Muzi App
Music and Moods
My Role: User Experience Designer | Duration: 3 days
Project Overview
Design an app that tackles the challenges of setting a mood in a music app. It also offers the user trivia and informative details about the artist.
Limitations, Parameters, Resources, and Materials
The 3 day duration of this project is short lived and worthwhile.
The parameters were to find a problem to solve within the topic of Music
Resources and material user for this projectmarvel app, paper, pencil, fine tip pen, sharpie markers, iphone templates, and post-its.
Initial Problem Statement
How can music listeners find tunes that match their mood and at the same time learn about the artist.
How might we build an app that would allow the user to choose a mood and learning about the artist and their production process.
How did you confirm or refine your initial assumptions?
User interviews refined my initial assumptions and it informed my discussion guide further to hone in on an opportunity based on mood and music appreciation via trivia and facts about the artist.
RESEARCH PHASE
User Interviews (Total 6)
Alice, 25
- “I rather use music to focus”
- EDM creates headaches
- Needs it to wake
Elaine, 58
- “I’m from a different a era”
- Music can be healing
- Music Appreciation is no long in public school
- “Do you know Paul Robeson, Harry Belafonte?”
Danny, 26
- “I learn to music on the train”
- Set the mood
- Played music and picked up hobbies
Enjoy music and wishes he knew music theory
Tammy, 48
- “Biggest regret not continuing with it”
- Likes minimal music with no voices
- Likes music for background noise
Played three instruments in her early childhood and I wish could. Instead listens to minimalism for background music.
•Main screen •Immediately shown moods users can scroll up or down through •Current that’s playing
- Helpful for the mood
- Confidence building
- It’s therapeutic
- Listens to Jazz while driving
- “Constructive outlet for stress”
Practices many instruments since early childhood.
Josh, 36
- Good for concentration
- Play the piano as hobby
- Listening to Star War by John Williams
Synthesis » Affinity Mapping
Research Findings / Real Problem
Findings
I don’t like to listen to music when I’m biking
I don’t wear headphones when I’m working.
I rather listen to music from the speakers
I listen to music when I’m working out
I listen to music when I work
I like to play the piano
I learned how to read sheet music in high school or through private as in my early childhood.
From my interviews, I found a similar problem among the users I’ve interviewed regarding they’re mood and that they wish there was more appreciation for music in schools nowadays. Because they’re from a different era. Another user wanted learn about music theory so they can produce music on their own. Unfortunately, they don’t have the time for that.
Insights
I need headspace
I need Music Appreciation
I need influential artist
I need to keep exploring
I need to play instruments
DESIGN PHASE
Design Studio: Sketching + Concepting (Paper Prototype)
I thought of an app that would allow the user to choose a mood and learning about the artist and their production process. I thought it would be effective use of the user’s time when their working out or in the subway. And yet, play tunes while working or relaxing by simply providing a simple interface to set the mood.
Usability Tests and Resulting Iterations
Test Findings
Use was happy
It was simple to change mood
Use was able to learned about the artist
There was a confusion with navigation, but use was able to figure it out
This was resolved in there final iteration in the prototype
Prototype
Next Steps
- Research how can a user selection of moods match with a song
- Iterate problem statement and lean in on the idea of incorporating Chords, scales, Arpeggio in the trivia section of Muzi App.
Reflection
The discovery phase was challenging at first. The topic was so broad. Finding an area to focus without having an interest in mind required mind-mapping for this task.
After speaking with Patrick Glass, GA TA for my cohort. He helped me immensely by stating, “Is there anywhere in the music education space, whether it be in appreciation or self-teaching, where you think the experience may be improved?” After asking me four simple questions.
This resonated with my interest:
I am teaching myself to play the piano. I sometimes attend live events that classic, techno, electronic, ambient. I like Steve Reich, Philip Glass, and Brian Eno.
I am teaching myself to play the piano. I sometimes attend live events for classical music. I like techno, electronic, ambient. I’m not sure what Steve Reich, Philip Glass, and Brian Eno fall under. I like a that have minimal vocals.
I took Music appreciation in high school. Learned the basics of sight reading. In college I was started learning with the help of my friend how to read and play both hands.
Thinking back how the discovery phase was bogged the down the initial phases of initial assumptions. After interview two or more users. I found a problem that I could empathize with. Elaine was an amazing interviewee. I must say she gave me a Music Appreciate history lesson; that we setup a second interview which validated my hypothesis.
On the next project I would use mind mapping for the discovery phase and time box it as well.
I enjoyed the interviews process and all the information that I gathered from it. It’s obviously that music unifies and soothes the soul.
I learned that I need to begin with a simple question to come up with a problem statement and hypothesis. Through user interviews I found clarity on what to focus on.
These are the ideas I came up with to tackle my challenge in the discovery phase in the event I and interviewee arrive at a yes or no response.
Through the ux process of this project. All I can of was as a selling point was this: after one embarks on an journey to become a responsible adult. Where does the interest for Music Appreciation stand as one leads an adult life. Life can bring on new hobbies and along with the challenges from time constraints. Why not use a music app that gives you trivia questions and informative details on the artist you’re listening too. They say Music Appreciation helps with character building and sooth the person’s mood.
Who:
- People who appreciate music and play an instrument
- Learned to play an instrument as a child
- Wants learn how to produce music
- Wants learn how to play an instrument
- Wants learn how to read sheet music
What:
- Do you play music, or attend live events?
- Is there a genre you’re particularly interested in?
- What kind of music do you listen to when you’re working out?
- What music do you listen to when you’re sad?
- What music do you listen to when you’re happy?
- What type of music do you like you’re working?
Where:
- Tell me about your experience with musical instruments.
- Where do you practice?
When:
- Tell me about the time you wanted to play an instrument.
- Tell me about how your learned to play an instrument.
- When you’re sad or happy do you play an instrument?
Why:
- Is learning to play an instrument a challenge?
How:
- How are you learning to play a musical instrument?
