Musically Website
Musically is a music store that offers users to download and enjoy music. The typical user is between 16-50 years old, and most users are college students or early career professionals. Musically’s goal is to make music streaming and buying, fast, and easy for all types of users.
The Problem
Other music streaming and purchasing apps have cluttered designs, inefficient systems for browsing through products, and confusing checkout processes.
My Role
UX designer leading the website design from conception to delivery
The Goal
Musically’s website to be user friendly by providing clear navigation and offering a fast checkout process.
Responsibilities
Conducting interviews, paper and digital wireframing, low and high-fidelity prototyping, conducting usability studies, accounting for accessibility, iterating on designs and responsive design.
Understanding the User
User Research Summary
I conducted interviews and created empathy maps to understand the users I’m
designing for and their needs. A primary user group identified through research
was working adults who loves music.
This user group confirmed initial assumptions about the users, but research
also revealed that our users need the ability to have an online music library and news to know what is happening or trending currently.
Pain Points
- Most music websites are too busy with information which results confusing navigation.
- Most music websites don’t support multiple language
- Most music websites don’t have a library for the user.
User Persona
Daniel's Problem statement
Daniel is an engineer who needs a music website where he can buy music, have his own library, and get his news about music because he wants his experience to be smooth and all from one place.
User Journey Map
Mapping our website’s user journey identified possible pain points and improvement opportunities.
Starting the Design
Site Map
My goal here was to make strategic information architecture decisions that would improve overall website navigation. The structure I chose was designed to make things simple and easy.
Paper Wireframes
Next, I sketched out paper wireframes for each screen in my app, keeping the user pain points about navigation, browsing, and checkout flow in mind.
The home screen paper wireframe variations to the right focus on optimizing the browsing experience for users.
Paper Wireframe Screen Size Variation(s)
To prepare for usability testing, I created a low-fidelity prototype that connected each screens.
Digital Wireframe​​
Moving from paper to digital wireframes made it easy to understand how the redesign could help address user pain points and improve the user experience.
Prioritizing useful button locations and visual element placement on the home page was a key part of my strategy.
Digital Wireframe Screen Size Variation(s)
Low-fidelity Prototype
To create a low-fidelity prototype, I connected all of the screens involved in the primary user flow of adding an item to the cart and checking out.
Usability Study Parameters
Study Type: Unmoderated usability study
Location: Ethiopia, Remote
Participants: 5
Length: 20 - 40 min
Usability Study Findings
- Once at the checkout screen, users didn’t have a way to add the music they purchased into a playlist or their library preference
- Users didn’t have a way to choose a bitrate of the music they were purchasing
Refining the Design
Mockups
To make the checkout flow even easier for users, I added a check box that allowed users to select the bitrate of the music.
Before usability study
After usability study
Mockups Original Screen Size
Mockup: Screen Size Variations
High-fidelity Prototype
My hi-fi prototype followed the same user flow as the lo-fi prototype, and included the design changes made after the usability study, as well as several changes suggested by members of my team.​​
Accessibility Considerations
1. I used headings with different-sized text for a clear visual hierarchy
2. I used landmarks to help users navigate the site, including users who rely on assistive technologies
3. I designed the site with alt text available on each page for smooth screen reader access
Going Forward
Takeaways
Impact
Our target users shared that the design was intuitive to navigate through, more engaging with the images, and demonstrated a clear visual hierarchy.
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What I learned
I learned that even a small design change can have a huge impact on the user experience. The most important takeaway for me is to always focus on the real needs of the user when coming up with design ideas and solutions.
Next Steps
1. Conduct follow-up usability testing on the new website
2. Identify any additional areas of need and ideate on new features
Let's Connect!
Thank you for your time reviewing my work on the Nutro App!
If you’d like to see more or would like to get in touch, my contact information is provided below.
Email: nebyat@email.com