hype machine ux redesign

SITE%REDESIGN%Ma,%Williams%

MARKET RESEARCH

164 billion On-‐Demand Streams in 2014, up 54% from 2013

67% of music consumers listen to music online (any form of streaming music)

93% of the U.S. populaEon listens to music, spending more than 25 hours each

week listening to their favorite songs

32 million people aIend at least one music fesEval a year; fesEval-‐goers tend to discover music

through streaming more than any other means R&B, Hip-‐Hop, EDM

are the most streamed genres

Radio remains the most common means of discovering new music

Source: Nielsen 2014 Year End Music Report

Ease of D

iscovery

Entry Points

Sharing OpI

ons

Sharing Hierarchy

• Tons of entry points and focused on featuring playlists, genres, content

• Sharing is everywhere; social feed, mulEple outlets to share

SpoIfy

• Offers limited points, not very easy to discover unless you know what you want

• Social is very important; commenEng in stream, sharing through over 5 networks

Sound Cloud

• Only way to discover is recommendaEon based, no curaEon available

• Sharing is a primary track acEon, along with buying

Pandora

• Sharing is not seen as a primary acEon, user has to “dig around” in order to share

• Lots of entry points, very well cataloged with clear messaging to guide users

Rdio

• Too many entry points, overwhelming to navigate through

• Sharing is seen as a primary acEon, and is prominently shown in the player bar

Songza

COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS

PROJECT STATEMENT

WHAT IS HYPE MACHINE? •  Hype Machine is a blog aggregator that pulls new, undiscovered music from over 800 blogs

•  The site has mulEple entry points (blogs, genres, arEsts, geo-‐locaEon) to discover great music but lacks an efficient and usable way to customize and curate the music you discover

WHAT FRUSTRATES USERS? •  Users are overwhelmed with the site’s vast catalog, and oXen don’t know where to begin exploring

•  People love to share music; unfortunately, Hype Machine provides limited ways users can share the content they find, only offering Facebook and twiIer sharing capabiliEes

HOW CAN WE FIX IT? •  Build a system that curates music via playlists and music streams, either generated by an individual, his/her friends, or power users

•  Offer addiEonal means of sharing the music that users find

•  Group content areas and refresh navigaEon to include acEonable messages for users

PERSONAS

Power%User%

Casual%User%

Former%User%

Adam Marshall The Renaissance Man

Male, 20 Caucasian Art School Student and World Traveler Junior Yr. at Parsons Hometown: New York, NY

“I used to use HypeM a lot because it was really good at predic6ng what would be popular. These days, I hardly use it at all. Win me back HypeM! I miss you!”

Adam is a jack of all trades, master of none. He is a self-‐described renaissance man, and as a result, has an eclecDc taste in music. In his spare Dme, he enjoys playing drums and guitar, and loves to do covers of pop songs and upload them to his YouTube channel. While he is working on his art porMolio for class, he relies on his iPod to get him through his all-‐nighters. His soundtrack to life used to be powered by Hype Machine in it’s early days, but now he forgoes visiDng the site for the likes of SpoDfy and Soundcloud, which in his opinion, do a be-er job of curaDng a wider variety of music. One of his favorite NY acDviDes is going crate digging in the East Village and Brooklyn for old music that he can use to sample or get inspiraDon from. He used to supplement his hobby with the latest from Hype Machine, but stopped using the site a year ago due to dissaDsfacDon with it’s lack of content and arDst info. He is willing to give Hype Machine a shot again if the site meets his needs and saDsfies his musical appeDte.

