Pratt Project: Design a social network music application that encourages community building and focuses on logging physical music in a user-generated database.
Methods: Wireframes, Logo creation, Responsive design, Prototype
Role: Sole UI Designer & Researcher
Duration: 3 months (Jun 2022 - Sep 2022)
Tools: Figma, Adobe Photoshop, Procreate, Lucidcharts
OVERVIEW
A little background
While streaming is considerably more accessible to the average music fan, there is something to be said about tangible copies of an album that you can feel and admire. Something that dwells between the realms of the abstract and the observable. My late father gifted me his first-ever CD and vinyl collection, which I now own. As I've expanded my collection over the years, I've realized how intimate my relationship with music has become. After discussing my experience with other collectors with similar starts, I discovered that I wasn't the only one who placed a high value on analog music.
Vinyls and CDs are reemerging in the streaming era
the physical music space is coming back due to a growing appreciation for tangible music formats, nostalgic sentiments, superior audio quality, and a desire for a more immersive and collectible music experience.
PROBLEM
Some music listeners long for a more intimate and distinctive way to connect to music, which goes beyond what digital streaming can offer, how can we offer a fun safe space for them to express themselves and catalog their interests.
SOLUTION
Design a social network music application that encourages community building and focuses on logging physical music in a user-generated database.
Current and aspiring music enthusiasts alike can easily find others to connect with while building up their hobby at the same time
SOLUTION 01
Community
Users will be able to view and share features like want lists, collections, and friend others in order to build a personal network of followers.
SOLUTION 02
Cataloging Collections
Users will be able to create a want list and logged collection of owned albums in vinyl/cd formatting, thus streamlining the catalog process.
SOLUTION 03
Express yourself
Users will be able to curate their profiles so that they can fully curate the way are seen by others, this includes a bio, pfp, and a personal display for their favorite albums.
First, I wanted to understand how people view analog music collecting
EMPATHIZE
Is there a barrier of entry? How far apart are streaming enjoyers from vinyl/cd collecting? What are peoples general relation to music?
I conducted 5 interviews and created a survey that was completed by 20 users
Since I faced time constraints, the survey helped me gain a better overall understanding of my target audience and also confirmed the general perception most people have on vinyls/cds. Afterwards, I conducted interviews to gain deeper clarification on the insights that were recurring in the survey.
What are some frustrations aspiring and existing collectors have?
I was caught off guard by the amount of people both familiar and not familiar with the hobby that felt it fostered a toxic environment.
The capabilities and features of the discover to purchase experience
I analyzed both direct and indirect competitors of vinyl/cd platforms. Since there were a small number of applications, I also analyzed marketplace applications that were very popular in the online reselling space to understand how their users go through the discover to purchase journey.
A closer look into our users
Meet Rob Rodriguez: a 22 year old, music geek who has been an avid music memorabilia collector since he was a sophomore in high school and is looking to meet other audiophiles
The pain points reflect the main takeaways highlighted in the user research section.
“Call it shallow, but I truly believe that music, art, movies, and books that people like are what defines them, and therefore are important to connect with.”
DEFINING THE USER PROBLEM
Problem
Now, the purpose for my mobile app became crystal clear — enhancing a specific aspect of the music collecting journey. Many desire to dive into vinyls/CDs but hesitate due to judgment or lack of gear. Established collectors crave a tighter-knit community. Thus, my hypothesis: cultivating an inclusive space, fostering expression and shared musical interests, will invite newcomers more warmly and unite those already immersed in the world of collecting.
How might we empower both aspiring and seasoned collectors to flourish as a community while sustaining the growth of their shared passion?
Brainstorming: "How Might We" Framework
I reframed the pain points/frustrations into a "How Might We..." framework to generate creative solutions that focuses on solving the right problems.
IDEATION
Selected lo-fi explorations and sketches
Had just finished watching high fidelity starring John Cusack in order to find some inspiration for my design
After brainstorming layouts, I selected my favorite of the key screens:
I wanted to focus on a minimal design inspired by Y-2K web typography and Japanese color design I used Pinterest boards for inspo! :3
I made the mistake of diving into hi-fidelity wireframes without a definite vision for the look and feel of the user interface.
I conducted user testing with 4 participants over Zoom
The objective of the test:
Observe if users can accomplish the specified task. If they made a mistake, can they recover?
Identify areas of opportunities to improve user performance and satisfaction.
After compiling insights, I iterated my initial designs based on common user feedback. Scroll below to see some of the design changes and rationale.
REFINING MY DESIGNS
I wasn’t fully aware of WCAG compliance but strove to minimize visual confusion for navigation nonetheless
Redesigning the User Interface
After receiving feedback, I decided to restart my designs with lo-fi wireframes. This time around, I made sure to keep content in a grid layout, create a component library to keep my application consistent, and employ an atomic design mindset.
Turning pain points into features
THE PROTOTYPE
Beyond genre a filter for album version, release, user, artist, etc would heavily reduce the effort for Rob to find what he’s looking for
Overall, in my inaugural solo project from start to finish, I faced a fair share of challenges, but discovered my workflow
Takeaways!
I've found this project to be quite therapeutic. I became aware of the worth of this product after reading and hearing the experiences of other analog music collectors who struggle to find community. For music lovers, assembling a collection is a challenging and isolating journey. Finding assistance and services in your community can provide some solace.
Understanding the UX Design Process:
This project immersed me in the full UX Design process from ideation to solution. Coming from a marketing background, the design process wasn't alarmingly new to me. It was interesting to see how some aspects of UX Design was similar to the advertising process (research, design, iteration). Witnessing how interchangeable the processes are made me feel quite confident in my switch to the UX Design field.
Importance of User Research:
At first, it was quite surprising how much research went into the process before you even begin designing. Nevertheless, it was very rewarding to see how the immense amount of research paid off later in the process. As someone who enjoys digging deep into understanding the root cause of problems, I was extremely invested in this stage. Understanding the importance of user research reaffirmed my interest in joining this field.
Communicating Design Decisions:
I used to believe design was all about aesthetics. Going into this project, I designed screens just because I felt like they "looked good." But when it came to explaining why I chose to use the sliding menu button at the very top of the screen, it wasn't an acceptable answer. I learned the importance of functionality > aesthetics. UX design centers around creating a product easy for your user to use, even if it isn't in the prettiest placement.
Next Steps
I will conduct additional usability testing with a wider range of music enjoyers as well as user interviews to understand the needs of the community better. The locations of members should also be considered. I would research products that provide customers with different levels of visibility and trust.