Project overview
The product:
The purpose of this music album pre-order app is to make it easier for users to find and pre-order music. This app also allows users to check events schedules and shop for album-related items. The target audience for this App is music fans who don't have the time or resources to keep up with the release schedules of new albums and related events.
Project duration:
November 2022 - February 2023
The problem
Music fans who don't have the time or resources to keep up with the release schedules of new albums and related events.
The goal
Creating a new app to easily assist music fans in discovering and pre-ordering music albums.
My role
UX Designer designing a Music album pre-order app from conception to delivery.
Responsibilities:
Conducting interviews, paper and digital wireframing, low-fidelity and high-fidelity prototyping, conducting usability studies and accounting for accessibility and iterating on designs.
User research: summary
In order to comprehend the users I'm designing for and their needs, I conducted interviews and made empathy maps. Working adults who enjoy music and social interaction but lack comprehensive information about social events in their city were a key user group discovered through research.
This user group confirmed the original theories about music fans, but research also showed that not all users had access to detailed information about all of their favorite artists and their music release schedules. Obligations, interests, disabilities, or other difficulties can make it difficult for users to stay informed about the newest music and social events.
User research: pain points
Time:
Adults who are working are too busy to stay up to date on music and social events.
Accessibility:
Assistive technology is not well-equipped on music ordering platforms.
Lack of pre launch information:
The subsequent social activities of the most recent music album release are not communicated to users.
Complimentary features:
When music fans pre-order music albums, they hardly ever find a means to purchase album merch or find updates about album social activities.
Persona: Alfie
Problem statement:
Alfie is a busy working professional
who needs to order rap albums and plan for social events in advance, because they might not have as much time for such pursuits as they do when they take on additional duties at work.
User journey map
Paper wireframes
Taking the effort to write versions of each app screen on paper guaranteed that the elements that made it to the digital wireframes were well suited to solve users' pain points. To help users save time, I prioritized a quick and easy purchase experience for the home screen.
Digital wireframes
As the first design phase progressed, I made certain that the screen designs were based on feedback and insights from user research.
Low-fidelity prototype
The low-fidelity prototype connects the key user flow of discovering and pre-ordering a music album, allowing the prototype to be used in a user usability study.
Usability study: findings
I carried out usability testing twice. From wireframes to mockups, the design was guided by the results of the initial study. The results of the second research, which made use of a high-fidelity prototype, showed which elements of the mockups required refinement.
Round 1 findings
1.
Users want the action buttons to be bolder and more descriptive.
2.
Users prefer to click on the headline (header) or photo to view the complete news details.
3.
Users want quick and easy navigation back to previous pages.
Round 2 findings
1.
Users want to access the pre-order button on home page.
2.
Users want able to see payment information before proceeding with payment.
3.
Users want quick and easy access to the main features of the app.
Refining the design to mockups based on usability study findings
The second usability test I carried out revealed frustration with the accessibility to the main features of the app.
I refined my design and made the major functions of the app (Album Events, Shop and Pre-Order) accessible on the home page
Before usability study
After usability study
The second usability test I carried out revealed users want to view and edit payment information if necessary before confirming payment to their pre-order.
I refined my design based on this insight
Before usability study
After usability study
After usability study
Key Mockups
High-fidelity prototype
High-fidelity prototype
Accessibility considerations
1.
Made main functions of the app easily accessible on the home screen.
2.
Used icons to make navigation easier.
3.
Clear labels for interactive elements that can be read by screen readers.
Design System
Takeaways
Impact:
The app gives users the impression that the designer has given careful consideration to how to meet their needs.
One quote from peer feedback:
One quote from peer feedback:
The additional features which are “Album Events” and “Shop” makes the app really useful and enjoyable to use.
What I learned:
While designing this music album pre-order app, I discovered that the app's first concepts are merely the start of the design process. Each iteration of the app's design was informed by a usability study and peer feedback.
Next steps
1.
Do another round of usability testing to confirm that the user experience pain points have been handled correctly.
2.
Do more user research to identify any new areas of need.
Lets connect
Thank you for taking the time to look at my work on The Music Album Pre-Order App! If you want to see more or contact me, my contact information is provided below.
My Email: mailto:ivevertimothy@gmail.com
