Audacy : Messaging Center

Design Process

Research and Discovery

We interviewed current users of the existing text message platform, focusing on radio hosts and producers to understand their daily workflows and pain points. We found the following key insights:

• Reliability is non-negotiable: Users expressed skepticism about new internal systems matching the stability of their current solution

• Real-time access is critical: Even a minute's delay can make messages irrelevant during live broadcasts

• Data integration opportunities: Connecting phone numbers with user profiles would provide valuable listener insights

• Legal considerations: SMS communication requires compliance with specific regulations

• Change management challenges: After 10 years with one system, any transition would require thoughtful implementation

Iterative Design Development

First Round of Designs

Based on initial interview findings, I developed preliminary interface designs with key objectives in mind:

• Immediate message visibility: Creating a clean, scannable interface that highlighted new messages

• Efficient response mechanisms: Designing intuitive reply workflows that wouldn't interrupt broadcast flow

• Real-time notifications: Implementing visual and audio cues for incoming messages

• Intuitive navigation: Organizing the interface to minimize cognitive load during live broadcasts

After completing these initial designs, I presented them during our biweekly product council meeting—a collaborative forum including hosts, producers, and product team members. This meeting provided our first opportunity to validate design directions with actual end users.

Second Round of Designs

Following the first product council presentation, I refined the designs based on valuable feedback from station staff. This iteration incorporated several key enhancements:

• Docked chat functionality: Added the ability to "pin" conversations with regular contributors who consistently provide quality content, keeping these priority conversations visible regardless of other incoming messages

• Host identity selection: Implemented a mechanism allowing staff to specify which host was responding to a message, creating a more personal connection with listeners

• Flexible architecture: Improved the structure of the system to accommodate additional messaging streams in the future, ensuring scalability as communication channels evolve

These revisions represented a significant step toward meeting the specific needs of radio professionals working in high-pressure live environments.

Final Round of Designs

After sharing the second iteration with our user stakeholders, I incorporated additional refinements based on their practical insights:

• Quick reply templates: Designed a system of precomposed message templates for common scenarios and frequently asked questions, dramatically reducing response time

• Advanced user moderation: Implemented tools for blocking problematic users, managing inappropriate content, and maintaining broadcast standards

• User data management: Added capabilities for editing and connecting user information across platforms, enhancing the station's understanding of their audience

• Visual priority indicators: Developed a system of visual cues to help staff instantly recognize high-priority or potentially valuable messages

This final iteration achieved consensus among the product team and station staff, balancing technical requirements with the practical realities of live radio production.

Solution Components

The final Messaging Center design included:

• Unified inbox: Consolidating SMS, in-app, and potential streaming platform messages

• Real-time notifications: Ensuring immediate awareness of new messages

• Personalized responses: Allowing hosts to identify themselves when replying

• Template responses: Enabling quick replies to common questions

• User profile integration: Connecting phone numbers to listener profiles

• Moderation tools: Including user blocking functionality

• Search capabilities: Finding topic-relevant messages quickly

Results & Impact

While the feature is pending full implementation, the design process revealed significant potential benefits for Audacy's communication strategy:

• Operational Efficiency: Consolidated multiple communication channels into a single dashboard, eliminating platform-switching and reducing missed messages

• Cost Reduction: Replaced external vendors with in-house solutions, which would result in substantial annual savings

• Data Integration: Connected phone numbers with user profiles, enhancing audience insights and personalization opportunities

• Real-Time Engagement: Enabled hosts to identify and respond to listener messages within seconds during live broadcasts

• Workflow Optimization: Incorporated features like message pinning and response templates to streamline on-air interactions

• Community Development: Facilitated more meaningful two-way communication between hosts and their audience

• Broadcast Enhancement: Provided easier access to listener perspectives, enriching on-air content

The project underscored the critical importance of reliability in broadcast technologies and the value of iterative feedback from actual end users. By addressing the specific needs of hosts and producers working in high-pressure, time-sensitive environments, the design achieved stakeholder buy-in despite initial skepticism.

Future Considerations:

• Integrate contest entry capabilities into the messaging platform

• Expand support for additional communication channels

• Develop more sophisticated user profile linking

• Explore advanced data capture and analysis features