2024
Case Study
Figma Prototype
Background
The Sound Room is a social media application conceptualized to empower musicians and music enthusiasts by fostering creativity, collaboration, and access to live music experiences. As the project lead, my role encompassed the entire mobile app design case study, from initial ideation and user research to UX/UI design and the final stakeholder presentation. The project's vision was to create a dedicated platform to help users overcome creative blocks and connect with the broader music community.
Core problem
Our market analysis identified a clear gap: there was no dedicated platform that effectively combined collaborative tools, a strong community, and features specifically designed to help musicians break through creative blocks. Furthermore, initial user research revealed a significant concern among parents of young musicians regarding online safety in creative digital spaces.
Our Solution
Our market analysis identified a clear gap: there was no dedicated platform that effectively combined collaborative tools, a strong community, and features specifically designed to help musicians break through creative blocks. Furthermore, initial user research revealed a significant concern among parents of young musicians regarding online safety in creative digital spaces.
Process & Implementation:
Ideation & Research: We began with extensive user research, including interviews and surveys, to define the target audience's needs and pain points.
UX/UI Design: Drawing inspiration from familiar platforms like Instagram and TikTok, we designed a user-friendly interface. Key design phases included creating a seamless onboarding process with an optional questionnaire for personalization and a mandatory app tour to familiarize users with core features.
Feature Development: We developed a suite of tools tailored to musicians, including collaborative project spaces, feedback mechanisms, virtual live performance options, digital rehearsal rooms, and an innovative "Learning Arcade."
Usability Testing: We conducted usability testing with 10 participants to evaluate the app's features and overall user experience, gathering feedback to inform iterative design improvements.
Key Features Introduced:
Collaborative Tools: Features enabling musicians to seamlessly work together on projects.
Learning Arcade: A series of engaging games designed to help users overcome creative blocks.
Rehearsal & Performance Spaces: Digital environments for practicing, refining music, and hosting live virtual performances.
Feedback Mechanisms: Integrated tools for providing and receiving constructive feedback on musical work.
User journey map
Wireframe, sketches, paper prototyping.
Mid-fidelity prototype with annotations.
High-fidelity annotation for iOS featuring Open Mic with dynamic island concept.
Results and Impact
The project was successful in validating the core concept and providing clear direction for future development.
Positive User Feedback: Usability testing yielded high task completion rates and positive feedback. The Learning Arcade, collaborative forms, and the "practice before producing" concept received particularly high praise.
Validated App Name: Testing reinforced that "The Sound Room" was the preferred and most intuitive name for the application.
Actionable Strategic Insights: We identified key opportunities for feature optimization, such as merging the "Lobby" and "Discovery" sections to streamline the user experience.
Data-Driven Feature Re-evaluation: Testing revealed low user interest in the live-streaming feature, providing valuable data that suggests a need to re-evaluate or replace it with a more desired function.