Roots Reggae, Ska, Hip Hop

Traits

Needs Pain Points

•  Loves finding out more about the arDst, and where he can see them in concert

•  Enjoys listening to vintage music •  Usability of music services is a big

determinant of whether he will keep coming back

•  Loves to shuffle when he listens to music, not a fan of listening to a sequenDal list

•  Not enough variety to keep him coming back to the site/app

•  Doesn’t allow users to suggest blogs or create an aggregaDon of their own blogs

•  Doesn’t like that the blogs were picked by the site creators and not the users

•  No mixing ability or cross-‐fader

•  To be able message his friends directly from the app/site when he finds an awesome new song

•  To be able to organize his favorites into genres since his musical tastes are all over the place

•  To be able to create playlists based on his mood/acDvity

•  To get noDficaDons when a new song from his favorite arDsts drops

Soul, Funk, Classic Rock

Behaviors

Never

Very Often

Shares music he

makes

Shares Playlists

Listens to friends’ music

Interests: Plays Guitar, Drums, Collects Vinyl, Avid Sampler

Former User

Casual User

Power User

Jessica Garcia The Free Spirit

Female, 26 Hispanic Yoga Instructor Income: $50,000 Psychology Degree, UCLA Hometown: San Diego, CA

“I’m not really sa6sfied with the quality of mainstream and pop music these days. I’m always looking for new, exci6ng music I can really vibe to.”

Hip Hop, Top 40, R&B

Traits

Needs Pain Points

•  Uses both app and website to play music, but only website to curate her favorites

•  Really enjoys seeing what her friends like and listening to that music

•  Generally sDcks to the types of music she really likes, not that interested in exploring new genres

•  Listens to enDre favorites list without interrupDon

•  O\en can’t decide what to listen to, site is overwhelming

•  Cannot make her own playlists based on mood/occasion, so doesn’t make playlists o\en

•  No way to organize her favorites into categories

•  No access to mainstream music if she wants to listen to it

•  Being able to have a comprehensive view of all of her friend’s favorite songs

•  Sharing capability •  To be able to get recommendaDons from

power users on what to listen to •  To filter music based on her current mood or

situaDon, i.e. party, yoga class, exercising, etc.

New Wave, Ambient, Progressive House

Behaviors

Never

Very Often

Looks for new music

Creates Playlists

Uses feedback

Interests: Fitness, Yoga, Organic Food, Social Causes

Jessica, born and raised in southern California, loves sunshine, good food, and good friends. She really enjoys being outdoors, and spends a lot of Dme biking, rock climbing, and doing yoga. She seeks out adventure and has an incredible sense of wanderlust. Jessica likes listening to top 40 stuff from the radio, but is o\en frustrated with the repeDDveness and lack of variety . As a yoga instructor, Jessica o\en plays music for her students to get them focused and relaxed. One day, a student of hers told her that she was Dred of hearing the same music every class, and wanted Jessica to play something new. Michelle, her student, told her about Hype Machine and suggested that Jessica try it out for the next class. Jessica was instantly hooked, and began to favorite lots of great songs for her class. However, when she goes to access those favorites, they are not efficiently organized. She acDvely seeks out recommendaDons from her friends and truly values the opinions of her peers.

Former User

Casual User

Power User

Anthony Johnson The Taste Maker

Male, 23 African-American Marketing Associate at a PR Firm Income: $45,000 Communications Degree, Boston University Hometown: Boston, MA

“I want more credit for being one of the first to find a song. I work hard to find new music, but since I don't have a reputable blog or anything I don't get credit as a true tastemaker.”

Anthony, or A.J. as his friends call him, has a passion for the entertainment industry, and enjoys meeDng new people everywhere he goes. He loves to be the life of the party, and considers himself a taste maker and influencer among his circle of friends and family. He really enjoys being the first among his friends to find the next ho-est song or arDst, but on occasion he will indulge in some good old top 40. Anthony uses a mulDtude of music blogs and subscripDon services daily to get his fix, and likes to bring up new music in his daily interacDons with friends and coworkers. He is an avid Hype Machine user, but is looking for the site to provide extra features to saDsfy his needs. As somewhat of an amateur DJ, Anthony relies on other services to help curate playlists and mix music for parDes. In addiDon, he o\en shares music via social media and the SpoDfy messenger feature, and is o\en dissaDsfied with Hype Machine’s lack of a messenger. Music gets him through his commute, work day, and gym sessions, and having access to a steady stream of great tunes is very important.

