Spotify

Added Feature: Censorship Toggle

Overview

Timeline: November 2023 - January 2024 (8 Weeks)

Role: Ux Designer, Ux Research,Added Feature, Student Project

Background

In today's digital age, music streaming platforms have become an integral part of our daily lives, offering a vast library of songs and podcasts at our fingertips. However, with this convenience comes the challenge of managing explicit content, particularly in shared or family environments. As a marketing executive working in the entertainment industry, I recognized the need for a solution that would allow users to enjoy their favorite music on Spotify without the worry of inappropriate content disrupting their listening experience.

The Problem

Spotify users often found themselves in situations where explicit content would unexpectedly play, causing discomfort or embarrassment, especially in family or public settings.
The lack of robust filtering options made it challenging for users to control the content they were exposed to, leading to frustration and dissatisfaction with the platform.

The Solution

Conceptualized the Spotify Censoring Feature, a user-friendly solution designed to give users greater control over the content they listen to.
Include a simple toggle switch that allows users to easily enable or disable explicit content filtering based on their preferences.

Design Process

User Research , User Interviews, Journey Map, High Fidelity Wireframes, Clickable Prototype

Research Goals

At the onset of the project, our primary goal was to gain a deep understanding of user needs and preferences regarding explicit content filtering on Spotify. Understanding the needs and experiences of Spotify users is not just about data collection; it's about empathy. It's about stepping into the shoes of our users, listening to their stories, and truly understanding the challenges they face. Our research goals were driven by a deep sense of empathy for our users, recognizing the importance of creating a music streaming experience that is not only enjoyable but also respectful of their individual preferences and circumstances.

1. User Interviews:

Our first goal was to listen to Spotify users and hear their stories. We wanted to understand the moments of frustration when explicit content unexpectedly played in front of their children or in public spaces. By empathizing with their experiences, we could identify the pain points and challenges they faced, allowing us to design solutions that truly meet their needs.

2.Persona Development:

Creating personas was not just about categorizing users into demographics; it was about giving a voice to their experiences. Each persona represented a real person with unique motivations, fears, and aspirations. By embodying these personas, we could better understand the diverse range of needs within our user base, ensuring that our solutions would resonate with real-life experiences.

3.Ideation and Prototyping:

The ideation process was not just about generating ideas; it was about exploring possibilities and imagining a better future. By putting ourselves in the shoes of our users, we could envision solutions that address their needs and enhance their music streaming experience. Prototyping allowed us to bring these ideas to life, creating tangible representations of our empathy-driven designs.

User Interviews

Interviewing Participants

Interviewing users was crucial for our project as it provided us with invaluable insights into their needs, preferences, and experiences with managing explicit content on Spotify. Through these interviews, we were able to empathize with users' challenges and frustrations, fueling our motivation to design solutions that truly address their needs. By engaging in conversations with users, we not only identified unmet needs but also validated our assumptions about their preferences and behaviors. This process helped us build empathy with our users, fostering a deeper understanding of their experiences and guiding us in the development of a user-centered solution for content filtering on Spotify.

Participant 1: Age 28

As a parent was particularly concerned about the presence of explicit content when their children were around.
Emphasized the need for a solution that would allow her to enjoy Spotify without worrying about inappropriate content playing unexpectedly.
Feedback highlighted the importance of simplicity and user guidance, indicating a preference for features that are intuitive to use and accessible for users of all levels of familiarity with the platform.

Participant 2: Age 32

As an educator , they frequently uses Spotify during his lessons and presentations.
Expressed the need for a feature that would enable him to filter out explicit content to maintain a professional and appropriate atmosphere in the classroom.
Emphasized the importance of quick access to the feature, as he often needs to toggle the filter on and off during his teaching sessions.
His feedback underscored the value of efficiency and convenience in managing explicit content in educational settings.

Participant 3: Age 25

Being a tech-savvy user, was interested in a feature that seamlessly integrated with the existing Spotify interface.
Expressed the desire for automation features, such as scheduling, to streamline the management of explicit content without manual intervention.
Her feedback highlighted the importance of customization and automation for power users like herself.

Participant 4: Age36

As an attorney, emphasized the need for a feature that would ensure a distraction-free environment during work hours.
Sought a solution that would allow him to filter out explicit content based on time or context, enabling him to focus on tasks without interruptions.
Suggested the inclusion of a feature to review filtered content, providing users with transparency and control over the censorship process.
His feedback underscored the importance of productivity and user control in managing explicit content in professional settings.

Affinity Mapping

Interpolating interview findings

Interpolating interview findings involves distilling key themes from user feedback to understand their priorities regarding the censorship feature. These insights guide the design process, ensuring a user-centered solution that effectively addresses their needs.

Key Themes:

Participants expressed a strong desire for control over the censorship feature, emphasizing the importance of customization options such as genre-specific filters and age-appropriate settings.
Ease of use was a recurring theme, with participants highlighting the importance of intuitive design and quick access to the feature. Suggestions for tooltips, tutorials, and shortcuts were made to enhance accessibility for all users.
Participants emphasized the importance of seamless integration with the existing Spotify interface.

