User Research I A| | Interaction Design | Wireframe

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Introduction

This design work is based on research and analysis. I designed the questionnaire to do the user interview, to help me to analyze each competitive product's information architecture and their brand effects. From there, I find the functions that I can change or improve in terms of the interaction design and interface design. 

User Interview & Questionnaire

Not only I used the questionnaire but also recorded our discussion. I selected five users which consisted of one music professor, one digital media professor, one deaf female undergraduate student, one male undergraduate student, and one secretary.  

There were three main questions that I wanted to know:

Why do they listen to music?

Where do they listen to music?

Do they really need to pay for music？

 “ Although I cannot hear clearly, I love listening to the music. Beyoncé is a queen of music! Usually, I use iTunes and Spotify, But I think Ads too much. And when I in a car with my friend, we choose Radio.”

“Reggae, Hip-Hop/RAP, Electronic and SKA. When I doing my assignment, Driving or Walking, I like to listen to music, usually choose English or Spanish. And I want to share music what I am listening to my friends. Spotify playlist simple for me.”

“I love listening to the music, especially Hip-Hop, Jazz, R&B/SOUL, Opera, Musical and Film Soundtrack. Music relaxes me; gets me through an activity...my mood how I want to feel. But I don’t like App plays songs that I necessarily don’t want to listen.”

“ I am a music teacher/ adult learner/music performer/writer/ Radio DJ(106.3FM Rochester). I love all of them, PINK, Pavarotti, Maria Callas, Robert Plant(1948-now, from 1966(or 1960?) start singing) etc. And I prefer to listen to affirmations(positive impact songs). In addition, I enjoy the portable, good quality music player and easy storage, so I use iPod, iPhone or laptop. I think many musicians just gain nor really good salary, but they spend much more time, thought to create the music. ”

“ I usually use Amazon, to buy CD or go to the store to buy CD(can collect). Also, I use iTunes. I accept different genres of music. When I grade students’ assignments, I listen to music so that I think I can give them a better grade. Pandora also is one of my love music Apps. I love to pay money to buy the music because the bands or musicians spend their life on music, we accept results, we need pay. However, I don’t listen to music when I travelling, safety more important if I am in a strange place. I don’t store any music on my phone.”
iPod or iTunes: has all of my music.
Spotify & Pandora: can discover new music.
CD player or record player: better audio quality.

Find

• They love to use Spotify and iTunes.  
• They think they should pay money to support the bands and musicians work.
• They don't like advertisements when they listen to music.
• When they want to recommend one music to their friends, sometimes they forgot the name of the song. 

Competitive Analysis Information Architecture

After the user survey, I chose 5 applications to check their information architecture and to analyze them.

Music Application of iPhone

• Powerful brand.
• Easily to use when your all products in one system.
  

iTunes

• A business part of the Apple empire
• Get the latest information
• Even Ads quality has a high level. 

Listen

• Special interaction design, focus on using environment. Enable user to enjoy the music in any situation. Based on iTunes or users own music on the Phone.
• https://macpaw.com/listen

Spotify Music

• Vivid albums anyone can find lovely genres. Users can follow the number of bands, musicians. Also, want to build a unifiable image.
• https://www.spotify.com/us/

Genres not just only use traditional classification, which depends on the mood or something you want to do. Easily focus on favourite singer after following. But ads really noisy if users just want to use free.

When I research this app, I remember that time is midnight. I am listening to the "Sleep albums". Since I feel sleepy and this album is definitely really nice, one commercial coming suddenly and I just wake up immediately.

I know Spotify wish people to buy Premium and allow users to get more benefits. Why can't it change the way of advertising?

Design Opportunities

Albums Distinguish

Faster and accuracy to create or set

Share Methods

Not just use “icon” or to “tap”

Commercial Value

Add other suitable benefits to attract users, think about individual musicians, music researchers

Information Architecture

I try to build the function form and Information architecture of my conceptual music application.  The Information Architecture below to show the functions and structure of this new app.

Interaction & Hi-Fi Wireframe