IPLAY
MUSIC
IPlay Music is a music streaming service that allows users to stream music to their device on demand.
My Role
- Research
- Designer
- Prototyping
- Testing
Timeline
-
4-week independent
end-to-end student project.
Scope & Constraints
- I had a time-constrained project to create a premium offering for a hypothetical freemium media startup, following a brief from Springboard.
My Role
- Research
- Designer
- Prototyping
- Testing
Timeline
-
4-week independent
end-to-end student project.
Scope & Constraints
- Time-constrained project that tasked me with creating a compelling premium offering for a hypothetical freemium media product start up. Project brief provided by Springboard.
Overview
In this hypothetical scenario, IPlay Music, a startup offering freemium music streaming via a mobile app, has hired me to expand their service. With a large user base established over 2 years, my role is to design a premium subscription that enhances features and provides compelling content, aiming to drive subscriptions based on added value.
Challenge
At this point, the product has been well received with a healthy user base of free users. Now, they need to design an experience that will allow users to subscribe and pay a monthly fee.
Business Goals
1. Create the opportunity for new users to subscribe to the premium product upon registration in the signup flow.
2. Create the opportunity for returning free users to become paid subscribers in the sign-in flow as well as within the product (once logged in).
Process
I followed a modified version of Google Ventures design sprint methodology adjusted for completion by a single individual while creating IPlay Music.
Research
- Secondary
- Competitive
- User Survey
- Persona
Ideate
- HMW's
- User Flow
- Wire Frames
- Wire Flows
Design
- Visual Design
- Style Guide
Prototype
- Final Prototype
Test
- Usability Testing
- Iterations
RESEARCH
Secondary
&
Competitive
In my research, I analyzed online sources and competitive data on music streaming trends, focusing on how digital platforms have changed music consumption. Streaming services offer free memberships with usage limits.
Free membership
Limitations
Free membership
Limitations
Too many ads
Users who want to listen to free music have to live
with ads and some restrictions.
Lack of hi-fi and low sound quality
For the listener, this means sound details of the artists
and sound engineers are retained, some of which are lost
with compressed MP3 files or streaming offers with just
320 kbps
Data usage
Streaming quality is one of the most critical factors. Low,
Medium, High, and Very High. The higher the quality setting,
the more data is consumed.
Too man ads
Users listening to free music must tolerate ads and certain restrictions.
Lack of hi-fi and low sound quality
For listeners, this means preserving sound details from artists and sound engineers that are often lost in compressed MP3 files or streaming at just 320 kbps.
Data usage
Streaming quality is crucial, ranging from Low to Very High, with higher settings consuming more data.
Secondary
&
Competitive
During the research process I did a lot of online and competitive research. I read many articles and watched numerous of videos on music streaming and how users now a days interact with them. Listening to music has changed through out the years, now a days it’s gone digital and mobile. With streaming platforms to be the most popular way to listen to music, the streaming companies allow users to have a free membership and listen to music but with limitations.
Free membership
Limitations
TOO MANY ADS
Users who want to listen to free music have to live with ads and some restrictions.
Lack of hi-fi and low sound quality
For the listener, this means sound details of the artists and sound engineers are retained, some of wich are lost with compressed MP3 files or streaming offers with just 320 kbps
Data usage
Streaming quality is one of the most critical factors. Low, Medium, High, and Very High. The higher the quality setting, the more data is consumed.
While music streaming companies offer free memberships, they also provide the option to subscribe to a paid premium membership with exclusive features.
Premium Subscription
Features
Ad free
Users have the ability to listen to music with out ads
Unlimited skips and replays
Premium users can skip songs as much as they want. Mobile listeners can also repeat songs or go back whenever they like.
Enhanced audio quality
User
Survey
Key
Insights
- Users are willing to pay a premium for music streaming if the quality and value is high.
- Users are more likely to subscribe if premium options are easily accessible.
- Making premium options accessible during sign-in increases premium account sign-ups.
- Most users manage 3-5 subscriptions monthly, so any new one competes for a slot.
-
“ I wouldn’t mind paying every month for premium
at a decent price.” - “In my experience with music streaming apps, the option to go premium is usually somewhere in the settings.”
-
“I prefer to use a subscription because it gives me
the feeling of being in control” - “I was not able to access Spotifys premium options until I visited their website via desktop”
Persona
I created a persona for IPlay Music’s target user based on business requirements and user survey insights. This helped me understand their mindset and empathize with their needs and pain points.
