Oncetold - Tell Your Story

Podcast Design Prototyping

From Blueprint to Prototype!

From blueprint to prototype, "Podcast Design Prototyping" guides you in transforming your podcast design into a fully realized concept. Move past the foundational blueprint and into the detailed prototyping phase. Learn to sketch concepts, refine your design, and understand how feedback drives iteration. Master the art of using constraints creatively and crafting a detailed prototype that stands alone. This work matters because it transforms your foundational design into a production-ready podcast.

In this course you will learn to:

Define your podcast's limits to focus creativity and refine your design.
Utilize prototypes to experiment and fail early, accelerating your learning process.
Sketch diverse podcast concepts to explore and refine your ideas.
Make informed decisions to commit to a concept and move forward confidently.
Refine your prototype through feedback and iterative improvements.
Create a detailed prototype that can be used as a standalone production guide.

By the end, you will have a comprehensive prototype and a clear understanding of the design principles needed to transform your blueprint into a production-ready podcast, setting you on the path to creating a show that is both unique and engaging.

Each Lesson Includes:

Learn the Process

Discover the core principle behind each step in small, direct steps.

Step-by-Step

Understand how each step builds on the next to create a bigger picture.

Test Yourself

Quiz yourself to see if you've mastered the primary concept.

Go Beyond

Find more details with additional resources that expand each step.

Lessons in this Course

Part 1: Laying the Groundwork

This part establishes the core principles of podcast prototyping. You'll learn to define constraints, understand the value of prototypes, and begin sketching initial concepts. This groundwork is essential for building a solid foundation for your podcast design, setting the stage for deeper exploration and refinement.

Lesson 01: Introduction

Learn to focus your creativity by establishing clear design constraints for your podcast.

Lesson 02: Filtering out the noise

Learn to utilize prototypes as a safe space for experimentation and rapid refinement.

Lesson 03: Early prototyping decisions

Learn what goes into an initial prototype to leverage early innovation.

Part 2: Make Key Decisions

This part focuses on making critical production choices to shape your podcast's listener experience. You'll refine your design by determining talent, production setup, episode duration, release schedule, music, sound effects, and tone. These decisions solidify your prototype, preparing it for final refinement.

Lesson 04: You are the talent

Learn to determine the talent structure of your podcast by deciding whether to host alone, with a co-host, or invite guests.

Lesson 05: Tone Is a Choice

Learn to establish a consistent tone by choosing between serious, professional, lighthearted, or conversational styles.

Lesson 06: Long enough and no longer

Learn to establish episode duration by deciding on a fixed length or variable lengths, and planning for ad breaks.

Lesson 07: Consistency is everything

Learn to set a consistent release schedule by choosing between daily, weekly, monthly, or seasonal releases.

Lesson 08: Make sound serve the story

Learn to utilize music and sound effects creatively by deciding on theme, mood, and voice-overs.

Part 3: Bringing It to Life

This final part focuses on the practical steps of transitioning from a prototype to a pilot episode. You'll learn to bridge the gap between design and production, ensuring your podcast is ready for launch. You'll also discover the importance of originality and learn how to avoid trends, culminating in the motivation to bring your unique vision to life.