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Project
Overview
Madison Baker is a songwriter and vocalist thriving in the Austin music scene.
In the past 2 years, they've reached tens of thousands of fans, made numerous brand deals with local vendors, and have nationally toured in the US. They've played festivals and small-scale venues alike; such as Austin City Limits 2020, SXSW 2020-2024, and is an artist-in-residence at Mohawk.
Here's the kicker: The indie music scene is so fast-paced and DIY-based, keeping up with artists is decentralized for users.
Madison Baker's team reached out to develop a design solution that encompassed their artistic aesthetic and welcomed new audience members.
Challenge
Listeners need a consistent place to see updates from Madison Baker.
Current State:
Instagram is the most common way to track local indie artists, but a user must visit every artist's page, or leave the app to stream their music.
Solution
Establish a place to make Madison Baker's music easily accessible for fans and listeners.
Goals:
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Consolidate contact details
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Curate browsing experience
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Identify user flows and optimize flow
A site serves as a concise digital location for users to find Baker's music, live performances, music videos, and socials.
Project Specs + Approach
How might we virtually introduce Madison Baker to new listeners, in order to grow their audience, boost their radius of influence, and increase collaboration opportunities?
TIMELINE
2 weeks
STAKEHOLDERS
Madison Baker - artist
Management Team - Austin Music Works
DESIGN APPROACH
Balancing...
CLIENT NEEDS​
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A home base for: Followers, attendees, and monthly listeners
- Socials, performances, streaming exposure
- Meeting the tight deadline
- Staying authentic
USER NEEDS​
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Legibility + Accessibility
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Intuitive navigation
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Clear information and intuitive structure
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Identifying with the artist
Who is our target user?
Austin-based Musicians
Goals
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Collaborations
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Tour Opportunities
Music Enthusiasts
Goals
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New fans = growth
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Returning fans = reliability
Nonbinary Folks
Goals
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Role model behavior tbh
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Connecting through music
V.1 Iterations
Identifying Key Features
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We ideated a small blog page, ticket and RSVP forms, and interactive video elements.
AUTO-UPDATING PLUG-INS:
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Spotify - audio streaming
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BandsInTown - live show publication
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YouTube - video streaming
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Shop - merch and release sales
With SXSW quickly approaching, we navigated our research to pinpoint 4 site necessities.
01.
Streaming
02.
Live Showtimes
03.
Social Media Promotion
04.
Contact Form + Bio
OPTION A​
Large pictures, photo backgrounds
One-page landing = minimal clicks
- Every click is action-directed (listen, watch, follow...)
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Pinned social bar
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Top Menu hovers for constant access
OPTION B​
More negative space, icon accents
Multiple pages (Events, Releases, Contact)
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Pinned CTA Brainstorming:
- Stream
- Follow
- Contact
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Drawer menu, slides out, minimizing wordcount
Option A proved more intuitive after heat-map-based user testing.
THE WHY:
Streaming is first
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because of Baker's extensive Spotify presence
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streaming a song is a quick way to get to know an artist, and validate the user's interest in Baker's music
This doubles in function, as a user can stream a song while they're exploring the rest of the page.
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Live shows was next
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because of Baker's upcoming SXSW shows
Additionally, we wanted to address the issue of disjoined postings i.e., a venue tweets about a show, while another might only post on instagram.
We placed "Watch" below shows
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Provides the user an idea of Baker's visual vibe
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Gives Baker's production team a publicity boost
A detailed bio and Contact Form wrap up the page
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This is a natural information structure for a user; they'll be interested in details post-the "getting to know you" stages
Font Testing
caps vs. all lowercase:
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all lowercase was the client's preference.
lowercase reads more intimately, like a text to a friend. :)
Color Palette
V.2 Iterations
Outcomes
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We measurably reached more listeners
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​​Audience growth​​, increased booking, and communications initiated by site message CTA
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Increased traffic, indicating that the site was beneficial to Baker's exposure ​
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Site Plug-ins (Spotify, Bandcamp, Contact Form) provided an one-site experience for new and returning audience members
Skills Built + Future Thinking
​Taking on this project after BrainStation's UX Bootcamp was a way to strengthen, test, and broaden my skills.
Improved Skills:
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Client Collaboration
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Deadline Management
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Social Media Research
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CMS Proficiency
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Graphic Design
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Photo Editing
Going Forward...
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More robust sit​e, multiple pages:
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Merch Store
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Blog
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Community Connection Element