MUSIC BOX
Project
​A mobile app designed for music fans to explore artist discographies, shop official merch, and rank and share their favorite albums with the community.
Role
UX Researcher
UX Designer
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Tools
Figma
Illustrator
Procreate
POP (Marvel)
Project Type
Mobile App Prototype
Duration
2 Months
Overview
Music Box is a mobile app designed to bring music fans closer to the artists they love by combining discography exploration, merch shopping, album ranking, and social sharing in one seamless experience. Traditional ways of discovering music, buying albums, and ranking favorites are often scattered across multiple platforms, creating a fragmented and time-consuming process.
As the UX designer for this project, my role was to craft an interface that feels intuitive, visually engaging, and fan-centered, making it easy for users to browse artist discographies, purchase albums and merch, and share their rankings with the community. My goal was to create a platform that not only streamlines these activities but also offers fans a fun, organized, and interactive way to engage with their favorite music.
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To ensure the final design met user needs, I conducted research to understand fan behaviors and pain points. These insights shaped the design decisions that led to a smooth, accessible, and engaging user experience.
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RESEARCH STAGE
MARKET RESEARCH
To better understand the needs of music fans, I analyzed popular music apps such as Spotify, Apple Music, and Last.fm. While these platforms excel at streaming and music discovery, they often lack features that allow fans to fully engage with an artist’s work in one place.
Through this research, I identified three key gaps:
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Centralized Discography Exploration: Fans wanted an easier way to view an artist’s entire discography, including deep cuts and less popular releases, without switching between multiple apps.
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Album Ranking & Sharing: Many fans enjoy ranking and comparing albums, but often resort to third-party tools or social media posts to share their lists, which feels disconnected from their listening experience.
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Merch & Album Shopping Integration: Merch and album purchases are usually on separate websites, making the process less convenient.
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This project is important because it brings all of these features together, discussing music, ranking, and shopping into a single, fan-focused experience. The goal was to create a platform where fans feel more connected to the artists they love, while also saving time and effort.
USER RESEARCH
When conducting user research, I focused on reaching the right audience by creating a survey and sending it to people who actively listen to music and regularly attend concerts. This ensured that the results reflected the behaviors and needs of true music fans rather than casual listeners. After collecting survey responses, I conducted usability tests with my low-fidelity prototype and created journey maps to better understand the overall experience. These insights slightly shifted my initial assumptions: while I originally emphasized merch shopping as the primary feature, I discovered that fans were just as interested in connecting with other music lovers and sharing their rankings with a wider community.
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Several recurring pain points emerged from the research:
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Fans struggle to find a single, organized place to view an artist’s complete discography.
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Buying albums or merch often requires navigating multiple websites, which feels inconvenient.
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There is no simple way for fans to rank and save their favorite albums in one app.
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Fans want a space to share their opinions and connect with other music lovers, but lack a dedicated platform.
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With these findings, I identified three guiding questions for the design process:
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How can we make it easier for fans to explore an artist’s full discography in one place?
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How can we create a seamless experience for purchasing albums and merch without leaving the app?
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How can we encourage fans to rank, save, and share their favorite albums in a fun and interactive way?
SOLUTION
Based on the research I conducted, the solution for this project is to design a streamlined, fan-centered mobile app that brings music discovery, merch shopping, and community interaction into one cohesive platform. The app must prioritize simple, intuitive navigation so users can easily browse an artist’s full discography, rank and save their favorite albums, and purchase merch without switching between multiple websites. The design should focus on a clear visual hierarchy and organized layouts, making it effortless for fans to find what they need while feeling engaged and inspired. Additionally, the interface should balance functionality with a visually appealing, modern aesthetic that reflects the energy and personality of music culture. By focusing on these elements, the app creates a fun, efficient, and community-driven experience that encourages fans to return and stay connected to the artists they love.
IDEATION STAGE
With the research complete, there was a clear direction for the project. The app needed to act as a central hub for music fans, bringing together discography exploration, merch shopping, album ranking, and community interaction into one seamless experience.
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Goals:
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Easy access to an artist’s complete discography through a clean, organized interface
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A smooth merch and album shopping experience within the same app
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Intuitive album ranking and saving features that encourage engagement
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A social component where fans can share their rankings and connect with others
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A visually appealing, music-inspired design that feels fresh and inviting
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Accessibility Considerations:
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High-contrast color palette (black, white, and purple) to keep text and buttons easy to read
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Large, tappable buttons and links to ensure smooth interaction on smaller screens
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Clear, simple language on each screen to make navigation and features easy to understand for all users
KEY FEATURES
Startup Page: Appears only for first-time users, introducing the app and its core features. Sets expectations for what users can do, such as exploring music, ranking albums, and shopping for merch.
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Log In Page: Allows returning users to securely access their saved rankings, favorite artists, and previous purchases. Once logged in, users are taken directly to the Home page on future visits.
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Sign Up Page: Enables new users to create an account quickly, link their Spotify if they choose, and start personalizing their experience from the beginning.
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Home Page: Acts as the central hub of the app. Users can browse music recommendations, explore trending albums, and navigate to their favorite artist profiles or the shop with ease.
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Artist Profile Page: Displays an artist’s full discography in a clean, organized layout. Users can listen to previews, rank albums, and shop for artist-specific merch directly from this page.
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Shop Page: Lets users browse and purchase albums, vinyls, and official merchandise in one place, without leaving the app.
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Checkout Page: Provides a streamlined, secure checkout process, making it easy to complete purchases quickly and return to discovering music.
DEVELOPMENT STAGE
​After defining the goals and key features, I moved into the development stage of the project. My focus was on creating a clear visual hierarchy that guided users naturally through the app. I used layout, scale, and contrast to emphasize key actions such as browsing music, ranking albums, and shopping, so users always knew what to do next.
SITE MAP / NOTES
PAPER WIREFRAMES
SITE MAP
DIGITAL WIREFRAMES / LOW - FIDELITY PROTOTYPE
DIGITAL WIREFRAMES / LOW - FIDELITY PROTOTYPE
MOCKUPS
ASSETS
FINAL DELIVERABLES
The final deliverables of the project were concluded with a final working prototype. My designs helped users feel that the app was organized and easy to navigate, making it simple to find the information they wanted. One survey participant said, “I really like how everything is organized and easy to find it makes using the app straightforward and enjoyable.”
