Hark Audio App
Making a curated audio app easier to understand through design, not explanation
Hark Audio curate the best moments from podcasts into daily Harklists. The idea was strong and the product was well made, but the design wasn’t doing enough of the heavy lifting. Across the app, website, and marketing, small inconsistencies added up, which meant users had to work harder than they should have to understand what they were looking at. I was brought in to bring the design back into alignment so the product could explain itself visually.
Visual identity, UX and UI design, accessibility, hierarchy, design system, marketing assets
The product feels coherent wherever people encounter it, the value is easier to grasp at a glance, and the team can move forward without re-deciding the basics every time
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These were the things getting in the way
Hark is a genuinely good product, but the experience didn’t help it make a strong first impression. You had to hang around, read carefully, and give it a bit of goodwill before it properly showed its hand.
The idea of curated audio wasn’t immediately clear.
People had to read more than they wanted to before it made sense.
The subscription value was there, but easy to overlook.
The interface didn’t always match how people actually listen in real life.
The app didn’t need a better explanation. It needed design that made the point obvious.
What happened when we untangled those issues?
Once the structure started doing the heavy lifting, the product stopped asking for patience and started making sense straight away.
You can tell what the app is for within seconds.
Information shows up when people are ready for it.
The value of subscribing is easier to grasp without digging.
The experience now fits around listening habits instead of interrupting them.