Daniel Burgess
Daniel works as a researcher at a Boston marketing agency. He’s a father to a 7-year-old and expecting another child. In his free time, he enjoys working out at the gym and listening to music.
“Music streaming is a big part of my day but being interrupted with ads and not being able to block explicit content when I am riding around in the car with my child takes some of the joy away.”
Frustrations
- Is not able to block explicit content
- Wants to be able to manage under age account
- Wants to be able to listen to music with out advertisement interruption.
Goals
- Listen to Ad-Free Music
- Block explicit music
-
Would like the option to share
account with his child
Favorite Apps
“Music streaming is a big part of my day but being interrupted with ads and not being able to block explicit content when I am riding around in the car with my child takes some of the joy away.”
Frustrations
- Listen to Ad-Free music
- Block explicit music
- Would like the option to share account with his child.
Goals
- Listen to Ad-Free music
- Block explicit music
- Would like the option to share account with his child.
Favorite Apps
“Music streaming is important to my day, but ads and the inability to block explicit content while driving with my child diminish the joy.”
Frustrations
- Is not able to block explicit content
- Wants to be able to manage under age account
- Wants to be able to listen to music with out advertisement interruption.
Goals
- Listen to Ad-Free music
- Block explicit music
- Would like the option to share account with his child.
Favorite Apps
IDEATE
HMW
How
Might
We
With my recent research insights, I focused and defined the problems using “How might we” (HMW) questions. These questions guided solution sketches and user mapping.
User Flow
I aligned the user flow with business goals and competitive research. New users can subscribe to the premium product during registration, and returning free users can easily become paid subscribers during sign-in or while using the product.
Information Arquitecture
IPlay Music’s architecture is heavily inspired by existing streaming services, using familiar navigation patterns to align with users’ expectations. Discussion features are separated into their own tab, integrating seamlessly with the app’s content and other functions.
Wireframes
I created low-fidelity wireframes with possible solutions for critical red routes that would form the foundations for mid-fidelity wireframes and prototype.
Wire Flows
Mid-fidelity wireframes for each of the critical red routes were created and mapped out
Wireframe Prototype
I created mid-fidelity wireframes, tested them remotely with 5 music streaming service users to gauge interest in premium features and discussion options.
Key insights
- Users are willing to pay a premium for music streaming if the quality and value is high.
- Users are more likely to subscribe if premium options are easily accessible.
- Making premium options accessible during sign-in increases premium account sign-ups.
- Most users manage 3-5 subscriptions monthly, so any new one competes for a slot.
DESIGN
Visual Design
IPlay Musics visual design had to be distinct to stand out while still feeling familiar to users of other streaming apps.
IPlay Music aimed for a unique visual design to distinguish itself in a crowded streaming market, balancing familiarity with a minimalist approach that prioritizes content.
Typography & Colors
Font Families
Playfair Display
Icons
Colors
#404642
#42E4CE
STYLE GUIDE
Go
Premium
Up grade your account and don’t miss ad-free music listening, offline playback, and more. Cancel anytime.
Usability test findings from the wireframe prototype helped me crystalize the final details of the IPlay Music’s Premium offering before implementing hi-fidelity designs. This is the value proposition:
PROTOTYPE
A high-fidelity prototype was developed based on comprehensive research, prior testing, and visual design. It focused on illustrating the user flows for both free and premium users of IPlay Music, highlighting differences in features and the upgrade process.
A high-fidelity prototype was developed based on comprehensive research, prior testing, and visual design. It focused on illustrating the user flows for both free and premium users of IPlay Music, highlighting differences in features and the upgrade process.
Test
Usability Testing
I tested the final prototype with 5 users similar to the persona to ensure it delivered the intended user experience. Tasks included creating discussion groups and upgrading to IPlay Music Premium.
Exiting “Go Premium” page
Before
Logo used as home button
After
Back button added to direct the user back to the previous page.
Reflections
The project was challenging with an ambiguous brief. I designed both freemium and premium products, researched media extensively, and learned a lot about product strategy and the media industry.
Lessons Learned
- Developing a product strategy for a media subscription service in a competitive market is very challenging.
- Executing the business model and content strategy is crucial for this product's success in media innovation.
- Adding a premium account subscription option during sign-in and within the product improves business goal achievement significantly.
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