The service design inspiration 007: Future of concerts — human interaction
Music has been a great part of human lifestyle since the beginning. We have found various ways to enjoy that over the centuries. As times become challenging, we see a rise in new musical experiences using various technologies. Music is still bringing people together but media and modes of consumption are definitely changing.
Hello, we are two enthusiastic service designers who love to dive into the world of products and services. We are here to share with you our service design explorations and inspirations which we think could be helpful for all of us to develop and innovate.
So, we set ourselves on the exploration of various new musical experiences evolving around the globe. We picked these five different representations of the current global music concert scenario for this article.
Let’s go and take a look at some interesting examples of services that facilitate online concerts and events!
Burning Man 2020
Largest virtual art and live music event in history.
What problem are they solving?
Burning Man has gathered a great reputation of being a one of a kind festival of art and music. The festival involves a lot of art exhibits which are made by the community who comes together to make this festival possible. This year, due to the constraints, Burning Man is taking the same spirit, creating this city on a platform, which allows people to contribute virtually from all around the world.
Who is it for?
For people who want to contribute remotely to create this year’s virtual experience of Burning Man!
2 things we liked!
- Letting people participate in creating the massive virtual experience
- Keeping the same spirit of physical community even virtually or digitally
We wish…
the concept of collaboration for such an iconic festival was well communicated. So that more people could have participated with a clear structured approach.
Service Design Inspiration.
Keeping the core values of a project intact even when the medium goes from physical to digital or virtual. This way Burning Man is pioneering a new approach of creating online events.
Context jam
(where we take a concept from the service and place it in a different context)
ABC is a company which does mental health awareness workshops. The major part of the work is done by volunteers from the universities. With changing times, ABC is now able to take this moment to the next level by onboarding other universities across the globe digitally; connecting distant volunteers.
Astronomical
Concerts as interactive musical journeys
What problem are they solving?
Live interaction at scale is difficult and has a problem of stability. By leveraging their experience with online multiplayers games; Epic Games used their already proven and tested platform Fortnite to hold a unique concert experience that did not make any compromises for fans.
Who is it for?
Travis Scott’s fans who want to attend a unique album launch.
Fortnite players who wanted to get limited time rewards.
2 things we liked!
- Value of the event for fans of Travis Scott and Fortnite alike.
- Astronomical allowed the fans to move and interact in the digital space with their avatar rather than emulating an offline concert.
We wish…
Astronomical is made into an actual feature for future events rather than a one off.
Service Design Inspiration.
Epic Games was able to turn their existing infrastructure into a uniquely interactive event, making it quick and easy to adapt for new fans.
Context jam
(where we take a concept from the service and place it in a different context)
ABC is a company that provides cars for rent. By leveraging their network of garages, they are able to provide transportation for special occasions and events at a reasonable price without needing a lot of time and investment to add a new market.
Retrofuture
A 360° virtual reality concert
What problem are they solving?
As the possibility to do live concerts vanishes, various artists are coming up with different ways to keep the vibe going. In India 3 famous DJs came together with some visual artists to create a 90min long VR concert experience. This soundscape took the audience in a whole new fictional world while being at home.
Who is it for?
For people who wanted to experience a unique musical treat right now.
2 things we liked!
- Usage of VR to deliver an experience which was well beyond just replacing the real concert with streaming.
- An educational approach towards explaining how to access the live stream for the best immersive impact, making full use of 360° technology.
We wish…
the experience was shared with other people remotely in a more interactive way. As the concerts are usually a community thing and the immersive experience was rather 1 to 1.
Service Design Inspiration.
The ability to design a whole experience package and delivering it to a large audience remotely opens up a lot of possibilities. This way various experiences could be curated and bundled for interactive and immersive home fiesta.
Context jam
(where we take a concept from the service and place it in a different context)
ABC is an event management company. Due to the limitations of the market, they are using their resources to create packages of home experiences. This way they are able to deliver curated boxes to audiences of particular events.
Tomorrowland around the world
New inspirations in uncommon times
What problem are they solving?
With the pandemic, Tomorrowland had to find a new way to give an eclectic festival to their fans digitally. A streaming platform not only for music and their connected 3D experiences, but also a place for guests to speak and offer inspiration sessions.
Who is it for?
For Tomorrowland’s community to still enjoy the festival with likeminded people from all around the world.
2 things we liked!
- Tomorrowland kept the spirit that made it famous in a more digital setting.
- The event is becoming an exploration of what can be done at home and with digital technology, rather than a backup solution.
We wish…
Tomorrowland was more upfront with their extra packages which lets you transform your home into a Tomorrowland.
Service Design Inspiration.
Tomorrowland is creating a platform for streaming content of various nature, without forgetting the in-house experience of people, which reflects and enhances the message.
Context jam
(where we take a concept from the service and place it in a different context)
ABC is a company that produces and sells books of small time authors. By creating more premium book experience packages they are able to diversify their limited offer and create a more personal touch.
Jamkazam
Play and connect with musicians online like in real life
Image credits: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Zk7-04IAx4
What problem are they solving?
Jamkazam helps musicians connect by providing them a digital space to make music from home. Jamkazam allows people to play concerts remotely from all around the world with their bandmates or new people they have met online.
Who is it for?
Musicians and bands who want to perform with their bandmates remotely.
2 things we liked!
- The Jamblaster completes the digital service with a physical tool to ensure quality of interaction.
- The platform also includes teaching and learning, fueling the community.
We wish…
Jamkazam helped musicians in creating more refined content for the web.
Service Design Inspiration.
Jamkazam creates a full circle platform, not only with streaming rooms for jamming, but also with a physical object that helps people make the most of the service itself.
Context jam
(where we take a concept from the service and place it in a different context)
ABC is a company that tracks weight loss progress and provides programs to favor it. By hosting seminars from doctors and experts, ABC is able to help people along their journey with a holistic environment for all their needs.
Our big takeaway
As times get challenging technology driven music concerts are surfacing all over the world. With various ways of approaching their execution, most of these concerts are going digital. Virtual spaces are definitely one of the key elements in this transition. The hard hitting bass or the live intimacy of the concerts is being traded by immersive audio-visual experiences. But we see that the community or togetherness of concerts is definitely a critical point. The live performance has a lot to do with the chemistry between the performer and the audience too. We hope to see more exploration of such relationships in a more unique and authentic way. At the end of the day the question we ask ourselves is: when live concerts begin again, what kind of virtual concert trends will stick and how will they evolve?
About Authors
Sebastiano Gobbo
Service Designer, problem solver and work-shopper, enthusiastic about reading and travelling.
Follow him: Linkedin, Personal Website, Instagram.
Suyog Sunil Risbud aka The fun Indian guy
A creative solo-entrepreneur. Service designer, musician, filmmaker, podcaster!
Follow him: Linkedin, Youtube, Instagram, Spotify, Personal Website
