WHYY

For more than 40 years, the renowned radio show “Fresh Air with Terry Gross” has engaged audiences around the world. The program is aired on more than 650 NPR stations and is one of the internet’s most listened-to podcasts. All told, the Peabody-winning Terry Gross has interviewed over 13,000 subjects, creating a vast collection with untold archival possibilities.

Fresh Air came to Designit with a unique challenge: In such a competitive media arena, how can you develop something new based on a rich cultural touchstone that will provide a sustainable source of revenue for WHYY? The show wanted to maintain Fresh Air’s philanthropic mission as a public media asset, keeping the archives accessible for everyone, but also find new ways to bring a deeper value to “super fans,” as well as reach new listeners.

To tackle this challenge, we spoke with listeners, as well as the creators of other popular podcasts and podcasting platforms. At the same time, we built financial models to assess the size of different opportunities, then deployed a survey to pressure test our new concepts. We identified a handful of potential solutions, including leveraging third-party touch points and the creation of additional products centered around the archive. Finally, we defined features of the website that could serve as an access point for the full archive.

Our concepts provided a strategy for reaching new listeners through their search habits, while ensuring that current listeners could easily access, download, and share episodes and playlists. Meanwhile, new products based on the archives will ensure that the archives remain relevant and the Fresh Air legacy be assured for years to come.

A digital illustration divided into three sections. The first section, titled ‘Discovery,’ shows a person at a desk with a laptop and a light bulb icon above their head. The middle section, titled ‘Constant engagement,’ depicts a hand holding a smartphone displaying various notifications. The third section, titled ‘Continuous discovery,’ features three chat bubbles with icons representing growth, change, and innovation. At the bottom left corner, there’s text that reads ‘Design & tech company.
A digital illustration featuring a central figure, presumably named Amanda, depicted as ‘The Entertainer’ sitting in front of a computer with the YouTube interface on the screen. To the right are three additional panels showing YouTube video thumbnails with titles such as ‘Grand-pa opens up about old times’ and ‘Can’t believe she said that.’ Below these panels are captions: ‘Discovery,’ ‘Consumable clips,’ and ‘Easy to share,’ suggesting features of a content platform.
A digital illustration divided into three sections, each featuring a different aspect of a mobile application interface. The first section on the left is titled ‘Discovery’ and shows an avatar of a person with headphones in front of a shelf with books and medals, symbolizing content exploration. The middle section is titled ‘Ease of access’ and displays a mobile app screen with podcast categories listed such as ‘Education,’ ‘Favorites,’ ‘New Episodes,’ and ‘Not Yet Listened Genres.’ The right section is titled ‘Smarter recommendations’ and depicts another mobile app screen showcasing personalized content suggestions. At the bottom left corner, there’s text that reads ‘Design & layout company.

‘Designit was the perfect partner for WHYY as we explored possible new products around the Fresh Air Archive. The team’s experience with product development, user research, and business design meant that they were able to address all aspects of the product puzzle. They delivered valuable insights and immediate action items on time and within budget. The cherry on top: the team was absolutely a delight to work with!’

Gabriel Coan

Vice President of Digital Strategies and Services, WHYY

SDG 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

Fresh Air maintained its philanthropic mission and kept its archives accessible while exploring strategies to reach new listeners.

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Details

Client

WHYY

Industry

Public Sector

Studio

New York

Project team

Valentina Canavesio

Eunice Chung

Offerings

Digital Design

Brand Design

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+1 (800) 906-1497

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