Radiopsphere
CMS+
The future of radio and streaming.
Company
Radiosphere (FluxFM)
Role
UX Design
The CMS+ project aimed to redesign Radiosphere’s CMS platform to modernize content creation and distribution specifically for radio stations. My role as the sole UX designer involved collaborating closely with developers to craft a user-centric system that streamlined content management workflows. The goal was to enable efficient content distribution across various devices, tailored specifically to the unique needs of the radio industry.
Objectives
The primary objectives for the CMS+ redesign were threefold. First, we sought to reimagine content management by developing a task-based system that would simplify the creation, review, and distribution of content such as articles, events, and podcasts. Second, the project aimed to modernize the user experience by designing intuitive workflows and interfaces that catered to both experienced and novice users. Finally, the objective was to ensure usability by creating a system that was easy to navigate and operate, even for those unfamiliar with advanced content management systems.
Challenges
Several challenges emerged during the project. Understanding the unique needs of radio content management was crucial, as this was a new area for the CMS platform. Adapting the system to handle different types of content—articles, events, and podcasts—each with its own requirements and workflows, posed another challenge. Additionally, designing an efficient content overview page required careful attention to information architecture to ensure that users could quickly access and manage their content.
Content Overview Page
The content overview page served as the main dashboard for users, offering a comprehensive view of release schedules, unfinished posts, and tasks such as reviews and publications. This page was designed to provide a clear snapshot of content and tasks at a glance, helping stations manage their workflows efficiently. To keep the page clean and actionable, I used tiles to represent different content types and included interactive elements for task management. The challenge was to develop an effective information architecture that displayed relevant insights without overwhelming users. Feedback from users highlighted the effectiveness of this approach, as the page facilitated straightforward navigation and task management.
Post Creation Workflows
The content creation process was a critical component of the CMS+. To start, I defined a basic workflow for content creation that branched into specific types like articles, events, and podcasts. This required extensive research, including user interviews with radio station staff, notably at FluxFM in Berlin, to understand their needs and pain points. I conceptualized a flexible workflow that allowed users to select the type of content they were creating and incorporated templates to simplify repetitive tasks. User testing revealed issues such as starting from scratch each time, leading to the integration of templates into the design to streamline the process.
Using Modal Windows?!
Modals were integral to the CMS+ platform, particularly for content creation, definition, and editing. These were designed as wizards to keep users focused on their tasks without navigating away from the hub page. The design aimed to ensure that modal windows were cohesive and clear in their purpose, distinguishing them from other system messages. The wizards facilitated tasks such as text input, audio uploads, and content previews. User testing indicated that a visual approach, rather than dropdown menus, was more effective for understanding and completing tasks. This feedback led to improvements in the design, making the modals more intuitive and user-friendly.
Outcome
The redesigned CMS+ platform successfully addresses the unique needs of radio stations, offering a streamlined, user-friendly system for managing content. The content overview page provides a clear and actionable snapshot of tasks and content, while the content creation workflows and modal windows facilitate efficient content management. The project effectively modernises the content management experience for radio stations, aligning with user feedback and industry needs.