WEBB: understanding the music algorithm
ROLE
UX + UI Design
Visual design
Flow
Research
Prototyping Testing
TOOLS
Figma
Illustrator
DETAILS
Interactive Design Fall 2024
Matthew J. McGlynn
Musical complexity is notoriously difficult to define and formalize. Complexity can refer to structural aspects and the listener's subjective interpretation based on their experiences.
THE PROBLEM
RESEARCH
I went to community forms to see what people thought of an idea like this. I found there have been frustrations with how streaming services recommend songs. People often recommend the more popular songs rather than music that serves the user’s taste.
Many users on the internet have voiced their frustration over Spotify and Apple Music algorithm that promotes popular artists more than the user’s music preferences
REFLECTION
User frustration stems from algorithms prioritizing popular artists over individual preferences, and premium users tend to abandon playlists quickly.
Ultimately, these sources analyze user behavior, algorithmic processes, and the ongoing tension between popularity and personalized music discovery on streaming platforms.
I dived into the persona process by creating ones that I found within my exploration of everyday music enjoyers by sections
One is the everyday music streamer whose frustrations come from being recommended the same songs over and over again when refreshing
The music enthusiast who would like to change their algorithm to suit their tastes better and is looking to see how one save a song or follow an artist could change their recommendation
and a person who is just curious to know why they’re recommended a song and to see what the other options could be if they developed another taste.
WIREFRAMES
Story Boarding
FINAL DESIGN
REFLECTION
I wanted to create an experience where the user can see the connection between song recommendations where it webs out.
The process of learning components is the most challenging and fruitful process of the project. Since this figma involved all of the animations to create the spacey web feature.
