MyMusic
Afrobeats Music Streaming App
The MyMusic App was developed to address major challenges in the Afrobeats music industry across many emerging markets:
The MyMusic App bridges these gaps by offering a mobile platform designed for middle-class consumers in emerging markets. It provides all the features of a modern music streaming app while showcasing the latest and most extensive collection of Afrobeats music.
My Role: UX Research, Prototyping, Interaction Design, UI Design
To understand the market and gain user insights, I conducted industry research and in-person user studies. I visited universities, shopping centers, local markets, my auto garage, and a barbershop—places where I could engage with everyday consumers. Through interviews and observational studies, I explored music consumption habits and asked users to demonstrate how they listen to music.
Some of the key questions I asked included:
I analyzed music streaming platforms to understand industry trends, common pitfalls, and best practices. By reviewing user feedback, I identified key frustrations and valued features, gaining insights to create a more user-friendly experience.
Based on my research and the resulting findings, I was able to get a deeper understanding of my target market as well as connect and empathize with the users. Consequently, I came up with a user persona to represent my ideal user.
I held ideation sessions with my with my team members and stakeholders where I shared the outcome of my research. We started defining our unique approach to solving the problems the users had, going through their pain points one by one and proffering solutions. We brainstormed on the best way to plug the gap in the market and we were able to cut down to the most practical and innovative solutions. Consequently, we drew up a features list and user flow for the app.
The MyMusic service must follow a mobile-first approach with a lightweight design. Optimization is key—reducing file sizes, audio track sizes, and leveraging Apple’s Variable Bit Rate for efficient compression.
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After the ideation session, I proceed to sketch out basic wireframes on paper to try out various ideas and envision how the designs would look without getting too caught up in the finer details. I shared this with my partners to make sure we were all on the same page.
Next I went through the process of creating digital low fidelity wireframes which was neater and cleaner and I could share with my other stakeholders. This helped me gain meaningful feedback from my partners and other team members.
I put together a mood board to draw some inspiration into the design of the product. I made reference to the research I’ve done to come up with a brand identity, visual language and style guide for the product which would appeal to the target market. This would be reflected in all the touchpoints of the product and would communicate a consistent visual tone.
I translated the wireframes into high-fidelity designs using Figma, taking into account all the revisions and suggestions I had received from my stakeholders.
Consulting the user persona, the major design objectives were to simplify the user interface, reduce clutter, provide good music discovery and communicate clear call-to-action.
I created an interactive prototype using Figma and tested it with seven users who matched my target persona. Getting the product into real users' hands at this stage was crucial to assessing its usability. They could navigate the site effortlessly, discover music, select tracks to download, and engage with the call-to-action buttons seamlessly.
The only common issue was the lack of a search feature—users wanted to find specific songs rather than relying solely on recommendations. Based on this feedback, I integrated a search function into the design.
I designed the artiste backend dashboard where artistes can login in to check their reports and royalty earnings in real time. This makes the platform transparent and improves trust among all stakeholders.
After handing off the completed designs to developers, I collaborated with them throughout the process to ensure both user and business goals were met. The service launched successfully and was well received by users.
However, there is still room for continuous improvement as user behaviors evolve. As streaming becomes a more ingrained habit, users' expectations will grow, increasing the demand for enhanced functionality. Future iterations could focus on incremental UX improvements through smaller design sprints, introducing new features that enhance discovery, personalization, and ease of use.
