Syn Pod
I created and designed a website for the podcast I had produced and edited, “Syn Pod.” The podcast is about a phenomenon called synesthesia, through which some people can hear color or see sound. Often, people who have synesthesia, or “synesthetes” feel alone in their experience. My goal with the podcast and the website was to make synesthetes feel less alone, and build a sense of community for them.
Role: Website designer, podcast producer, podcast editor
Duration: 6 months
Contribution: I produced and edited the podcast, then created the podcast’s website.
Platform: Desktop
Team size: 5
Creating community around an otherwise isolating experience
When Christine described people as certain colors, or Gracy told her number stories, friends and family were often confused.
It wasn’t until they each learned that they had synesthesia that they realized they were not alone.
Their goal with the podcast was to create a sense of community and help people feel less isolated and alone, especially if they were experiencing synesthesia.
I sought to continue building that sense of community by:
Writing friendly copy throughout the website
Creating a welcoming “Get in contact with us” message
Linking Gracy, Christine, and Ian’s social media accounts
Friendly copy: Making users feel more welcome with 1st person narration
To make the wording even friendlier, I would change the writing on the individual profiles from 3rd person to 1st. The current first person copy makes the hosts feel more removed and less personable.
2. Welcoming “Contact Us” message
A welcoming message on the contact form feels warm, friendly, and approachable. I would add icons with links to the social media accounts, so that, if a user preferred to get in touch over social media rather than through a contact form, they could.
