Spotify Ad Studio
Reimagining the onboarding process to help new advertisers kickstart ad creation.
MY ROLE
① Solo Product Designer
② Interaction & Visual Design
③ Design Strategy
TEAM
1 Product Manager, 2 Engineers, 1 Content Designer, and 1 UX Researcher
TIMELINE
3 months
Context
What is the Ad Studio?
Spotify Ad Studio is our self-serve platform for creating audio and video ads – a growing product with room for smoother onboarding. We wanted to get advertisers to that "aha!" moment of their first ad faster.
Problem
A whopping 78% of new advertisers never started creating their first ad.
We found advertisers were eager to start but lacked the format-specific knowledge needed for Spotify ads. Existing onboarding was too focused on setup, not the 'how-to' of ad creation.
Initial onboarding experience
My Approach
Strategic onboarding: big dreams, smart solutions
I worked with content designers to prioritize essential info, making it scannable for busy advertisers, and explored a range of design solutions, from quick wins to bigger-picture improvements.
Using “Mild-to-Wild” approach to explore concepts from the near-term to the long-term
Where we landed
A scannable solution on a tight timeline
With a tight deadline, I designed a zero-state page as an"Ad Creation"101"—concise headings, bullet points for must-know info, and visuals for clarity. Many design iterations led to this clean and effective cheat sheet for burgeoning advertisers.
Results
Design that delivers: broadening our reach
12.2% increase in new advertiser activation – proof that clear guidance works!
Launched in 17 major markets, including US, Brazil, Australia
My zero stage design pattern is now a go-to in our system of 30+ product designers