Top Ten Findings

For my interviews, I talked to people who were designers or artists who work with music, or have added an element of it to their projects. We discussed some of the opportunity areas I was considering within my literary review, and I let them run with the ideas that were coming up in their head.

A few common themes that emerged throughout all of these conversations was about feelings or forms of expression that people experience when listening or playing to music. Three of my interviews also talked about the technical aspect of music and how recent technology can enhance the experience of listening or playing, while my fourth interview was more about the emotional and cognitive side. An interesting point from that interview was that humans are becoming increasingly lonely, and there should be a way to combat that through music.

I enjoyed talking to each of them and going back and forth in terms of generating ideas together. The following are a few findings that I got from the interviews.

• Music is a way to connect people with themselves and each other.
• Nostalgia can be a very common feeling or occurrence when it comes to listening to music.
• Music is a form of both individual and communal expression.
• The technology that exists for music and musicians has remained relatively unchanged and does not compare to the same trajectory other technology has been advancing in the present.
• There is a desire from musicians to practice or play anytime and anywhere they want.
• The way music is practiced or listened to can become very lonely for individuals.