Practicing research
The most used music app: Spotify
This report evaluates the UI of Spotify's mobile app, specifically focusing on the saved playlist categorization and equalizer access features. Through various tests, we aim to understand user interactions, applying diverse guidelines to identify areas for improvement and enhance the overall user experience.
Team
Justin Catalano
My role
UX Researcher
Prototyper
What was done?
There's a lot to research, so lets go step by step
Interface Evaluation
Personas
Comparative Study
Initial Testing
Translating research into design
Concepting
Design Requirement
Redesign
Validation
Usability testing
Playlist categorization
Playlist categorization feature is vital for easy music discovery.
• This feature takes 4 steps
• The process follows Miller's law, with users taking about 7 seconds to complete it.
• Lack of education & digital literacy
Difficulties
• User-friendly interface with no hidden buttons or error-causing elements.
• Returning from a specific creator is not immediately apparent.
• Potential confusion with the "X" button, leading to the "Your Library" page and losing all progress.
• Overall, the interface should be easy for the user to navigate.
Equalizer access
Let users set their controls with equalizer access
• This feature takes 5 steps
• Aligns with Miller's Law, despite being somewhat tucked away in the menu.
Difficulties
• Difficulty accessing the feature due to the app's "exploration" design.
• This streamlined access would reduce unnecessary steps and simplify the user experience.
• They can navigate the app through bottom buttons or swiping.
• interface is acceptable, but the initial access needs improvement for user convenience.
Initial Testing
Using Jakob Nielsen's 10 general principles for interaction design and 3 users
The assessment involved interaction with the playlist categorization and equalizer accessibility features, with users providing feedback based on their overall experience in alignment with Nielsen's principles.
Visibility of system status
Match between system and the real world
User control and freedom
Consistency and standards
Error prevention
Recognition vs. recall
Flexibility and efficiency
Aesthetic and minimalist design
Help user recognize, and recover from errors
Help and documentation
Usability Metrics
Using Nielsen's 5 attributes of usability, we evaluate the overall usability of the features.
• This feature takes 5 steps
• Aligns with Miller's Law, despite being somewhat tucked away in the menu.
Difficulties
• Difficulty accessing the feature due to the app's "exploration" design.
• This streamlined access would reduce unnecessary steps and simplify the user experience.
• They can navigate the app through bottom buttons or swiping.
• interface is acceptable, but the initial access needs improvement for user convenience.
New requirements
The assessment involved interaction with the playlist categorization and equalizer accessibility features, with users providing feedback based on their overall experience in alignment with Nielsen's principles.