Spotify Redesign — UX Design Thinking Case Study

Join me on an exciting adventure as I share my UX design case study from a 2-week workshop under the mentorship of UX Anudeep. Discover the step-by-step process and valuable insights gained along the way, as we explore the fascinating world of UX design and its impact on user satisfaction.

I was super excited when UX Anudeep introduced us to an Evaluative Design exercise in our workshop. UX Anudeep’s 2-week Kickstart Workshop taught me the basics of UX Design, like principles, heuristics, laws etc. With this knowledge, I gained the confidence to analyze existing app designs and solve design problems. That’s how I started the UX Design challenge to evaluate and improve the Spotify Liked Songs playlist experience. It’s been an awesome learning journey!

Table of Content

1. Problem
2. Solution
3. High-Fidelity Prototype of the Redesign
4. Validating solution through Usability Testing
5. Final Improved Redesigned Screens After Usability Testing
6. Key Learnings
7. Conclusion

Case Study Overview

This case study aims to enhance the user experience of the Spotify mobile app by redesigning its interface and incorporating additional functionality based on valuable user feedback.

Problem

People save their favourite songs in their “Liked Songs” playlist on Spotify, all the songs are initially sorted by the order of recent additions. Unfortunately, many users are unaware that they can filter and sort the songs. The option to filter by Artist, Album, or title is hidden, requiring users to swipe down to discover the search and sort button. By clicking it, a pop-up menu appears, offering sorting options by title, artist, or album. This lack of awareness hampers user’s ability to efficiently organize and access their favorite songs.

Fig 1.1: Original Screens

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Coming up with the solutions

Fig 1.2: Ideas for Solution

After generating various ideas, I identified a solution to address the issue. By placing search and filter options, such as Recently added, Title, album, and artist, at the top of the “Liked Songs” playlist on Spotify, users can effortlessly sort their songs. This intuitive redesign enables users to quickly locate and organize their favorite songs, enhancing the overall user experience and eliminating the hidden nature of these essential features.

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High-Fidelity Prototype — Redesign of the Liked Song Playlist

Making my Prototype Behave like a Real App Interface

Fig 1.3: High-Fidelity Prototype of the Redesign (click on the image for better readability)

Working Prototype of the Redesign

Roydan Lara D'Mello on LinkedIn: 🎵 Exciting News! 🎵 Introducing my redesigned Spotify app…

Enhanced Spotify: Key Points to Highlight
In the redesign, a search tab and filters for Recently added, Title, Album, and Artist are added to the Liked Songs section. This elevates the user experience, enabling quick searching and efficient song management.

User Benefits:

• Swiftly find specific tracks and manage their music library.
• Enhanced flexibility and efficiency in song exploration.

Business Benefits:

• Increased user satisfaction and engagement.
• Higher user retention
• Boost platform usage and potential revenue growth.

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Validating if My Solutions will work through Usability Testing

I conducted usability testing with unfamiliar Spotify users to evaluate my redesign. I assigned them tasks and observed their interactions, seeking honest opinions.

Fig 1.4: Usability Testing — (tasks for the users)

Fig 1.5: Insights from Usability Testing (click on the above image for better readability)

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Final improved Redesigned Screens after Usability Testing

Based on the usability testing results, I further refined my redesign by adding the option to scroll through Liked Songs based on artist, album, and title names, arranged alphabetically. This improvement enhances the navigation experience for users, enabling quick access to specific songs and better organization of their music library.

Fig 1.6: Final Improved Redesigned Screens After Usability Testing

Working Prototype of the Improved Redesign

Roydan Lara D'Mello on LinkedIn: In the continuation of my Spotify redesign journey, I am…

This solution benefits the user by:

• Facilitating convenient exploration and access to Liked Songs.
• Enhancing organization and management of the music library.

From a business perspective, this enhancement:

• Increases user loyalty, satisfaction, and engagement.
• Boosts user retention and encourages prolonged exploration of Liked Songs.
• Has the potential to drive greater user activity and platform growth.

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Key Learnings

• Appreciating existing designs from the user’s perspective.
• Applying UX principles practically for effective design.
• Understanding UI elements and screen sizes for optimal designs.
• Conducting unbiased usability testing to evaluate designs.
• Realizations about the nonlinear nature of the design process.
• Community and instructor support for problem-solving.
• Improved confidence in UX concepts, collaboration, and decision-making.

These learnings from the 2-week workshop have transformed my approach to UX design, enhancing my skills and providing valuable insights for future projects.

Conclusion

This case study showcases the iterative process of redesigning the Spotify app, focusing on user feedback, and implementing UX principles for enhanced functionality and improved user experience. The learnings gained from the workshop have transformed my approach to UX design and enriched my skillset for future projects.

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