Spotify Wave
Bringing Musicians & Artists Together
For this project, our team immersed ourselves in the world of musicians to understand their collaboration dynamics. We explored what drives them, the challenges they face, and how they enrich their musical journeys through teamwork. Our vision was to partner with Spotify to develop a new platform designed to unite artists. This platform would simplify the process of connecting and collaborating, enabling musicians to easily find each other, set up jam sessions, and record songs together. Imagine an app where users can seamlessly connect with fellow musicians, arrange collaborative sessions, and create music, celebrating the unique bond of collective creativity.
My Role: In my team of three, I served as Project Manager and UX designer. I was responsible for keeping our team on track to meet deadlines, as well as designing from early concept sketches to the final prototype.
Duration: 2 Weeks | Prototype Link: Spotify Wave
Tools Used: Figma, Notion, Zeplin, Zoom
Methods Used: Competitive Features Analysis, BMC, Screener Survey, User Interview, Affinity Mapping, User Persona, User Journey, Feature Prioritization, Design Studio, Style Guide, Wireframing, Prototyping, Usability Testing
The Challenge
As the music industry shifts into the digital realm, musicians face challenges in discovering and connecting with peers, leading to isolation and frustration. Existing platforms fail to provide the support needed for meaningful connections and spontaneous collaborations. This gap represents an opportunity to develop solutions tailored to artists' networking needs.
Our Focus
We sought to partner with Spotify for artists as a way to enrich the user’s musical experiences and address the challenges hindering collaboration, ultimately building a more connected community among musicians.
Opportunities
A New digital platform that includes:
Connect with others for collaborative opportunities
Share musical creations within a supportive community
Participate in both live and remote events & jam sessions
The Solution
Connect
With this feature, users can link up with fellow musicians who share similar interests online, opening up chances for collaboration. We created an intuitive interface with filters for genre, location, and skill level to help musicians find suitable collaborators quickly.
Collaborate
This feature enables users to meet fellow musicians and arrange jam sessions effortlessly. Wed designed a streamlined scheduling system that integrates with users' calendars to simplify arranging jam sessions.
Compose
This feature allows users to effortlessly compose and collaborate on recordings in real-time then post them to their feed directly from their mobile devices. Implemented real-time collaboration tools with built-in audio and video capabilities, enabling seamless remote music creation.
TLDR..
My Role
As the Project Manager and UX Designer on a team of three, I led the design of key features like the event RSVP page and messaging system. I kept the project on track, coordinated tasks, and ensured a user-centered design process from concept to prototype. I facilitated client communication and adapted plans to address challenges such as scheduling conflicts and technical issues.
To optimize our team's performance, I delegated tasks based on each member's strengths, while also providing opportunities for everyone to develop skills in areas they wanted to improve. This balanced approach was crucial given our tight deadlines while working closely with the client.
As the project managing lead, I assigned daily tasks for the team and closely monitored progress to maintain momentum and stay on schedule. When unexpected challenges arose, such as interview scheduling conflicts or technical issues, I quickly adapted our plan to keep the project moving forward efficiently. Through effective planning and adaptability, we were able to deliver the required project deliverables on time and to the client's satisfaction.
Context
Spotify is one of the leading music streaming services worldwide. It’s an app for users to share playlists, discover new songs & genres that are personalized for the user, and have access to an expensive music library. My team and I came up with a new platform idea that could be targeted towards artists and musicians who seek a more social and community focused experience. With Wave, it’s an applications aim to encourages artists to connect, collaborate, and compose with each other.
Problem
As we transition into the digital realm for musicians, we discovered that artists have encountered significant hurdles in discovering and connecting with fellow artists, leading to feelings of isolation and frustration. Existing musical platforms lack the tailored support artists need for meaningful connections and spontaneous collaborations.
Solution
Introducing "Spotify Wave," a social platform extension of Spotify designed for artists to connect, collaborate, and create. Key features include: "Connect" for linking up with musicians, "Collaborate" for arranging jam sessions, and "Compose" for real-time collaboration on recordings. This platform provides a dedicated space for artists to enrich their musical experience and build a connected community.
What Lead Us To Choose Spotify?
Competitive Matrix
We constructed a competitive matrix to evaluate various music streaming platforms and identified Spotify as having the highest user base. Consequently, we determined that creating and presenting a new social platform originating from Spotify would be the most advantageous course of action.
Integration Opportunities
Our proposed platform Wave is very much similar to Spotify. It’s a platform that can bring artists together, while also opening up exploration for otherwise unlikely collaborations. Wave will also have the ability to create and share new music between users which aligns perfectly with Spotify.
Users can share their playlists
Discover music through personal algorithm
Access to extensive streaming library
Connect with other artists/musicians
Collaborate in music sessions.
Compose music with other users.
Hypothesis
Musicians want to use a unified digital platform to connect and collaborate with fellow artists.
Assumptions
▢ Musicians want ways to connect with other musicians/artists for jam sessions.
▢ Artists want ways to connect with other musicians/artists for recording sessions.
▢ Individuals would like to be able to listen to music and connect with the artists for potential collaboration.
▢ It's challenging for people with geographical barriers or conflicting schedules to collaborate effectively.
Problem Space
How might we provide an environment for musicians to connect, collaborate, and compose with other artists?
User Interviews
We conducted in-depth interviews with six musicians, both professionals and hobbyists. Key insights included a desire for more jam sessions, flexible collaborations outside traditional studios, and a need for a platform supporting spontaneous and scheduled interactions. These insights informed our design decisions, ensuring we addressed the real needs and pain points of our users.
Insights
Users desire to be able to find and go go to more jam sessions
Users want a platform to express musical interests, collaborate on songs, and do so when the option of going into a recording studio isn’t available, necessary or is cost prohibitive.
Users want a platform to express musical interests, collaborate on songs, and do so when the option of going into a recording studio isn’t available, necessary or is cost prohibitive.
Persona
Designing a persona gave my team a clearer visualization of who we aimed to design our product for by identifying the user’s goals, needs, and frustrations.
Design Decisions
Connect Feature: We created an intuitive interface with filters for genre, location, and skill level to help musicians find suitable collaborators quickly.
Collaborate Feature: Designed a streamlined scheduling system that integrates with users' calendars to simplify arranging jam sessions.
Compose Feature: Implemented real-time collaboration tools with built-in audio and video capabilities, enabling seamless remote music creation.
Metrics for Success
Reflection
This project underscored the importance of user-centered design and adaptability. Initially, we set out to create a new platform without fully understanding musicians' challenges. Through user research, we discovered the need for spontaneous collaboration and flexible networking, which existing platforms lacked. Pivoting based on these insights allowed us to develop a solution that truly met user needs. This experience highlighted the value of being open to change, gathering user feedback, and iterating on designs to ensure relevance and impact. It also emphasized the importance of effective teamwork and communication in achieving project goals.