Enhancing Live Music Discovery on Spotify
In this case study, I explore the design journey of adding a social live event discovery feature to Spotify - tailored to enhance the user experience. Through the lens of two distinct personas, I dive into integrating a more connected and interactive music event landscape within the world's leading streaming platform.
( 2024 CASE STUDY )
goal
Revamp the Live Events feed to make concert discovery more engaging and social for Spotify users, facilitating connections among members.
Challenge
Identify a user need in a product or service and solve that problem/need to improve the user experience.
Responsibilities
Conduct user and market research, execute competitive analysis, perform user testing and interviews, and lead the design and prototyping of improved live events discovery and new social features on Spotify
In a world where digital connection shapes our experiences. This case study ventures into the heart of Spotify's ecosystem, showcasing a pivotal enhancement that bridges the gap between streaming and live concert experiences. Through the lens of user needs and industry trends, we explore why integrating a social concert discovery feature is not just innovative—it's a natural progression for a platform where music discovery is as much social as it is personal.
Background: The Evolution of Live Music Discovery on Spotify
harmonizing Streams with Live Scenes
Spotify's journey into live music discovery began in 2015, but the true crescendo was reached with the recent unveiling of the Live Events Feed. This innovative feature transforms how listeners engage with live performances, harmonizing their streaming experience with the pulsating energy of live events. By integrating personalized event recommendations based on users' listening habits and location, Spotify has turned passive discovery into an active invitation to the live music scene. This strategic enhancement is not just about listing concerts; it's about creating a seamless narrative from screen to stage, fostering a deeper connection between artists and audiences.
Unveiling User Desires: The Intersection of Data and Design
Our data-rich journey began with conducting a competitive analysis of other live event discovery platforms and probing insights from surveys and interviews.
Research Insights
Competitive Analysis
I interviewed 5 unique Spotify users, each with their own listening habits and live concert attendance experiences. From the avid concert-goer to the casual listener, these discussions offered a wealth of perspectives on the current state of Spotify's Live Events discovery and the social opportunities within the platform.
User Interviews > Affinity map
User surveys
key findings:
Our survey reached out to gather insights on music streaming preferences, specifically focusing on Spotify's interface, live event discovery features, and users' concert attendance habits. I received 18 responses
My interviews and survey results echoed a common theme: the significant role of social interactions in live music experiences. This collective insight sets the foundation for my narrative, spotlighting two personas, each embodying unique perspectives on the social dimensions of concert-going within Spotify's ecosystem.
User Personas
Crafting Our Heroes: Liam and Laylas Spotify Saga
Meet Liam, a digital maven who curates his musical journey, and Layla, whose concert experiences are woven through social threads. Both seek harmony within Spotify's vast symphony but on divergent melodies.
User flows and User Scenario
These user flow diagrams delineate the tailored interaction routes within Spotify for our user personas: the left flow charts Liam's proactive journey of adding live events to his concert calendar and sharing them with his network. In contrast, the right flow maps Layla's experience as she receives follower notifications and favorite artist alerts, guiding her through the live event discovery process.
A Concert Odyssey: Parallel Paths in a Digital World
Envisioned through the persona lens, I crafted a scenario where Liam discovers an indie band's live gig while Layla stumbles upon the same through Liam's nudge. This pivotal moment encapsulates the essence of the design challenge: crafting a feature that resonates with both the seeker and the socialite and ending with all users' attendance at a live music event.
The new feature on Spotify bridges the gap between music streaming and live event participation, simplifying the process of discovering and attending live performances. It addresses the user's desire for a socially integrated platform, enhancing the way fans connect with artists and each other, and enriches the overall experience of live music. This enhancement underscores the importance of a community-driven approach to music enjoyment, fostering shared experiences and deepening the connection between fans through the joy of live events.
Design Process
From Ideation to Iteration: The Design Symphony
sketching
mid-fidelity wireframe
high fidelity wireframes
Refining Through Real Voices: Usability Testing and Results
Research Goals
Evaluate the intuitiveness of adding and sharing concert events to a user's profile.
Measure the effectiveness of the follower notification system for concert updates.
Assess the discoverability of the social feed from the Spotify homepage.
Task Flows
Adding a Concert to User Profile
Following Notification for Friend's Concert Activity
Discovering the Social Feed
Findings
My success metrics indicated mixed outcomes veering mostly toward favorable, including task success rate, mis-click rate, completion time, and user satisfaction.
Task 1 (Adding a Concert): With a success rate of 82.4%, users were generally able to add concerts to their profiles effectively. However, a 61.5% mis-click rate indicates that while users can complete the task, they face challenges along the way.
Task 2 (Responding to Notifications): A high success rate of 93.3% with a lower mis-click rate indicates that users can interact with notifications about their friends' concert activity quite efficiently.
Task 3 (Exploring the Social Feed): Had an 80% success rate but a high mis-click rate of 90.9%, showing that while the majority can complete the task, they could be doing so more smoothly.
Moving Forward with Expected Results:
Follower Notification
Action: Proceed with the current design into development.
Reasoning: The task exhibited a high success rate and low mis-click rate, suggesting that the notification feature is user-friendly and intuitive and aligns well with user expectations.
Iterations for Unexpected Results:
Personalized Concert Calendar
Action: Introduce more evident call-to-action labels and distinctive button designs to guide users effectively.
Reasoning: Although the feature had a high success rate, the notable mis-click rate indicates a need for improved guidance. More apparent visual cues facilitate an even smoother user journey and reduce mis-clicks.
Social Integration and Feed Visibility
Action: Improve the visual hierarchy of the social feed.
Reasoning: User feedback pointed to difficulties locating and navigating to the social feed, indicating that this feature can benefit from increased visibility and easier access within the app's interface.
