A multi-modal experience in which users save shared and sacred memories with loved ones through songs and see the evolution of their relationship.
ROLE
Interaction Designer
TIMELINE
3 weeks
SKILLS
Interaction Design, Concept Development, Design Strategy, Visual Design
TEAM
Renee Chang
What was the problem we were addressing?
Sound has the power to evoke emotions, enhance user experiences, and create a dynamic atmosphere that engages and immerses the audience. With an aim to create novel interactions with sound and a user’s environment, my partner and I designed Amplify, which allows users to connect with their loved ones and cherish them through music. Together we developed the concept and aligned on our strategy, and my role was to design the app interface.
SUMMARY
FINAL DESIGN + USER EXPERIENCE
Users pair the Bean with their mobile device.
BEANS
To get acquainted with the app, users complete an onboarding process that connects the physical Bean object to their phone.
Users connect their beans with their loved one to create a pair.
CONNECTING WITH EACH OTHER
When first meeting with a friend, users pair their device with their friend which can then track when their friend’s are near them.
Amplify sends a notification to record their memory while they spend time together.
SPENDING QUALITY TIME
Whether they must have Netflix or want to only spend a few dollars, users have a wide variety of bundles to choose from.
When one of their loved ones is listening to their special song, users get notified on their Bean.
GET NOTIFIED WHEN FRIENDS THINK ABOUT YOU
Whether they must have Netflix or want to only spend a few dollars, users have a wide variety of bundles to choose from.
Access a library of all saved memories and songs with loved ones in the app.
MEMORIES FOREVER
Whether they must have Netflix or want to only spend a few dollars, users have a wide variety of bundles to choose from.
Methods and processes that helped us arrive to music & beans…
BRAINSTORM
What current experiences and scenarios could be enhanced with sound?
Creative Direction: Music is a way for people to connect with their loved ones and revisit memories, good or bad. The special song you have with your significant other brings you back to a moment in time with them. The songs you always listen to with your best friends while picnicking in a park on a sunny day remind you of simpler times. It is in these experiences that we thought technology could enhance these feelings and memories.
A personal physical touch. It was important for us to not just create a digital experience but also tie it into the physical world. Sending a text to someone reminding them of your love and your relationship is very different than sending them a letter; it feels more personal.
How can sound enhance memories and help users grow more meaningful connections with their loved ones?
PRODUCT GOALS
What did we want our product to accomplish?
After conducting research by talking to people and analyzing precedents like Spotify Blend, we created a strategy to build our new brand and platform. It was imperative to formulate a product that was both effective for users and would be thought provoking.
Create feelings of delight when seeing a tangible notification of someone thinking of another.
🤩
🤝
Strengthen relationships with loved ones by remembering and cherishing their memories with each other through songs.
📌
An experience that requires people to be in person to encourage people to physically meet up with their loved ones.
CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT
What is our strategy and guiding principles when designing to create a comprehensive and joyful experience?
Concept development for us looked like storyboarding, wireframing the app experiences, and mood boarding to get a coherent look and feel for the product.
Initial Storyboard
Mood Board
User Flow Diagram
Touchpoint Systems Map
DESIGN SYSTEM
Logo
What does a design system for this product look like and how can it adapt to different scenarios?
Working with another designer to develop the visual design system for Amplify expanded my ideas on creating visually accessible and beautiful interfaces to enhance the app experience. In developing our system, we wanted to create a minimal backdrop for the colorful songs, albums, and relationships of the users of this app.
Typography
Colors
Amplify is a multi-modal experience in which users grow stronger connections with their loved ones through songs and memories.
PROJECT TAKEAWAYS
This experience emphasized the need for a holistic strategy, reinforcing that the marriage of different senses not only deepens emotional connections but necessitates a comprehensive understanding of how users engage with diverse types of content. Crafting a user experience that resonates on multiple sensory levels emerged as a key consideration, shaped my future approach to designing emotionally resonant interfaces and experiences.
Constructing a visual narrative that effectively conveyed the ebb and flow of relationships required continuous refinement based on user feedback. This takeaway underscores the iterative prototyping process, a cornerstone in my design methodology. It illuminated the necessity of constant testing and adaptation to align the interface with evolving user expectations. Designing for dynamic data visualization necessitates an agile approach, a lesson that will undoubtedly shape my future projects, fostering adaptability and responsiveness to user needs.