Spotify

Slate

A flexible solution for Spotify's ad products and notifications

My role for Spotify Slate

Design director
Lead product designer

The monetization team needed the ability to create richer native ad formats for Spotify.

As the design director for the monetization org at Spotify, we had to unblock the team's abilities to create new ad formats that advertisers were demanding. Something with higher craft that allowed for better visibility and interaction.

As the lead product designer, I implemented the designs and set the principles of the product with other designers in the org. We worked collaboratively with other teams at Spotify, to ensure the final product feels unified.

What is Spotify Slate?

Spotify Slate is a dedicated surface system for ad products and promotional messaging, delivering high craft branded experiences while preserving Spotify’s core focus on listening.

Problem with ads vs. music

Ads were a necessity for the free version of Spotify but it was sharing the same surfaces as music. For users this caused confusion and didn't allow a lot room for the future of ad products.

High craft displays

The advertising assets needed to be showcased, which benefited free users and advertisers. Spotify's native ad products, conventional display media as well as Spotify promotions required first class placements.

User first

It was important to ensure the user always felt like they're in control. We allowed for multiple interactions that allowed listeners to dismiss Slate. Whether by swiping it away, tapping the dismiss action or tapping on the background to get back to their intended usage.

Flexibility

We had to ensure that Slate would fir the need for the new ad formats we were exploring. It also had to allow more functions than just displaying the media. We wanted to include functions that users would find beneficial on Spotify.

Sponsored sessions in Slate which allowed users to get premium function by watching a video ad.

Using Slate to present live sessions and concerts.

Premium upsells

Slate can be used for full takeover experiences.

Unique ad experiences with premium brands.

Promotional discovery and native playback functions through recommendations and Marquee.

Slate results

$400M+

Annual revenue from native ads on Spotify

Launching Slate allowed the teams to move quickly on developing new and exciting ad formats that listeners actively engaged with.

Slate

Working on the ad products on Spotify was one of the best professional experiences. We were able to establish user centric principles from the ground up that built trust within the teams at Spotify and with our users. To this day, Slate is used by artists on Spotify as a viable means to attract more listeners. For fans when advertising is presented correctly, it becomes a valuable form of discovery.

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