"This smartly-designed app for an equally smart radio show and podcast contains every feature you could ask for, packaged in an inventive and playful UI." —juror Dave Curry
"The UI is fun, simple to navigate and intuitive; it makes ignoring people on the train much more entertaining." —juror Perry Fair
Overview: More than just a companion to the broadcast, this app is an extension of the show's hosts—Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich—and their spirit of exploration, possibility and play. It not only presents everything interesting that happens over the airwaves, it captures the sense of wonder and curiosity that Radiolab has always conveyed in its listening experience. And it needed to feel like it sounded: The interface is whimsical and imaginative in the same way as the show but also enables the audience to sort through and listen to a huge catalog of episodes and podcasts.
• The project was in development for nine months.
• A community feature called MAKE allows users to contribute photos, sounds and writing to the program.
• As of December 2012, the app has had 50,000 downloads (iPhone and Android combined).
Comments by One Trick Pony and Public Radio Exchange:
Was the topic/subject of the project a new one for you? "We previously worked with WNYC and the Radiolab team to design their website. The experience prepped us for this app because we had to create a visual experience for something that, to date, was built on the airwaves."
Were there any specific demands that made the project easier or harder? "We're often asked to translate brands, as they exist, to new platforms, but never so much as taking one sense and communicating it to a complete different one. Going from sound to sight was as challenging as it was rewarding—and we loved every minute of it."
What was the response to the app? "The app is as unique and whimsical as Radiolab. Interestingly enough, the response to it has been similar to the response to the program: Users who love the whimsical and curious nature of the program also love the app; if they weren't into the style of the show, they were equally unimpressed by the apps unique features."
