Comparative Analysis:
Unlocking the power of engagement with insights from top leaders.
We studied engagement leaders and explored how we might use those insights to improve Shazam's engagement. These findings were were the first source of inspiration as we ideated on potential solutions and new features.
1.
We noticed other platforms engage users with curated content right away, without the added step of a landing page.
2.
We learned that it's crucial to make important interactive buttons easily accessible.
3.
We also learned that users appreciate curated suggestions to guide them on their discovery journey.
Loves being at the forefront of discovering new artists and songs
As a content creator she is passionate about sharing music she feels connected to
She uses music as a vehicle for building community
Get to know her
Social Media Creator
By bringing the themes together based on data from real Shazam users we gained a better understanding of our users' needs and desires. We then crafted a user persona to encompass and represent Shazams ideal user. These insights helped guiding our design decisions.
User Persona
Junie
I love using music as a way to connect with others. It’s an expression of the shared human experience.
"
Synthesizing Insights
Music discovery is a big deal for our users and they want it to be more customized and meaningful
Users want to dive deep into artists they love, getting to know them from multiple angles.
Users also use music and their connection to artists as a way to connect with their community.
We did some serious detective work and (thanks to a data synthesis tool called Affinity Mapping) we discovered some key themes that got us excited! From our interviews, we landed on 3 major insights:
Survey Findings
75%
3 of 4 users only use Shazam every 3-6 months
100%
All 4 users were not aware that Shazam offered additional features
75%
3 of 4 users only use Shazam for 60 seconds or less
User Research
Our team conducted a comparative & competitive analysis, 4 interviews and 4 surveys to gain insights on engagement leaders and into people's behaviors related to music and their understanding and use of the Shazam app. During the interviews, we asked open-ended questions to understand participants' habits and attitudes towards music and technology. By doing this, we were able to identify common themes and patterns in participants' responses. In the surveys, we asked more specific questions about Shazam usage. This approach helped us pinpoint key frustrations related to music discovery and app usage and it served as the foundation for our design process.
user needs
business goal
solution
The solution must strike a balance between meeting business needs, such as increasing user engagement, and maintaining a user-centric approach that prioritizes a seamless and non-intrusive experience.
The challenge Shazam faces is how to keep users engaged beyond their initial song search, without detracting from their overall experience but still providing opportunities to discover new music, connect with artists and with others. Users don't want to be glued to their phones while they're out trying to enjoy life but what if we could bring them back later? So the main question is, how can Shazam increase engagement while keeping the user at the center of their solutions?
The Challenge
Discover
Define
Design & Prototype
Test & Iterate
My Process
Research indicates that the most common use case of Shazam lasts less than half a minute - suggesting that users are using the app to identify a song, then immediately bounce to a different app to collect or listen to the song. Shazam wants to increase time in their app by providing services to help connect users and their music - but they’re not sure how.
Project Specs
Type: Concept Project
My Role: Lead Designer
Duration: 2 week sprint
Team: 3 designers
Tools: Figma, Google Workspace
My Role
Comparative analysis
Design strategy
Iterative prototyping
UI design
Presentation design
Teamwork
User interviews & surveys
Data synthesis
User persona, problem, HMW statements
Ideation, sketching, low-fidelity designs
The Brief
Overview
We've all been there - you hear a catchy tune, but have no idea what it's called or who sings it. Enter Shazam, the music search engine that's saved us from countless ear worms. With the ability to identify almost any song in seconds, Shazam has become a household name. But what if I told you that Shazam could do more than just identify songs?
That's right, this one-hit wonder has ambitions to become a music hub for all your listening needs. However, despite the wealth of data they've collected on our music taste, Shazam has yet to crack the code on how to keep users engaged beyond their initial song search.
In this project, my team and I explored ways in which Shazam can increase user engagement by leveraging their human-centered data and create new and exciting features.
Shazam: More Than Just a
One-Hit Wonder
UX Design
Exploring a new feature to engage Shazamers
New Feature
Concept
Narrowing on the solution
Insight 1:
Music discovery is a big deal for our users and they want it to be more customized and meaningful
We started by sketching many possibilities that could facilitate what Shazam users want- connection to artists and their community. Ultimately it was our data and Shazams mission that helped us find a solution worth exploring. We leaned into what Shazam is already doing, helping people "discover, explore, and share the music [they] love". The proposed "discovery" feature would allow users to further explore music they are already inclined to love based on their previous Shazamed songs.
Discovery page with curated suggested artists and songs to be explored like social media
Option to further explore suggested content by interacting or going deeper into the artist/song page
Discovery Page
Insight 2:
Users want to dive deep into the artists they love, getting to know them from multiple angles."
In addition to updating the artist page based on user data, we also made changes to the song page. While keeping the general structure of the page the same, we added new categories like "Behind the Track" to provide users with more information about the song's production and creative process. Our data showed that users who are particularly fond of a song often enjoy knowing more about the story behind it. By providing these insights, we give users a more immersive experience and help deepen their connection to the music they love.
Artist Page
Section with interviews, behind-the-scenes news, and links to the artists social media fosters connection to the artist
Shazam can build on the partnerships they already have and join digital community tools like Discord or Slack to allow users to join and interact with other fans
Suggestions made on relevance AND user data to capitalize on what Shazam already knows the user likes
Building meaning and community by showing mutual friends who share music taste
Insight 3:
Users also use music and their connection to artists as a way to connect with their community.
While keeping the artist page of Shazam largely the same, we used user data to identify new categories that would enhance users' sense of connection to the artist. By incorporating these categories, such as personal interviews or behind-the-scenes content, users can gain a deeper understanding of the artist's life and creative process. This creates a more engaging experience for users and fosters stronger connections between them and the artists they love.
providing an alternate/live video of the song to give users with the intimacy with the music they are seeking
section with behind-the-scenes information on the song such as collaborations, production crew, samples, and
Song Page
The Final Piece
Don't miss a beat : How a push notification can keep you connected to your music.
Our data showes that Shazam users like the speed and convenience of identifying songs but one problem remains- 100% of users were unaware of other features. So the question became, how can we then bring users back and make them aware of our new discovery feature? Enter push notification. This solutions not only invites the user back to the app at a later time but it also fast tracks them to the new "discover" feature where they can explore recommendations at their leisure. This approach allows Shazam to maintain its seamless and non-intrusive user experience while keeping users engaged with the app. With push notifications, Shazam can guide it's users to connect to the music they love in a way that is convenient and also encourage more discovery.
Users first! Usability Testing
Conducting usability testing on our designs was essential to ensure that we were effectively achieving the intended goals. We gave users 3 tasks to complete and observed how they interacted with the new feature and gathered observations and feedback to refine our designs. Based on the constructive feedback we recieved, these are some of the changes we made for our high-fidelity prototype:
Discovery Page
"breadcrumb" to orient the user on their discovery pathway
search/discover feature always available on the main navigation bar
Added share button to allow users to share an entire artist page
Incorporated an "Artist Community" feature for users to establish meaningful connections with artists and their admirers.
Featured diverse materials for users to explore their favorite artists from various perspectives.
Changed from play button to "play all" to clarify action and differentiate from other play buttons
Artist Page
Song Page
Clarified what background information is included in "behind the tack"
Added video content with alternate/live version of song
Next steps: Where do we go from here?
Building out and testing additional tools within the discovery feature
Continue usability testing to further explore how users explore new music
Consider findings on community and connectivity and exploring interactivity between users
Redesign home page to make new features more accessible
Include an education/tutorial tool to show users best practices to get the most out of Shazam
Thank You
For Reading!
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2023 Nina Beltran Portfolio Showcase