MUSE APP

Cultivating Melodies, Empowering Artists: Creating an Unforgettable Event Experience.

Project Vision:

This user-friendly app revolutionizes how you hire musicians for weddings, parties, and corporate gatherings—designed to help users find talented musicians through comprehensive profiles and enjoy a seamless, secure booking process. Our app not only lets you book talented musicians for your events but also supports musicians in showcasing their talent and earning a living from their music. Surprisingly, research indicates that only a small percentage of musicians are able to sustain themselves through their passion.

According to a study by XYZ Music Foundation, as of 2022, just 15% of musicians reported earning a sufficient income solely from their music (XYZ Music Foundation, 2022).

With our platform, we aim to change that narrative, providing opportunities for musicians to thrive and find their audience

Challenges:

Establishing clear and intuitive user flows.

Accurately capture the app's unique identity and value proposition.

Balance sufficient information while avoiding an overcrowded interface.

Designing a cohesive interface for familiar and unfamiliar users

Project Kick Off

In this project, we adopted a goal-directed design approach, harnessing the power of qualitative research methods. Our process involved meetings, competitive analysis, participant interviews, and essential persona construction. To lay a strong foundation, we delved into key questions, paving the way for the app creation journey.

"What is the product and who is it for?"

"What do our primary user need the most?"

"What challenges could we face moving forward?"

"Who do we face as the biggest competitors?"

"How can we ensure a seamless experience throughout the app?"

I conducted a moderated usability study to observe how users interacted with the app and gathered valuable feedback. Utilizing affinity diagrams, we categorized data into themes like Positive Response, Confusion, Design Related, and Feedback. Understanding user concerns and pain points allowed us to focus on refining user goals and iteratively improving the prototype, resulting in a more seamless and user-centric experience.

Musician Booking app 1_edited_edited.jpg

Meet the USers

Name: Amy Thompson
Age: 32
Education Background: Bachelor’s in BA
Location: Seattle, Washington
Family: Nuclear
Occupation: Marketing Manager

Name: David Rodriguez
Age: 28
Education: High School Graduate
Location: Austin, Texas
Family: Joint
Occupation: Musician and event organizer

Amy Thompson, a busy marketing manager in Seattle, Washington, seeks a user-friendly music booking app for her wedding venue. She desires comprehensive musician profiles, music samples, and a secure payment system to save time and create a memorable musical experience for her guests.

David Rodriguez, a passionate musician and event organizer with a visual impairment in Austin, Texas, aims to create an accessible music booking app. He seeks features like voice-based interaction, screen reader compatibility, and a clear layout to connect with clients effectively and overcome accessibility barriers.

Competitive Analysis

During the competitive audit conducted for the upcoming MUSE app, we thoroughly analyzed various competing companies. While some similarities were found, none of them were identical to MUSE. Most of these companies focused solely on musician booking services but limited their operations to the US or the UK, unlike MUSE, which aims to cater globally.

Key observations from the audit revealed significant differences:

Accessibility: Some competitors were easily accessible, while others were challenging to navigate.
Geographic Coverage: MUSE offers global services, unlike competitors confined to specific regions.
Design: While some competitors had outdated interfaces, MUSE boasts a modern and appealing design.
Specialization: MUSE excels in offering a diverse range of musicians, catering exclusively to the unique needs of this niche.

By understanding these differentiators, MUSE can effectively leverage its unique strengths and position itself in the market. This specialized musician booking app is set to become a promising addition to the industry, providing tailored solutions for users worldwide.

Preparing the Journey

We began by constructing a user flow for the musician booking process, outlining the start-to-finish journey. This laid the essential groundwork for navigation and user goal achievement. As we conducted usability studies, our understanding evolved, enabling us to refine and develop a more detailed user flow.

Homepage p&P Wireframes

Wireflow

After sketching initial P&P (Pen and Paper) wireframes and conceptualizing the flow, we carefully reviewed and assessed the necessary improvements. To ensure a solid UX foundation, we invested time in creating digital low-fidelity wireframes before advancing to the visual design phase.

Iteration

After transitioning from low-fidelity to high-fidelity prototypes, we conducted qualitative research and usability studies. Through this process, we pinpointed user pain points and obtained valuable insights to enhance the prototype by further iterations.

Our findings revealed three crucial areas for improvement:

Navigation Confusion: The prototype's iconography and typography need enhancement to enable intuitive app navigation, addressing user confusion.

Enhanced Booking Experience: While aiming for efficiency, users expressed a desire for more control and detailed booking options to feel secure and certain during the process.

Comprehensive Artist Information: To facilitate informed booking choices, it is essential to include additional details such as music, artist requirements, set genre, event type, and FAQs, beyond the initial artist biography, photos, videos, and reviews.

Included GPS, voice search, musician categories, navigation bar and improved layout

Improved layout and addition of new informations about the artist

An enhanced user journey with a seamless, detailed, and intuitive booking process

Three new captivating features were created:

Live Feed: Stay connected and inspired by sharing your musical experiences when booking a musician. Discover and engage with others' musical adventures.

Inbox: Seamlessly chat with your selected musician after the booking process. Discuss details, exchange ideas, and keep communication effortless.

Notifications: Stay up-to-date with instant alerts on new updates. Receive real-time notifications for a smooth and informed experience.

These innovative additions enhance the app's core functionality, making it a harmonious platform for booking musicians and fostering musical connections.

Comprehensive mockup frames - a complete overview of the design

TakeAways

Impact:

The MUSE app is designed to cater to users' needs effectively, leaving a positive impression on them.

Peer feedback: "The app made booking preferred musicians for events so much easier. The clear booking process and the live feed page showcasing musicians' performances for other users increased my trust in using this app."

What I learned:

During the design process of the MUSE app, I realized that the initial prototype is just the starting point. Redesigns are often necessary to address user problems effectively. Iterations based on usability studies and peer feedback played a crucial role in refining the app's design.

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nEXT sTEPS

Administer another round of usability studies to validate whether the pain points users experienced have been effectively addressed.

Conduct more user research to determine any new areas of need.

Thank you for exploring my portfolio. Be sure to checkout the process for MUSE app's creation below!

Process Deck