Spotify: A Case Study in Improving User Experience Through Design Thinking

As a music streaming giant, Spotify has revolutionized the way we listen to music. But even a product as successful as Spotify can still benefit from design thinking to improve the user experience. In this post, we’ll explore how design thinking helped me ideate, design, and prototype a new user flow and wireframe for Spotify, using Miro for ideation and Whimsical for prototyping, and ultimately testing with real users to create a better experience for all.

Step 1: Empathize

To kickstart our design thinking process, we engaged in user research to understand our users better. We conducted user interviews, observed how people interacted with the product, and analyzed user data to identify their pain points and opportunities for improvement.

Our user research revealed that many users were overwhelmed by the sheer volume of content on the platform, which made it difficult to navigate and discover new music, leading to a poor user experience. Additionally, we discovered that users desired a better way to connect with friends and share playlists or song recommendations directly. However, the current user flow on Spotify does not support this feature. We also found out that users needed a block option available to them when they click on an artist's profile to prevent them from seeing recommended songs of such artists, but this feature was not available. Users also wanted to sort/filter playlists and view the most played songs in a playlist shared with friends, but they were unable to do so with the current user flow. Lastly, users wanted to get personalized music recommendations based on the genre they usually listen to during different times of the day, i.e., based on mood.

Step 2: Define

After empathizing with our users, we defined the problem we wanted to solve, which was to make it easier for users to discover new music on Spotify while also addressing the other user pain points discovered in our research.

Step 3: Ideate

Using Miro, we brainstormed potential solutions to the problem. We started with a mind map of different features and functionalities that could be added to the product and created sketches and wireframes to visualize our ideas.

After much brainstorming, we decided on a new user flow that would prioritize music discovery. The new flow would take users through a guided setup process where they could select their favorite genres, artists, and songs to help Spotify create a personalized music experience. From there, users would be taken to a "Discover" page that would showcase new releases, playlists, and recommended artists based on their preferences. Additionally, we ideated on features such as a block option on artist profiles, sorting/filtering of playlists, and personalized music recommendations based on user mood.

Step 4: Prototype

With our new user flow and features in mind, we used Whimsical to create a clickable prototype. The prototype allowed us to test out the new flow and identify any potential issues before investing time and resources into development.

Step 5: Test

Finally, we tested our prototype with real users to gather feedback and identify any areas for improvement. Users responded positively to the new user flow and appreciated the personalized experience. However, we also discovered some areas for improvement, such as making it easier to edit music preferences and providing clearer explanations for why certain music was recommended.

In conclusion, by utilizing design thinking to empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test, we were able to address user pain points, ideate on new features, and ultimately create a better user experience on Spotify.