Kid's App
iHeartRadio Family | 2015
Context & Opportunity
Born at a hackathon, the idea was to create a safe, simple, and engaging digital music experience for kids ages 4–9.
Opportunity:
iHeart had kids’ content but no dedicated, child-friendly environment.
Competitors like Netflix and YouTube already offered standalone kids’ apps.
Needed to design a differentiated experience that balanced delight for kids with trust for parents, while also enabling sponsorship opportunities.
Role: Led UI/UX design and creative direction—from concept pitch to prototyping, user testing, and launch.
Solution & Process
prototype by sean vickery
interactive direction by mary ann s lewis
Concept Development: Built a 24-hour HTML prototype with a developer to pitch stakeholders.
Process:
Industry + analytics analysis validated the opportunity.
Secured buy-in from CEO, Sales, Marketing, and Product.
Designed under agile with competitive analysis, prototyping, and iterative user testing.
UX & Creative Direction:
Crafted a visually loud, fun personality with meaningful animations.
Introduced swipe gestures and intuitive navigation tested with kids.
Adjusted UI based on findings (e.g., larger touch areas, “Live” station labels, skip counter feedback).
Business Alignment:
Designed sponsorship integration (e.g., Build-A-Bear immersive skins) and launched responsive promotional website.
Results
Impact:
Secured $1M sponsorship with Build-A-Bear before launch
iHeart entered the kids’ entertainment shelf space with a trusted, branded product
Won Amazon Appstore Best Apps of 2015
Established a new UX pattern internally — proving playful design could meet business goals
