I led UX for Google’s Chromecast Audio product and Cast SDK. This beloved device (like its video sibling) was the best way to stream music from an iOS or Android device to existing speakers in the house. The product was discontinued in 2019 due to smart speaker innovations, but the SDK is still in operation.
Role:
• UX Design Lead
• Visual Designer
• Sound Designer
Success metrics:
• 1.5B+ stream events in 2015
• #1 selling streaming device worldwide in 2016
• 20K+ cast-ready apps in 2016
Making existing speakers smart to control from devices
Chromecast Audio needed to be easy to set up and fun to use on the speakers people already had. I designed a setup experience for the Chromecast app with simple cards to represent a variety of devices and their status (e.g., active vs inactive).
Grouping speakers to expand the soundscape
Since music is best enjoyed loudly and without interruptions, Chromecast Audio was designed to link multiple speakers and support multi-room playback.
Playing effortlessly from favorite apps
I worked on the Cast SDK and with third-party apps to make popular apps “Cast-ready” on both iOS and Android. Users simply press the Cast button to play audio on their speakers.
Sonic feedback to know Cast progress
Most speakers (at the time) didn't have a screen to communicate media actions. To improve usability, I directed the design of the key sounds heard when interacting with the device and playback in the SDK. The sounds provided consistent feedback for users and a brand personality for the product.
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