Andrew Huang

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Andrew Huang

􀣺 Music Redesign

Designing new features to enhance users work flow in Apple Music.

9:41

Problem

Users get distracted by other apps when unlocking their iPhone to add their favorite songs into playlists.

Project Vision

Designing features that allow users to quickly save favorite songs and add to playlists.

􀣺 Music Redesign

New features designed to empower music listeners, ensuring a focused and distraction-free experience.

Problem

Users get distracted by other apps when unlocking their iPhone to add their favorite songs into playlists.

Project Vision

Designing features that allow users to quickly save their favorite songs and add them into playlists.

􀣺 Music Redesign

New features designed to empower music listeners, ensuring a focused and distraction-free experience.

Problem

Users get distracted by other apps when unlocking their iPhone to add their favorite songs into playlists.

Project Vision

Designing features that allow users to quickly save their favorite songs and add them into playlists.

9:41

9:41

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Add Song

Allows users to quickly add their songs by tapping the add icon in the music player.

Allows users to quickly add their favorite songs by tapping the add icon in the music player.

Back Tap

Under certain environments, users can use Apple’s double tap feature to add their songs.

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Sort Library

Allows users to easily organize their saved songs in Library and sort them into their playlists.

FEATURE 1

Add Song

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Users can first add their songs to Library by a simple tap on the plus icon. This helps them save time from needing to unlock their iPhone.

Users can first add their songs to Library by a simple tap on the plus icon. This helps save time from needing to unlock their iPhone.

Spotify Later Adopted a Similar Design

Spotify Later Adopted a Similar Design

Spotify Adopted a Similar Design

Seven months later, It was shown that Spotify’s Music Player had an very similar concept to my add feature after I had redesigned for Apple’s Music Player.¹

FEATURE 2

Back Tap

A new system integrated in Double Tap, so that users can simply back tap to add their songs without looking at their iPhone.

FEATURE 3

Sort Library

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Enables users to sort songs into playlists and helps organize their saved songs.

Competitors Audit

Researching Competitor's Strengths

  • Has “Liked Playlists” for users to save their songs

  • Creates a shuffle list for users to explore based on their previously listened songs

  • Shuffle list recommends a list of 30 songs

  • Users can save their favorite songs to Liked Playlists

  • A shuffle list for users to explore based on previous songs

  • Shuffle list suggests a list of 30 songs

  • Has “Liked Playlists” for users to save their favorite songs

  • Creates a shuffle list for users to explore based on previously listened songs

  • The shuffle list recommends a list of 30 songs based on recents

Spotify

  • Youtube Library allows users to shuffle songs

  • Liked songs are added into Youtube Library

  • Uses Recommended Music videos to explore

  • Allows users to shuffle songs in their Library

  • Liked songs are added into Youtube Library

  • Recommends music videos for exploring songs

Youtube Music

  • Does not use Library, only has Start Station and Playlists

  • Start Station: Explore based on a liked song

  • No functions found to be able to edit liked songs

  • Does not use Library, only Start Station and Playlists

  • Start Station: Explore based on a liked song

  • No functions found to be able to edit liked songs

  • Does not use Library, only has Start Station and Playlists

  • Uses Start Station for users to explore based on a liked song

  • Unable to edit liked songs

SoundCloud

Competitors Research

Surveys

Surveys

5 out of 5 users found the current music library confusing or difficult to use.

5 out of 5 users found the current way of adding a song to library/playlist to be a long process.

5 out of 5 users found the current way of adding a song to their library/playlist to be a long process.

5 out of 5 users end up getting distracted on other apps after unlocking their iPhone to save their new song.

4 out of 5 users listen to music for the purpose of keeping a nice work flow.

Interview insights

“I have to find the app to add my favorite song while I’m driving.”

“I get distracted when opening my iPhone to save a song.”

"I need to find the music app and add my favorite song to the playlist before my workout begins."

“I have to find the app to add my favorite song while I’m driving.”

“I get distracted when opening my iPhone to save a song.”

"I need to find the music app and add my favorite song to the playlist before my workout begins."

"I aim to stay productive at work while discovering new songs in the background."

