A conceptual project adding a feature to enhance Spotify's music recommendations for users.
Duration:
March 2024 • 4 Weeks
Role:
End-to-end UX/UI Designer
Overview
Spotify, the industry leader in music streaming, continuously seeks to enhance user experience and promote music discovery. While Spotify's "Credits" section lists song contributors, it lacks interactivity and completeness, limiting users' ability to explore these creators further.
Problem
Spotify's current Credits section currently prevents users from easily exploring all contributors to a song. This hinders users' ability to discover new music and creators within the platform.
Goals
Enhance the Credits section by hyperlinking credited names, thus enabling users to explore creators' other works and give recognition to original artists whose work is sampled or integrated into new music. This will reinforce the company’s commitment to the exploration of new artists.
Responsibilities
UX Researcher
UX/UI Designer
Prototyping/User Testing
Tools
Figma
Whimsical
Google Suite
Zoom
The Competition
Other websites and music providers do list song credits, but they tend to be clunky, ad-ridden, and lacking in good UX/UI design. More significantly, Spotify users must leave the app to access this information, which many may not bother to do.
Customer Voices
I conducted interviews to understand people's music streaming preferences and usage habits.
Results
5 out of 5 interviewees expressed frustration with the algorithm recommending music they don't like or have already heard.
Interviewees expressed a strong interest in discovering new music within the app, but Spotify often suggests or auto-plays the same songs repeatedly.
Users often save songs for specific reasons (for example: a harmonica solo), but the suggested music focuses on another element that users do not enjoy (a genre or artist).
PIVOT!
Initially, I thought users would be interested in music credits. However, user feedback revealed frustrations with music recommendations. While the dynamic credit section appealed to a niche of "music buffs," focusing on improving recommendations addresses a broader audience's needs.
Listener Stories
One persona represents the advanced music enthusiast who actively seeks out new music to refine their preferences. The second persona is not as focused on music as a hobby but is interested in learning more about their own music tastes.
How Might We...
Improve song recommendations within Spotify to better align with users' music preferences.
Analyze and break down a song's elements to match specific listening preferences.
Increase awareness of users' music preferences within the app.
Based on user insights, the focus shifted from developing the "Credits" section to enhancing Spotify's music recommendations. Creating a survey where users can state why they liked and saved a song will offer more personalized recommendations, enriching the user experience and promoting deeper engagement.
Mapping the Experience
The user flow incorporates multiple entry points for accessing the survey within Spotify, similar to how the existing platform functions.
From Concepts to Creation
To enhance user engagement and personalize recommendations, low-fidelity wireframes were created for a feature that prompts users to share what they like about a song after saving it, accessible immediately or later from the song's menu.
After saving a song to a playlist, the confirmation pop-up will prompt users to add what they like about the song, leading them to the form.
The form will include a brief explanation and allow users to select multiple elements they like about the song.
If users skip the form initially, they can access it later from the song’s menu page.
Additional screens were developed at the hi-fidelity level.
Pop-up Prompt
Version 1
Survey Form
Version 1
Main Menu Feature
Version 1
Image credit: Figma Community, Ujwal Katariya
Five test participants were asked to complete the user flow of filling out the survey for a song. Key takeaways from testing are outlined below.
Test Results
100%
Successfully filled out form
100%
Accessed form via multiple entry points
40%
Error rate locating the form
Insights
Home Screen
Users struggled to understand that the prompt on the main menu page was meant to be clicked on.
Survey Form
When selecting an element on the form, the color change of the pill's stroke was too subtle.
Pop-Up Prompt
After saving a song, the text in the pop-up was not accessible and was difficult to read.
Evolving Designs
Changes were implemented on wireframes based on user feedback from the testing stage.
Home
Screen
Added a "New" tag to on main menu and song menu screens to grab attention
Included a button to increase user awareness and interaction
Survey Form
Pills have fill when selected
Pill sizing and style adjusted to match Spotify’s existing design system
"Other" freeform section removed to be developed later
Pop-up Prompt
Changed text color for better readability
Updated phrasing from "Click here" to "change" for consistency with Spotify's terminology
Additional Final Screens
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Songs Pending Feedback List
Survey Form - Unselected
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Song Menu Feature
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Final Thoughts
While I initially thought having established branding and design systems would make the project easier, I found working within these limitations challenging. Another obstacle was ensuring users noticed the new feature within Spotify, given the many features that exist in the platform.
Going forward, if given the opportunity, I'd add more elements to the survey for users to choose from. Initially, the "other" text field was meant for users to add elements not yet listed, but due to time constraints, I was unable to create the necessary components needed for this feature to exist.
Overall, this project was a journey filled with many learnings, ultimately leading to a more personalized Spotify user experience with
a feature many wished actually existed.