Overview
The CSU student-run radio station needed a new web experience for listeners, as well as a back-of-house control center for its DJ's & staff. Working directly with the manager of the station and a small team of other web professionals, I was responsible for information architecture, wireframes, site map, and giving occasional client presentations.
Identity
WCSB 89.3 has deep roots in the gritty-underground music culture of the Cleveland area. The station is deeply embedded within the culture of the city, as well as the identity of CSU.
They pride themselves in their variety, with programs ranging from Polish, Irish, and Slovenian music, to classic rock, punk, EDM, and metal, as well as various news and talk programs. Exclusively, students and alumni of CSU are given the opportunity to audition for to host their own programs.
Every year, the station hosts various art competitions that attract local graphic designers and illustrators. Their work embodies the grittiness of the station through counter-cultural imagery, featuring psychedelic, punk rock, and metal-inspired aesthetics.
Recess Creative
WCSB Student Radio Website
I was the primary designer from information gathering through development on this website project for CSU's student radio website in Cleveland, Ohio
My Role
Information Architecture
Wireframes
Client Presentations
Staff On-Boarding
Team
Recess Creative
RESEARCH
Through multiple in-person interviews with the heads of the station, as well as trips to the studio for conversations with the DJ's, we determined two primary user types:
Listeners
Tuning in from all over Cleveland & surrounding areas, the typical station listener has no restriction on age, gender, or demographic. However, they tend to be CSU students / alumni, fans of eclectic or specific genres of music, & immigrants who listen to the station's many international programs. They were expected to visit the website for one or more of the following:
DJ's and Radio Staff
The staff consists of a handful of permanent members, along with an ever-rotating cast of student DJ's who host their own programs. Their biggest pain points included:
-To listen to the live-stream or archived audio of various programs.
-To buy studio merchandise offered through an annual "Radiothon" donation drive.
-To interact with their favorite DJ's through online communication channels.
-To request specific songs in real time
-Listener Engagement.
-Ticket Giveaway Management.
-Donations.
-Queuing up new songs in real-time.
Sitemap
Designs
Dynamic Song Queue
Controlled by the DJ. The song name is broadcasted live and appears on analogue displays, as well as the web player.
Songs requested by listers through the website will appear in the column on the left, and the DJ has the ability to move them into the queue.
Ticket Management System
DJ's have the ability to give tickets to various events and concerts away to callers through this internal tool. They must request tickets from the centrally owned stockpile of tickets that the entire station has access to.
Non-Static Features
Listener engagement is improved by including a live feed of the station at the bottom, promotional material, and newsfeeds of live content posted by various DJ's.
Designed to eliminate cases of music piracy, the updated web player allows users to view the currently playing song & artist along with the current show & host. A new request form allows users to request their favorite song or artist without having to pick up the phone.
Live Web Player
Each show has its own Program Page, with live news feeds allowing hosts to post updates and other features on their own show pages. Episode archives allow users to access the latest episode from all of their favorite shows instantly.
Program Page
The list of individual student radio shows appears as a dynamic list, sorted either chronologically or by genre. The currently playing show is highlighted, with a, "Listen Now" button that opens up the web player.
Dynamic Schedule
