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In 2015, I joined Audible to lead the design team enhancing the Whispersync for Voice experience within the Kindle ecosystem. This initiative integrated audiobooks with ebooks, benefiting millions of Kindle users. My role involved leading a design team, collaborating with stakeholders across Audible and Kindle, and navigating diverse platforms and user behaviors to drive engagement and business results.
The challenges
Operating within the established and extensive Kindle ecosystem presented unique challenges. We needed to balance the expectations of existing Kindle customers with the introduction of new audiobook functionalities and pathways. I segmented these challenges into two key areas:
Platform consistency vs. adaptation:
Designing for all major platforms (iOS, Android, Web, Fire Tablets, E-readers) meant navigating different operating systems, design guidelines, and user bases. Gaining design approval across these varied Kindle teams was a significant hurdle.
Highlighting discounted upgrades
Many Kindle customers already own ebooks eligible for discounted audiobook companions via Whispersync for Voice. Making this benefit easily discoverable and actionable was crucial.
Bridging feature gaps and awareness
While the audiobook player within the Kindle app offered most Audible features, users were often unaware of their availability. We needed to close this knowledge gap.
Leveraging Subscription Benefits
Kindle Unlimited and Prime Reading offer customers access to free audiobooks. We needed effective ways to inform and encourage these users to explore the audiobook benefit.
Reaching the E-reader Audience
25% of Kindle customers only use e-readers to find and read books. Audible was ’t available on e-readers.
My approach and process
I initiated a comprehensive review of our existing 16 touchpoints within the Kindle ecosystem and identified 8 potential areas for expansion. To address the lengthy design approval process, I analyzed successful existing designs, particularly the high-performing ebook detail page on Amazon.com. By standardizing our designs across platforms based on this proven and already-approved model, we significantly accelerated the approval process for touchpoints on Fire tablets, Amazon mobile apps and web, and within Kindle apps. This strategic approach leveraged existing successful patterns to gain traction in new areas.
To tackle these challenges, I focused on understanding the existing Kindle platform deeply and identifying strategic opportunities for integration and improvement.
Understanding the Kindle platform and streamlining approvals:
Enhancing discovery through MatchMaker:
MatchMaker, a valuable tool allowing customers to find discounted audiobook companions for their owned ebooks, was underutilized due to its hidden placement on Amazon.com. Recognizing its potential, I championed building out dedicated tablet and mobile flows for MatchMaker. This included educational content, a clear list of upgrade opportunities, and a "no dead-end" scenario that guided users to the full Whispersync for Voice marketplace if their current library didn't yield matches.
Furthermore, understanding that MatchMaker served both discovery and listening needs, I advocated for its placement within the Kindle Library section, in addition to the Store. Securing a prominent spot as the last item in the Kindle Library on Fire Tablets provided a highly visible touchpoint for existing customers.
I also collaborated with Marketing and Product to strategically promote MatchMaker in high-intent areas, such as the post-purchase "Thank You Upsell" flow across various platforms (desktop web, mobile web, Amazon apps, Kindle app stores, and Fire tablet stores). These initiatives significantly increased the visibility and accessibility of MatchMaker.
Result:
Following these efforts, MatchMaker became the third highest revenue source for the Whispersync for Voice team, demonstrating the direct business impact of improved discoverability.
Narrowing the gap in the listening experience:
To address the lack of awareness regarding existing audiobook player features within the Kindle app, we capitalized on an update to the Kindle app that introduced a new "Page Flip" experience with just-in-time tutorials. We integrated a tutorial for our audiobook player, strategically designed to appear only when a user opened a book for which they owned the audiobook companion. This targeted approach avoided overwhelming users and provided feature guidance at a relevant moment.
Result:
A one-month test showed an impressive 46% completion rate for the tutorial on both Android and iOS, significantly higher than the industry standard. This led to a 30% increase in feature usage within the full player view and a reduction in customer support calls and feedback related to missing features like sleep timers and narration speed. We also saw increased audiobook listening among Kindle Unlimited and Prime Reading customers who were previously unaware of their free audiobook access, achieving two key metrics improvements from a single project.
Integrating with Prime Reading and Kindle Unlimited:
I played a key role in integrating Whispersync for Voice into major Kindle initiatives like Kindle Unlimited and Prime Reading. This involved ensuring our experience supported scenarios where customers received both ebooks and audiobooks for free, or received free ebooks with discounted audiobook upgrade options. Leveraging our previous work on segmenting the experience, we efficiently designed and implemented these integrations across all relevant platforms within just two weeks, a testament to the team's agility and preparation.
Result:
This was our fastest major project completion. It significantly benefited Audible by exposing a massive Prime audience to our audiobooks and paved the way for Audible's own Prime benefit, Prime Channels.
Reaching the Last 25% - E-reader Integration:
A long-standing goal was to bring the Whispersync for Voice experience to Kindle e-readers, engaging the 25% of customers who primarily used these devices. While initial technical hurdles related to simultaneous ebook display and audio playback on the device caused delays, a year later, the project became a priority due to the growing popularity of audiobooks and smart speakers like Amazon Echo.
This was a fast-paced project with a tight 2-3 month deadline, but a personally exciting one. Designing for e-ink displays presented unique UI considerations, such as requiring larger tap targets (80-100px) due to the screen technology. We strategically placed prominent links to the Audible Store and sections like "Audible Narration" and "Books with Audible Narration" throughout the e-reader interface. For search results, we added "View Audible Format" links to titles with audiobook companions.
We also carefully designed the Bluetooth connection flow. We took into account the slower refresh rate of e-readers by using opacity changes instead of loading spinners and placing the rescan function directly on the screen. I designed for different situations, including people who already own the ebook or audiobook. I made it easy to learn more about Audible Narration and see the details of the audiobook.
Working closely with the Audible Fire Tablet team, who owned the audiobook store design on e-readers, I finalized our aspects of the project for factory installation on new devices and OS updates for existing ones.
Conclusion
Leading the design efforts for Whispersync for Voice within the Kindle ecosystem was a dynamic and rewarding experience. It required a deep understanding of user needs across diverse platforms, strategic thinking to navigate organizational complexities, and a collaborative approach to work effectively with multiple teams. By focusing on streamlining processes, enhancing discoverability, improving the listening experience, and expanding our reach to new platforms like e-readers, we delivered significant value to both customers and the business, driving key metrics and paving the way for future Audible initiatives.