App redesign : BANDSINTOWN
Project Overview
This redesign for the Bandsintown application is almost purely a UX design project. To give you some context, Bandsintown is a concert discovery app and it pulls data from a user's music streaming accounts to pre-populate a customised list of tracked artists and local concert recommendations. Tour dates are collected from more than 200 primary ticket providers and booking agencies, as well as the artists directly.
I really like this app because I love music, it seems useful but the interface is not-friendly and uninspiring.
I really like this app because I love music, it seems useful but the interface is not-friendly and uninspiring.
Challenge
I chose an iOS native app, focusing on 3 principle screens of a user journey to redesign, the Home Page after being logged in, the selection of an artist, Artist Page, and then proceeding Product Page to see in concert and the selection of concert date to purchase tickets.
Before & after : home
Strategy
Beginning the project with a Heuristic analysis of the existing app, I identified aspects of the current app that were problematic. I found problems of content organisation. I then proceeded to experiment with a different content structure and information organisation.
I took inventory of other existing services and competition, to understand what other users might be seeing and expecting. For this project, I kept the same logo and colours.
My strategy was to clarify the grouping of elements using hierarchy of type styles, and to adhere a style found while conducting qualitative research about music concerts and the visuals used to promote such events. I also wanted a more exciting solution for the app, so that it had energy and was fun. To be general, the tendency for app design has become very un-funky, and so neutralised. The current app suffers from a lack of energy and fun, so I tried to put that back into the app. The Bandsintown brand is catering to music enthusiasts, who are looking for fun and seeking joy and excitement.
Heuristic analysis
mid-fi prototype
Creative Direction
Inspiration for this project comes from concert posters for music events, from their various shapes and expressive graphic styles and vibrant colours the the playful use of typography. Using a grid allows for structured breaks in rhythm, and this sparks curiosity. A break from the typical black or white background with square format blocks, currently used on the applications of Spotify and Songkick, for a structure in the form of a bento-box style arrangement, reaching for a variety of sizes and shapes of cards for information, echoing a "musically-influenced" layout. I wanted to make it visually sonic. Seeking rhythmic shapes and breaking patterns that should just be a little annoying, enough to waken the user so as not to succumb to boredom and doom-scrolling, to get the users curiosity. Researchers have found that music enthusiasts search for the 'odd' elements that attract their attention, so I tried that concept in the visual design. I used a saturated colour palette of blue with orange as a dedicated compliment for buttons and actionable elements.
I kept their existing branded display font face called Syne, it shows its personality best when used large, so I used it large.
Conclusion
I sought to make this redesign as it relates to it's musically oriented subject matter, I wanted it to "feel" like music makes me feel, not contained nor restricted but rather, with shapes, arcs and breaks in rhythm. This may be subjective but I think their existing mobile design is not inspiring and this version of the mobile application would deserve to be tested and evaluated, getting some feedback to make it better. I agree that it really should be in accordance with the other existing models in terms of structure & information organisation and yet we don't have to be in lock step formation like soldiers, marching for some fascist regime. Music is a little rebellious, dare I say. Today still, posters do a better job of getting people excited about going to a show. Perhaps, the corporate music-machine has taken "control" and music lovers are just settling for the status-quo. I can do that sort of design solution if I need to, but that isn't a redesign is it.
Thanks so much for your time and attention.
Thanks so much for your time and attention.
