Finding The Beat

The problem

How can users source music that truly resonates with their tastes and preferences? 

The Solution

Beat.box is a music exploration and playlist creation application catering to music lovers looking to discover new options based on their personality and interests — not reviews and peer recommendations.

Brainstorm & Research 

Competitive Survey

Researching Beat.box’s competitors like Pandora, Apple Music, and Spotify, I focused on color schemes, imagery, typeface, layout, and hierarchy of content. The clear findings are they all share clear CTA (Call to Actions), warm color schemes, and calm and inviting color palette.

Type Study

I picked Raleway because the typeface has a large family with many weights. It is a solid sans serif matching the tone I was setting for the site. With the near-uniform width of the strokes, the font remains readable when reduced in resolution or font size.

Color Theory

Choosing colors that complimented my vision of what Beat.box should be was challenging. I created a mood board to inspire my choices. My color palette was generated using imagery that felt hip, authentic, and custom that the targeted audience can relate to. Another major consideration was accessibility for visually impaired users and testing the color scheme to make sure they were compatible and readable. Designing for accessibility was important because music has a way of transcending different cultures and connecting all walks of life together like no other art form, and I wanted to support that.

Design

The core goal is to give users an opportunity to discover new music from emerging and established musicians in an unexpected way. With easy access to the questionnaire, users can start customizing their profile with a curated set of playlists highlighting their interests, tastes, and cultural touch points. Beat.box will also offer pre-populated music personality profiles for quicker selection and adaptation to those looking for an effortless entry to curated playlists.  

Next Steps 

Moving forward with this project, I would test the current design solutions with an interactive prototype and start designing for tablet.