438: Dissecting Substack’s Podcast Player

438: Dissecting Substack’s Podcast Player

Author: Brian Lovin, Marshall Bock May 6, 2022 Duration: 39:18

This week, we dissect Substack’s new podcast player design, talking about both the pixels and the strategic advantage of sharing craft-specific content on Twitter. In the Sidebar, we talk about the nature and risks of critiquing software as podcasters and design practitioners.

Supported by:

Zeplin recently shipped Flows!

Flows are a fast/effortless way to create and outline user flows and journeys. Designers can use flows to connect screens in seconds and map complete user journeys, showing not just the happy path but all possible paths and behaviors.

All you need to do is add screens you want in a flow, then add a connector which will snap into place to connect screens or design elements. You even add a label to clarify edge cases or error paths.

As you publish new versions of designs, your flows and connectors will get updated automatically as screens change.

The Sidebar:

The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. You can subscribe starting at $1 per month for access to bonus content going forward! Sign up at patreon.com/designdetails.

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Main Topic:

This week, we dissect Substack’s new podcast player design, talking about both the pixels and the strategic advantage of sharing craft-specific content on Twitter.

Job Board:

We're curating the best product design roles from the world's most design-forward companies.

👉 Design Details Job Board

Mercury is hiring product designers! Mercury powers the banking stack for companies like Linear, Maven & Mighty. Join them to build beautiful software for founders. Learn about the remote-friendly team & roles at https://mercury.design — disclaimer: Mercury is a financial technology company that works with banks.

Current is on a mission to help people create better financial outcomes for their lives, and they’re hiring a talented senior mobile product designer with great visual design and UX skills. You’ll be involved in the full product development cycle: from early research and product strategy, to design and developer hand-off.

Patreon is building the future of the creative economy, and they’re looking for Product Designers at all levels to solve the needs of creators and members on our platform. Their roles are based in SF and NY.

Raycast makes it simple, fast and delightful to control your tools. They’re looking for an experienced individual to join their small team to redesign and improve core app functionality, tools to enable Developers to create new Extensions, and rethink components across the platform.

Cool Things:

  • Brian shared Tweetbot, a fantastic third-party Twitter app that takes some time to get used to, but is well worth it for a more peaceful user experience.
  • Marshall shared NFC sticker tags, a handy way to trigger events around your smart home, track the things you’re doing, or...anything else you can dream up!

Design Details on the Web:

Byeee!


Every week, Brian Lovin and Marshall Bock settle in for a thoughtful, often meandering chat that pulls back the curtain on how things are made. Their Design Details podcast lives in the rich space where technology and the arts intersect, focusing less on polished case studies and more on the real, sometimes messy, work of design. You’ll hear them dissect the nuances of product decisions, debate the evolving culture of creative teams, and share personal stories from their own experiences in the industry. It feels less like a lecture and more like eavesdropping on a conversation between two deeply knowledgeable friends. The discussions regularly venture into the philosophical side of craft, examining why certain choices resonate and how design shapes our daily interactions with the world. For anyone curious about the thinking behind the pixels and interfaces, this show offers a consistent, grounded perspective. Tuning in provides a sense of community and a candid look at the process, making it a staple for designers and creators who appreciate substance over flash.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Design Details
Podcast Episodes
444: Writing Effective Self-Reviews [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:03
This week, we share our tips for writing better self-reviews during performance review season.The Sidebar:The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. You can subscribe starting at $1 per month…
443: Design Systems Interviews [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:00
This week, we talk about interviewing for roles in design systems, what to prepare, and how many different kinds of skills are relevant in the field.The Sidebar:The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon…
442: It Doesn't Have to Be Right [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:00
This week, we share stories and lessons from some of our most memorable mentors.The Sidebar:The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. You can subscribe starting at $1 per month for access to…
441: WWDC 2022 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:12
This week, we recap all of our favorite...design details...announced at this week's WWDC.The Sidebar:The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. You can subscribe starting at $1 per month for a…
440: Don’t Call It a Design Critique [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:47
This week, we talk about how to make design critiques more fun, and how to encourage teams to share their work-in-progress more often.Supported by:Play — Play is the first native iOS design tool built for creating mobile…
439: Config 2022 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:59
This week, we cover all of the exciting new releases from Config 2022, and do a deep dive into the new version of Auto Layout.Supported by:Clay — Clay is the beautiful and private home for all your relationships. Populat…
437: Scaling Design Critique [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:34
This week, we talk about methods to scale design critiques with a growing team. In the Sidebar, we dig into the...details...of Figma's latest UI changes which added file type icons to file tabs.Golden Ratio Supporters:Ze…
436: Reclaiming Your Focus [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:25
This week, we share our tips and strategies for reclaiming our focus to do deep design work. In the Sidebar, we revisit last week's conversation about the value of ideas and finding the right time to share an idea with t…
435: New Feature Launch Checklist [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:40
This week, we share the checklist that we use when launching new features to make sure we’re not missing certain states, flows, or edge cases. In the Sidebar, we talk about working in public and the risk of people steali…
434: News Desk, Vol. 4 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:13
This week, we talk about enhancing the performance of design teams, a more efficient developer handoff process, and how to develop strong opinions. In the Sidebar, we talk about the tradeoffs of career progression and ov…