Pictune search
Step into a world of music and memories with Pictune, the app that will redefine the way you search music, capture and relive your most cherished moments.
With the proliferation of digital music platforms, users are inundated with a plethora of songs and ge We conducted a mixed-method study involving 40 participants. 70% of the participants reported often feeling stuck in a 'musical rut', repeatedly listening to the same type of music due to the recommendations provided by their current music platforms.
WHITE PAPER RESEARCH
Music Discovery: Bridging the Visual-Auditory Gap
With the proliferation of digital music platforms, users are inundated with a plethora of songs and genres to choose from. However, traditional recommendation systems tend to perpetuate the users' current musical tastes, often creating a "filter bubble" effect.
Over 80% expressed an interest in discovering new music genres, but find it challenging to do so with existing platforms. User expressed a significant interest in an application that could recommend music based on their mood, environment, or visual stimuli. User also show a strong connection between personal memory, emotion and music.
PROBLEM
Find music is hard. And sometimes, exhaustive.
Discovering new music is challenging as my Spotify is dominated by familiar tunes I've enjoyed for years due to machine learning and user habits.
Despite suggested tracks on the main page, I lack the time and courage to explore new artists. Still, I desire music that resonates with my emotions and memories, aiming for a personalized soundtrack of my life without wasting time on guesswork.
This realization sparks an idea related to photos, music, and memory sharing, hinting at a potential solution.
CONTEXTURAL INQUIRY
Questions were devised to explore users' music habits, visual-music links, and the correlation between memory and music.
We conducted an in-depth user study to understand the formation of users' filter bubbles, the connection between visual cues and music preferences, and the association between memory, photographs, and music. This research involved eight comprehensive interviews, tailored based on participants' music listening behaviors, lifestyles, and their use of visual cues in music exploration.
General
What genres of music do you usually listen to and what app do you use for music?
Discover new music
Do you feel your music recommendations from streaming services are diverse?
Visual cue
Can you describe a moment when a visual cue (like an image or a scene) influenced your choice of music?
Emotion
Have you ever used music to help you recall a particular memory or emotion?
INTERVIEW
Majority of the interviewees are open to novel ways of finding music that extends beyond traditional recommendations.
Based on user feedback, traditional music searching methods rely on previous listening history, perpetuating existing tastes and hindering the discovery of new genres or artists. These methods lack personalization and fail to consider the user's current mood, environment, and preferences. Users find real-life experiences, such as music festivals or curated playlists by friends, to be more effective in overcoming these limitations, but time constraints and heavy workloads pose challenges.
Theme 1: Limited Scope
Algorithmic recommendations can inadvertently lead users into 'filter bubbles,' constraining their exposure to diverse content.
Theme 2: Find Right Music
Playlist suggested are normally broad and do not reflect user’s current mood, they are not personalized enough.
Theme 3: Share music
Music is currently presented and shared via links, necessitating redundant steps of clicking, waiting for download, and playing.
Theme 4: Memory
Most music platforms recommend songs based on recent listening habits and don't offer the ability to recommend music based on personal contexts or memories.
Users are keen to broaden their musical horizons, yet time constraints and reduced patience levels limit their willingness to invest in previewing each song for 1-2 minutes
sers who frequently listen to these particular playlists may find themselves confined to similar albums.
A simple album picture or a short video is hard to attract user’s attention. User craving for more emotional stimulation.
If a user is trying to recall a memory through a specific song, they might struggle to remember the exact track name or artist.
Users tend to gravitate towards their established preferences in daily listening habits, exhibiting reluctance to explore unfamiliar music.
Traditional style categorization proves inadequate for users seeking to evoke specific emotions, as emotions often extend beyond simple classifications.
Background music in podcasts and short videos often appeals to listeners, yet identifying these embedded tracks can be challenging
Present music platforms typically lack the feature to integrate multiple media types forms, potentially enhancing memory recall."
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
None of the competitors analyzed currently offer an image-based music recommendation feature.
To satisfy user’s need, a product should have a unique competitive advantage in the music app market with its innovative feature of recommending music based on the analysis of user-uploaded images. This visually-driven approach would stand out among competitors, offering users a novel, personalized, and intuitive way to discover new music.
YouTube Music
Video content provides a visual context to music but could be influenced by non-music Youtube activity.
Spotify
Offers diverse discover features to help users find new music but lack interaction with user’s activity.
Apple Music
Deep associated with user’s data on Apple product, but lack a search feature based on the picture.
Amazon music
Seamless integration with Amazon's Alexa but do not offer diverse music safari choice.
TARGET USERS ANALYSIS
Persona
These personas serve as valuable insights for our future software design, enabling us to create a more user-centric and tailored experience. By understanding and catering to the unique requirements of each persona, we aim to develop a software solution that meets the expectations and preferences of a broad range of users.
User Journeymap
My interviewees find it difficult to locate their desired music using the platform's search feature.
Based on the research, my interviewees had high motivation during the start of the search and the tension became gradually lower from time to time. Opportunities lie in effective information retrieval systems and connection between music and personal memory.
Users feel excited at the start (Encounter), content when finding music they like (React and Document), but might get frustrated if search input is hard or results are not relevant (Process and Retrieve).
Conditions and time constraints hinder users from identifying and documenting heard songs, causing a painful retrieval process.
Smooth real-life and music alignment by simplifying and visualizing the workflow, eradicating interruptions, redundancy, and disconnection.
Workflow
Streamlined user-centered workflow enabling efficient search, retrieval, and sharing, with enhanced memory support.
The new design introduces a streamlined and user-centered workflow that revolutionizes the way users search, retrieve, and share content. Users can now experience an efficient and seamless process that caters to their needs. By prioritizing the user at the center of the design, we have created a system that allows for effortless searching, quick retrieval of desired content, and seamless sharing with others. Additionally, the new workflow provides enhanced memory support, helping users remember and associate information more effectively. Through these improvements, we aim to provide a superior user experience that optimizes productivity and satisfaction.
Previous workflow(click picture for details)
redundancy in separate workflow, not being capacitated of associating songs with personal memory, and lack of interaction between music and the user’s environment.
Projected workflow(click picture for details)
Prioritizing the user at the center of the design, we have created a system that allows for effortless searching, quick retrieval of desired content, and seamless sharing with others.(click to view detail).
Information architecture
Information architecture
Based on the new work flow, the new information structure stands out as a game-changing platform that seamlessly integrates into existing app architectures with its plug-and-play simplicity.
It enhances the traditional music discovery workflow by offering personalized recommendations based on user preferences, mood, and context. With its intuitive interface, users can effortlessly navigate through genres, artists, and playlists. By effortlessly integrating into existing app information architectures, Pictune revolutionizes music discovery while ensuring a smooth and familiar user experience.
Wireframe
3 Major improvement in design
Incorporating feedback from mockup users, my design enhancements focus on the integration of features, consideration of user habits, and improvements in accessibility, collectively resulting in a more user-centric and refined experience.
MOCKUP
