5 things that shape a podcast's aesthetics
This is part two of the 4-issue guide to giving your podcast a visual style that gets noticed and gets talked about:
part 1 — The most beautiful podcast covers
part 2 — this one
part 3 — How to design a successful cover art
part 4 — Template and resource list
With AI now available in almost every DIY tool, designing is becoming more fun. But before you or your designer start splashing colors on the square artboard, it pays to get clarity on the following aspects:
Podcasting goals
What's the No.1 goal of the podcast?
What do you want to happen if you are successful? Getting more users? More investment? More projects? Better talent?
You need this information for the landing page design.
Your show topic
What would people search for in order to discover your podcast?
List 10 queries. Search them yourself to see what people find. This is your digital market shelf. To get noticed, you need to stand against these search results.
The overarching vibe
For brands, the podcast is a medium for the second and third layers of the brand ID stack — content, story, narrative, voice and sound. That’s why your podcast’s vibe should be in sync with your company’s brand personality, the host’s personality and of course, the content you share.
If your project doesn’t have a brand personality yet, these exercises and questions will help you find one:
Ira Nezhynska
Ira Nezhynska
Ira Nezhynska
And the bigger guide that I already shared above.
Your show soundtrack
Music defines aesthetics. If you have a favourite soundtrack already, use it for briefing a designer. A decent graphic designer can translate music into the language of shape and color.
But if you’re unsure about the soundtrack, don't rush. Let the aesthetics lead you to the right music choice.
The show name
Later this year, I'll share the naming guide with you. For now, follow these simple tips:
Keep it short.
Otherwise, the platform UI may cut the smartest part of your show name.
Make it unique.
Are there other podcasts with a similar name? Some hosts trademark their podcasts. And although most podcasts are not protected, thus there may be no copyright infringement, name similarity can confuse your audience when they google your podcast’s name.
Test your name.
Especially if you use wordplay in your name.
Check if people from different nationalities pronounce it correctly when reading it.
Check if people from different nationalities can get it right when hearing it.
Ensure that the name does not evoke undesirable associations among people from diverse cultures. Some wordplays can have funny or abusive meanings in other languages.
Naming bonus tip:
Ira Nezhynska
When you know the answers to these questions, you are ready to kick off the design phase. Which we’ll do on Wednesday.
Yours,
Ira
No spam, no sharing to third party. Only you and me.
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