UX STUDY / 2023 / Carleton University Can ad-supported listening feel less disruptive?
Exploring how the timing, relevance and presentation of ads can affect recall and perceived listening quality.
DESIGN ARTIFACT / WORKFLOW MODEL01
Compare listening and advertising conditions
02
Design a less intrusive ad treatment
03
Measure recall and reported satisfaction
01 / CONTEXTThe project at a glance
MY ROLEUX research and visual design · Experimental concepts, survey analysis, prototyping
COLLABORATORS & TOOLSIndependent research participants
FIGMA · MIRO · Rstudio
02 / CHALLENGEThe problem behind the interface
THE PROBLEMAds sustain free listening but can interrupt attention and frustrate users. The design challenge is to reduce perceived disruption without assuming ads can simply disappear.
WHY IT MATTERSA better ad experience should consider both user comprehension and the commercial constraint of ad exposure.
03 / PROCESSHow I approached it
01
DISCOVER
The poster documents an eight-participant podcast recall comparison with and without advertisements.
02
DESIGN
The portfolio write-up separately describes three interface conditions: no ads, standard ads and UX-informed ad placement.
03
EVALUATE
Compared recall and satisfaction signals, while identifying the need to reconcile the two descriptions before publishing results.
04 / DESIGN JUDGMENTThe decisions and their rationale
DECISION 01Make ad moments predictable
WHAT I DIDExplored clearer, better-timed ad placements with more relevant messaging.
WHY IT HELPEDIntended to preserve listening continuity while acknowledging the free-tier business model.
DECISION 02Compare against a realistic baseline
WHAT I DIDConsidered standard advertising as the relevant comparator, not only an ad-free ideal.
WHY IT HELPEDTests whether UX changes improve a monetized experience rather than simply removing monetization.
05 / OUTCOMEOutcome, evidence and limitations
30% / 50%
Reported retention / satisfaction gains
Informational podcasts
A/B Testing
SCALINGExpand to songs and different kinds of podcasts to capture outliers and different interaction behaviours06 / REFLECTIONValidate how different ad placements influence listening experience, content retention, and user satisfaction. Further testing with a larger participant group could help identify ways to reduce disruption while maintaining advertising visibility.