EDM, R&B, and Pop

Traits

Needs Pain Points

•  Uses both the mobile app and website, uses mobile more frequently

•  Usability of a music service keeps him coming back every day

•  Loves using Dme machine and offline mode

•  Frequently skims rather than listening to enDre song

•  No cross-‐fader or mixing features •  His favorite songs are o\en taken down

from the site •  Cannot make his own playlists beyond the

three available on the site •  No access to mainstream music if he

wants to listen to it •  CategorizaDon is not accurate

•  Being able to listen to all of his favorite music offline

•  To be able to share music with his friends •  To be able to access a feed of his favorite

genres/arDsts •  Wants to be able to contribute new music to the

site •  To be able to mix music on site or through plugin

Hip Hop, Trap, Remixes, Dancehall

Behaviors

Never

Very Often

Listens in offline mode

Shares Music

Listens to friends’ music

Interests: DJing, Party Promoting, Concerts

Former User

Casual User

Power User

SITE MAP

USER FLOWSAuthenHcate%Primary%Goals%Secondary,%TrackLBased%Goals%

USER FLOW

WIREFRAMESHome%Page%Home%Page%Menu%Listening%to%a%Stream%CreaHng%a%Stream%Adding%a%song%to%a%playlist%Listening%to%a%Playlist%CommenHng%on%a%Song%Messaging%a%song%to%a%user%%

Featured Streams

Stream

Playlists

Hype

Search

Discover

Matt WilliamsFeatured Playlists Artist Spotlight

Chillwave 2015

Hip Hop Bangers

Stacey Han just listened to This Head I Hold John Matos just listened to Buzzcut Season Jess Hartman just listened to Safe and Sound Mark Smith just

This Head I Hold Electric Guest 1:58 / 4:59

2

1

5

3

4

7

8

6

1

2

3

Hype Machine logo acts as homepage link

Vertical left-hand navigation expands upon mouse-over to reveal additional sub-navigation. Content area becomes bold when clicked to show user what area of the site they are in

Homepage shows featured streams, playlists, and artist spotlight. When clicked, each content area is bolded and underlined to show orient user. Upon mouseover, underline will swipe left or right.

4 User avatar displays name. Mouse-over avatar reveals dropdown of menu items: settings, friends, inbox, logout.

5 Transparent title bar below graphic for the stream. Mouse-over title bar will expand title bar upwards, and will reveal a short description and play button. Clicking on stream title brings user to a stream page view complete with dashboard controls.

6 Carousel showing secondary featured content areas. User clicks on arrows to navigate left and right.

7 Persistent player bar displays most popular track queued up automatically upon initial log-in before user begins to play anything.

8 Social ticker scrolls with friend activity, with clickable song titles and friends names to bring user to friend page or track page. Minimize option available to hide ticker.

Featured Streams

Stream

Playlists

Hype

Search

Discover

Matt WilliamsFeatured Playlists Artist Spotlight

Chillwave 2015

Hip Hop Bangers

Stacey Han just listened to This Head I Hold John Matos just listened to Buzzcut Season Jess Hartman just listened to Safe and Sound Mark Smith just


+ Create a Stream

PopularElectro Pop

Latest

Stream

Playlists

Hype

Search

Discover

Matt Williams

Matt Williams just listened to Turn Down for What John Matos just listened to Buzzcut Season Jess Hartman just listened to Safe and Sound Mark Smith just


Remixes On Share Stream SettingsElectro Pop Sort

Most PopularShuffle

Janet Jackson

If (Kaytranada Remix)

11K

Electric Guest

This Head I Hold

10K

Toro Y Moi

Rose Quartz

9 K

Blurb about song/artist



1

2

3

Stream title is displayed with a dropdown to select another stream from the list. In addition, user can select streams from the “Stream” nav item.

User can sort tracks by alphabetical order for artist or track title, most popular, most recent.

Additional dashboard options include ability to share the stream with friends, access settings, filtering out remixes and shuffling songs upon playback instead of playing sequentially.

4 User can change the view of the track list from the detail view to a list view. This consolidates information, and gives the user an easier browsing experience.