“I want to be working while being able to explore new songs“

“Music gives me the flow I need to work on my work to progress.”

"I aim to stay productive at work while discovering new songs in the background."

“I want to be working while being able to explore new songs“

“Music gives me the flow I need to work on my work to progress.”

“Music can be a distraction if I spend most of my time finding songs.”

"While studying, music can distract if I spend too much time searching for songs instead of focusing."

“I use Library to collect songs inside my Music App.”

“Music can be a distraction if I spend most of my time finding songs.”

"While studying, music can distract if I spend too much time searching for songs instead of focusing."

“I use Library to collect songs inside my Music App.”

Information Architecture

Designing Different Ways to Add Song

Different Ways to Add Song

The redesign enables users to have two different ways of adding their songs to Music Library, and being able to select groups of songs to Playlists.

Scenarios

Designer in San Francisco

Jacob is doing homework inside a classroom while listening to music. He wants to save a song he loves. However, he does not want to get distracted once he unlocks his iPhone.

Jacob uses the add feature that gives him a simple tap to add his new song to Music Library. Once he finishes work, he would put his saved songs into playlists.


Jacob uses the add feature that gives him a simple tap to add his new song to Music Library. Once he finishes work, he would put his saved songs into playlists.

Athlete in New York

Sarah is jogging and listening to music. She finds a new song she loves. She is out of breath so cannot use Siri and doesn’t want to open her phone.

Sarah is jogging and listening to music. She finds a new song she loves. She is out of breath so cannot use Siri and does not want to open her phone.

She uses back tap feature that allows her to back tap new songs into her Music Library with out having to stop jogging.

She uses back tap feature that allows her to back tap new songs into her Library without having to stop jogging.

Challenges

Understanding User Needs

Based on user interviews, most users wanted to add their favorite songs to playlists, which the add icon only saved their songs to library. This was a trade off to a quick and simple add interaction.

Based on user interviews, most users wanted to add favorite songs into their playlists, which the add icon only saved their songs to library. This was the trade off for having a quick and simple add interaction.

My Approach

Reaching User's Goals

I’ve redesigned the Music Library so when users save their songs into Music, they are brought into an organized library to easily select groups of songs into their desired playlists.

I’ve redesigned the Music Library so when users save their songs into Music, they are brought into an organized library to easily select groups of songs and move them into their desired playlists.

Current Design

Most users end up getting distracted on other applications when they open Music to add their songs to Library.

New Approach

The new add song feature allows user’s to add songs they like to Music Library without getting distracted by other applications.

Current Library

Users found the current Music Library to be unorganized with songs and confusing with music icons that had an empty shuffle list.

New Library

Once users add their songs into Music Library, they are able to easily sort songs by selecting groups of songs into their desired playlists.

User flow 01

Back Tap to Add Song

Users can explore 50 new songs every week and set up Back Tap to quickly add songs to Music Library.

User flow 02

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Organize Songs to Playlist

The Music Library is organized by time for users to select songs to add, edit, or remove.

What I’ve Learned

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Following Apple’s user experience and layout guideline through other apps.

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User Interviews defined goals to save songs and organize them into playlists.

User Interviews helped me defined goals to save songs and organize them into playlists

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Usability tests confirmed that current way of adding songs disrupted user work flow.

Next Steps

Researching on Hand Gesture Controls

Researching Hand Gesture Controls

Researching Gesture Controls

Research on intuitive hand gesture controls to allow users to share their favorite songs with friends and add songs to their playlists or library.

Using Music to Help Relax and Sleep

Using Music to Help Sleep

Music to Help Relax and Sleep

A sleep timer feature that analyzes users' sleep patterns and suggests optimal times to stop playing music, helping users relax and fall asleep peacefully.

A sleep timer feature that analyzes users' sleep patterns and suggests optimal times to stop playing music, helping users relax and fall asleep.

Integrating Features for Apple Watch

Music Features for Apple Watch

Exploring the Apple Watch to integrate more ways for users to add their songs to playlists for keeping focus.

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@ Andrew Huang 2023

Apple Music

Product

Research/Design

Outcome