User Personas

Humanize potential users

Crafting personas transcended merely categorizing users by demographics; it was about elevating their voices and experiences. Each persona embodied a real individual with distinctive motivations, fears, and aspirations, allowing us to empathize deeply with their diverse needs. By immersing ourselves in their stories, we gained profound insights into the challenges they faced, ensuring that our solutions were rooted in empathy and resonated with their lived experiences.

Problem Statement

In shared or family environments, Spotify users encounter challenges associated with managing explicit content, leading to discomfort, embarrassment, and safety concerns. The absence of robust filtering options exacerbates this issue, resulting in frustration and dissatisfaction among users. There is a pressing need for a solution that empowers users to control the content they are exposed to on Spotify, ensuring a safer and more enjoyable listening experience for all.

Site Map

Navigating Interactions

The site map highlights the intuitive flow of user interactions, ensuring a seamless and user-friendly experience. By mapping out the various screens, features, and pathways within the feature, users can easily understand how to navigate and utilize its capabilities to manage explicit content on Spotify effectively. Whether toggling filters, customizing settings, or accessing additional features, the site map serves as a guide for users to navigate the censorship feature with ease and confidence. Click to view Site Analysis

Digital Wireframes

Wireframing the Solution

Wireframing the solution isn't just about creating visual blueprints; it's about understanding and empathizing with our users' needs and experiences. We carefully translate user insights and design concepts into tangible representations, ensuring that every element is thoughtfully crafted with the user in mind. Wireframe serves as a canvas for empathy, allowing us to envision how users will interact with the Spotify Censoring Feature and anticipate their needs. Through wireframing, we embark on a journey of understanding, iteration, and refinement, guided by our deep empathy for the users we aim to serve.

Hi-Fidelity

Pallet

The Spotify palette is a carefully curated selection of colors that define the visual identity and brand aesthetic of Spotify. These colors are used consistently across the Spotify platform, including the mobile app, desktop interface, and marketing materials. The palette typically consists of vibrant greens, blacks, and whites, evoking a sense of energy, sophistication, and modernity. These colors are strategically chosen to reflect Spotify's brand values, such as creativity, innovation, and accessibility. By maintaining consistency in the use of colors, Spotify creates a cohesive and recognizable brand experience for its users, reinforcing its identity as a leading music streaming platform.

Prototype & Testing

Determining the Effectiveness

The prototyping phase was instrumental in translating the digital wireframes into interactive prototypes, allowing for a simulated user experience and functionality testing. By creating clickable prototypes that mirrored the intended user flow and interface design, the team could assess the platform's usability and identify any potential usability issues early in the development process. This iterative approach facilitated the refinement of the user interface and the incorporation of user feedback, ensuring that the final product would deliver a seamless and engaging experience for users. Try the Prototype

PROTOTYPE WITH 3 TASK FLOWS:

Enable Cencorship Toggle
Now playing Toggle

Try The Prototype

Usability Test

Does the design work?

The usability test serves as a critical checkpoint to evaluate the effectiveness of the design in meeting user needs and expectations. By putting the Spotify Censoring Feature prototype in the hands of real users, we aim to answer the fundamental question: "Does the design work?" Through a series of structured tasks and scenarios, we observe how users interact with the feature, identify usability issues, and gather feedback on their overall experience. This process allows us to uncover insights into the strengths and weaknesses of the design, validate design decisions, and iterate towards a more user-centric solution. Ultimately, the usability test serves as a litmus test for the design's success, ensuring that it aligns with user preferences and enhances their experience on Spotify.

At a glance:
Usability test consisted of 2 task flows:

Setting Enabled Censorship Toggle in use censor toggle

What Worked:

4/4 participants founds the toggle feature easy to use and appreciated its simplicity.
3/4 Participants found the overall functionality of the feature aligned with the Spotify design

What needs to change:

2/4 participants suggested the inclusion of a quick tutorial or tooltip for first time users. noted minor issues with the size of a couple buttons
1/4 participants suggested a shortcut or widget for quicker access to the feature from home lock screen.

Idea suggestions for more features:

3/4 participants suggested a time based filtering that will transition automatically between work and relaxation.

Final Thoughts & Next Steps

In conclusion, the development of the Spotify Censoring Feature has been a journey driven by our unwavering commitment to understanding and addressing the needs of Spotify users. Through meticulous research, empathetic design, and rigorous testing, we have crafted a solution that empowers users to control their content experience with ease and confidence. Our user-centric approach has ensured that every aspect of the feature is designed with the user in mind, fostering a sense of ownership and empowerment among Spotify users.

Looking ahead, our journey continues as we embark on the next phase of development and refinement. We remain dedicated to gathering feedback, iterating on the design, and exploring new opportunities to enhance the feature further. Collaboration with the Spotify team will be essential as we work to seamlessly integrate the censorship feature into the platform and align it with Spotify's brand vision. With a shared commitment to innovation and user satisfaction, we are excited to continue shaping the future of content filtering on Spotify and delivering an exceptional user experience to millions of users worldwide.

Home

View Case Study