5 Song graphic will serve as play/pause button. User mouses-over graphic, which will superimpose a play/pause icon to indicate the action.

6 An abbreviated blurb about the artist, song, or blog will appear in the track area.

7 Individual track actions (from left to right) include: Favorite, Add to Playlist, Message to a friend, Comment, Share via social media

1

2

3

5

6

7

View 4

Stream

Playlists

Hype

Search

Discover

Matt Williams



1

2

3

User is prompted to name the stream

User can search for an artist by beginning to type; the search field will begin to auto-populate based on what the user enters. A plus sign will make the artist available to add. Artists the user has added will appear in the status window, where one can delete artists they’ve added if they wish by clicking on the x.

4 Graphics represent genres, with genre titles superimposed on the graphic. Checkboxes are available in the corner for users to select and deselect genres to add.

5 A top blogs by genre dropdown will be available to show blogs cut by genre.

Wayne

Wayne Brady

Fountains of WayneWayne Wonder

Lil Wayne

Artists You’ve AddedKygoDrakeCalvin HarrisThe RootsKeys n Krates

Create Stream

ADD ARTISTS

ADD GENRES

ADD BLOGSHip Hop

Grammy Snubs

Southern Hip Hop Hits!90’s Gangsta Rap

Underground Hip HopBlogs You’ve AddedPitchfork Hits

Top Blogs by Genre

1. Underground Hip Hop2. Southern Hip Hop Hits3. West Coast Hip HopList All “Hip Hop” Blogs

23

4

Name Stream 1

5

Stream

Playlists

Hype

Search

Discover

Matt Williams




Most PopularShuffle

Janet Jackson


11K

Electric Guest

This Head I Hold

10K

Toro Y Moi

Rose Quartz

9 K




Add “This Head I Hold” to Playlist(s)

Chill Sesh

Beach Day

Roadtrip #1

Roadtrip #2

Hip Hop Favorites

Library Studying

Dinner Party

Done!

1.0

1.0 Playlists are grayed out unless a user clicks on one. The playlist then turns green to indicate that a user is about to add the song to the selected playlist.

Stream

Playlists

Hype

Search

Discover

Matt Williams



Chill SeshSort

Date AddedShuffle

Janet JacksonIf (Kaytranada Remix)

View

Edit Playlist Share

Electric GuestThis Head I Hold

Toro Y MoiRose Quartz

DrakeThe Motion (Sango…)

SamphaToo Much

James BlakeRetrograde

Active ChildHolding On

ClassixHanging Gardens

2 1

2

3

Notifications from inbox will display with bubble over user avatar indicating number of messages.

Playlist dashboard differs from stream. Gives user the option to edit the playlist; either rearrange tracks or delete them. In addition, user can share or shuffle.

User can expand the list view to the detail view complete with track graphics and artist blurb.

4 List view collapses to show play button on the right hand side instead of allowing user to click on track graphic to play song. In a playlist, the options for the song are limited to message, comment, and share. The favorite and add to playlist function are disabled in playlist view, but clicking on the track title will bring up the two missing options.

2

1

3

4

Stream

Playlists

Hype

Search

Discover

Matt Williams




Most PopularShuffle

Janet Jackson


11K

Electric Guest

This Head I Hold

10K

Toro Y Moi

Rose Quartz

9 K




1 Track area expands to reveal a comment box. User avatar is displayed to let user know it is them commenting on the track. Success notification will appear once the track has been submitted

View

This song is awesome, can’t wait for the album! Submit Cancel1

Stream

Playlists

Hype

Search

Discover

Matt Williams




Most PopularShuffle

Janet Jackson


11K

Electric Guest

This Head I Hold

10K

Toro Y Moi

Rose Quartz

9 K




1 Typing a name into the top box will show results below from user’s friends list. The second box will allow a user to send the song link to an email address.

Send “This Head I Hold” To Send

Jane

[email protected]

Jane Jones

Jane Wilson

2 Results are shown from the search query above. User can select the checkboxes of users they want to send the song to.

1

2

Q & A

THANK YOU

hype machine ux redesign

Design