consider accessibility first-hand when developing new products instead of working on adapting them later on for a larger audience.
I enjoyed working on this project and reflecting on how to make the product accessible for all.