FUTURING AMAZON MUSIC
An approach to self-reflection, emotion-driven human connection through music and lyrics
UX Research | Information Architecture | Prototyping and Usability Testing
Team
Radhika Phansalkar
Esha Mohol
Shikha Mehta
Manjot Kaur
Project Duration
February 2024
4 weeks
Skills
UX Research
Wireframing
Prototyping
Usability Testing
Tools
Figma
Miro
Challenge Prompt
Given the current landscape of Amazon Music, how might we leverage AI to enhance and personalize the customer experience with Amazon Music.
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Our Goal
We aim to create meaningful, emotionally attuned experiences that support users. By leveraging AI, we strive to sense, adapt, and respond to individual needs in real time, turning Amazon Music into more than just a background playlist. It's a smart, supportive companion, fostering moments of clarity, calm, and connection. ​
Design Approach and Philosophy
"Music expresses feeling and thought, without language; it was below and before speech, and it is above and beyond all words."
― Robert G. Ingersoll
User Research
User Centered Research Outline
What the user wants to listen to!
Competitive Benchmarking
Through a comprehensive approach encompassing desk research, competitive Benchmarking, we analyzed key USPs of music and podcast streaming apps to realize more gap and opportunity areas.
Dot Voting and Usability Tests
Through a comprehensive sticky dots and strong opinions, our users ‘voted with their vibes’ on proposed AI features. This helped us see which ideas hit the right notes and which ones needed remixing. The result? A clearer view of what users actually want in their Amazon Music experience straight from the source.
Global Survey Studies
We conducted a survey of a 100 sample set people from USA, Canada, India and Dubai.
Survey Results
The Sound of the User!
Content Connection
Social Connection
Engagement
Current Digital Landscape Positioning of Amazon Music
Key Insights
Music streaming platforms have evolved beyond mere entertainment services to become integral components of individuals' identities and emotional experiences.
In today's digital landscape, users desire technology that anticipates their needs while offering control. It has hence become a delicate balance between intuitive assistance and user autonomy, yet one that adapts to individual feelings and desires.
Raising How Might We questions?
1
How might we reinforce a lyrical connection?
2
How might we establish a current mood-driven song explorations?
3
How might we establish a social connection also enhancing discoverability?
Brainstorming ideas and using dot voting system to prioritize user needs
After the teams brainstorming sessions, we invited 15 users to . participate in a dot voting system. Users prioritized what mattered most to them, helping us clearly identify high impact opportunities.
This collaborative approach ensured our design direction is grounded in real user preferences and emotional connection.
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Top idea contenders -​
1. Musical Soulates
2. Lyrical Diary
3. Mood-Song Generator
1
How might we reinforce a lyrical connection?
Capture the essence of your emotions by preserving the lyrics that resonate with you the most. Whether it's a line or a verse that encapsulates a moment in time, Lyrical Diary allows you to curate a collection of meaningful lyrics, and features by your personal reflections.
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​With Lyrical Diary, users can now save their favorite lyrics and annotate them, creating a unique space for journaling thoughts inspired by the power of music.
2
How might we establish a mood-driven song explorations?
With just a tap, users effortlessly explore new music, simplifying the often tedious process of manual searching or browsing.
The Magic Button serves as a tool to help users decipher their emotional needs through music, providing refreshers and choices that cater to their varying moods and preferences.
3
How might we establish a social connection also enhancing discoverability?
Users receive curated music recommendations, and direct recommendations from their Soulmate, aligned closely with their tastes and preferences, expanding their musical horizons.
Users have the opportunity to engage with like-minded individuals, fostering a sense of community and enabling discussions around shared musical interests.
Usability Testing
What the Usability Jam Session said
“Having a place to save and organize my favorite lyrics is a game-changer— I can finally keep track of all the songs that mean the most to me.”
“I really like the Musical Soulmate feature; it would be great to connect with someone who shares my taste in music.”
“The Magic Button seems like an addictive feature. I love the idea of it tapping into my thoughts and moods.”
"I love being able to share my thoughts & interpretation on song lyrics with others—it adds a whole new layer of depth to the music."
Scope of improvements for future iterations
Issue 1:
Signifiers weren't prominent enough.
Solution:
Enhanced the visibility of action buttons and added subtle hints about their purpose by incorporating action feedback.
Issue 2:
Lack of clear feedback on user actions for Lyrical Diary flows.
Solution:
Incorporated proper feedback mechanisms to inform users about their actions.
Issue 3:
Unclear hierarchy of visual information on the Lyrical Diary page.
Solution:
Redesigned the page to prominently communicate the layers of information and improve visual hierarchy..
Future Scope - Lyrical Commenting
