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In collaboration with students, who are studying Design & Product Development at KTH, we designed an app specifically tailored for the earbuds they developed. Our objective was to create and prototype an audio product for Urbanista, and we chose to focus on designing earbuds. I had the opportunity to bring the concept to life by visualizing a high-fidelity prototype for the audio control app.
How can I visualize an audio control system for earbuds through an app?
An audio control system for Urbanista’s users and passionate audio enthusiasts.
Getting this brief got me really excited to start, but since I lacked experience in the audio field, it was crucial for me to plan the project carefully and ensure that I didn't overlook any important aspects related to audio and its usage.
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To start the project, I first studied the apps of three competitor brands that have audio products, analyzing their features and design. This helped me gain a better understanding of how our app should look and what functionalities should be included.
I decided to look at three other competitors that are currently having an app for their audio products:
Apart from understanding the visual aspects of audio apps, I also checked the App Store reviews to see if users were facing any usability problems.
I found some interesting user feedback that provided valuable insights:
Using these inputs, I can improve the prototype to prevent similar issues found in other apps.
Creating information maps provided me with a clear overview of how functions were interconnected, which proved invaluable during the prototype stage as I could easily reference the maps to ensure that related functions were grouped together.
Since I didn't have direct access to the target audience, I conducted interviews with three individuals - a casual music enthusiast, an audio engineer, and a producer. These interviews aimed to provide me with valuable insights into what aspects are crucial for them when it comes to listening to music or using an audio product.
From the interviews, a common thread emerged: customization and personalization were highly valued by all participants. They emphasized the importance of being able to adjust audio settings, such as bass levels, through the app, as well as having the ability to customize the headphone's touch panel functions.
Following the research phase, I proceeded to develop several design variations for the main screen of the app. Once I had created a few mockups, I conducted user testing to evaluate which design proved most effective and user-friendly.
Here are some feedback I received during user-testing:
“The text layout on number 2 is good!”
“The menu on 1 is confusing, doesn’t fit in my opinion.”
“The floating menu on number 2 is easier to understand and look at it“
"The titles in number in should be in number 2.”
“Number 3 is very confusing, I don’t know where to start to be honest.”
Adjusting unclear navigation bar
One user feedback from the App Store highlighted the lack of clarity in connecting devices to the apps. Here's my solution:
Adding disconnect device function
A user on the App Store requested a feature to disconnect devices from the app itself, as the current process requires the device to be physically present, causing inconvenience. Here's my proposed solution:
Adjusting the copy on a button (Happy I found this one!)
Switching from "Press-To-Talk" to "Push-To-Talk" to align with industry standards and cater to audio users' expectations.
Adjusting the connection screen
Improved the screen to make it easier for returning users by eliminating the need to reconnect to a device every time.
Adding customization and personalization
Providing users with trackable data and customizable options tailored to their needs and preferences.
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During this process, I learned the importance of research and focusing on user needs rather than just visual design. It became clear that my goal was to solve a problem and create a functional design, not just something visually pleasing.
+ It's not linear
+ How to tackle obstacles
+ Go back and try again!
+ Ask for help
+ Conducting research
+ Finding key insights
+ Listening to the targert audience
+ Dove deep into a subject
+ It was a fun topic!