Polyphony
Connecting users to immersive symphony experiences.
Overview
Polyphony is a mobile application designed to engage a concert goer by creating casual, social, and immersive experiences linked to concert performances at the Oakland Symphony.
My Role
Lead product designer
Visual designer
User researcher
Collaborators
Product owner
Developer
Junior product designer
Timeline
Discovery, ideation, and research: 3 weeks
Design: 3 week
Testing: 3 weeks
Monitor: 1 month
The Problem
Many people are deterred from attending the symphony due to the misconception that these events are exclusively solitary and pretentious experiences. A significant portion of the audience either lacks awareness or has social networks uninterested in attending symphony concerts. How do we engage them?
The Solution
In classical music, a polyphony occurs when two chords or melodies are played at once. The primary feature of polyphony empowers users, stakeholders, and partners to create events complementary to a concert performance. An event within an event, so to speak.
These events foster deep connections between users and their peers or communities. The application also has other useful secondary features, such as ticket purchasing or experiencing symphonies directly utilizing 360-degree camera technology.
My Design Process
Discovery
Research
Analysis
Design
Monitor
Test
Discovery
Crucial questions to address and hypothesis
Before diving into the user journey, we needed to find answers to the following questions:
1. What?
What is the product? What are the objectives for both the business and the user?
Business goals
Attract more people to attend symphony concerts by offering a unique and engaging experience
Generate additional revenue through ticket sales and premium features within the app
Collaborate with local businesses to offer deals and promotions, enhancing the overall event experience and supporting the local economy
User goals
Build and strengthen connections with peers and communities by participating in complementary events
Enjoy a richer, more immersive concert experience through interactive and social features
Find and take advantage of local deals and promotions to enhance the overall concert-going experience
2. Who?
Who are our users?
Meet our users
Individuals who have a passion for classical music and are regular attendees of symphony concerts
People who enjoy socializing and attending events with friends or community groups, seeking new and engaging experiences
Entrepreneurs and business owners seeking to feature their businesses through the app, offering deals and promotions to concert-goers to attract more customers
3. Why?
Why is this a priority for the business and the user?
Business
Attendance has decreased by 27% over the past few years, leading to a corresponding decline in revenue.
User
Discovering local deals and promotions enhances the overall event experience and provides additional value, making attending concerts more attractive and affordable
Opportunities to find community
4. How?
How can we measure success? Where are the opportunities to do so?
Areas for improvement
Track and increase the number of concert attendees
Increase in revenue from ticket sales, in-app purchases, and partnerships with local businesses
Research
A glimpse into affinity mapping and user interviews.
Our goal was to identify and understand what our audiences valued. To gain insights into their opinions and interests related to the symphony, we collaborated with stakeholders in activities like affinity mapping and conducted online surveys and user interviews. Additionally, we performed competitive and comparative analyses, along with secondary research, to examine: a) how various event creation applications connect users to their communities, and b) how neighboring symphonies and cultural art centers attract their audiences.
Insights from our interviews
“There’s nothing like the symphony, especially here in Oakland. But I’m finding I’m definitely a lot younger than most of the people who go. And I don’t know how to invite people my age.”
Sean N.
Student
Age 21
“I would love to partner with other local businesses and make an evening so special. There is so much culture in the city. There’s just not really an easy way to manage or connect as a business owner.”
Deborah G.
Business owner
Age 43
Findings from user surveys
73% of users went to concert or musical experiences with company
56% of users have never been to to a symphony concert before
34% of users find the symphony intimidating and/or elite
Exploring symphony engagement and event creation
Through competitive and comparative analysis, we examined how various event creation applications successfully connect users to their communities and how neighboring symphonies and cultural art centers attract and engage their audiences. This research provided valuable insights into best practices and innovative strategies for enhancing user engagement and event participation.
Streamlined checkout and ticket access
Features deals and discounts to nearby restaurants and bars
Seamless event creation and social media management
Learnings and insights
People are incredibly social; nearly all of them prefer company when attending any kind of musical event
Many people assume that the symphony is expensive and pretentious, despite having never attended one
People are open to new experiences but often need an introduction
Analysis
Understanding our audience
By synthesizing our research findings and insights, we crafted three personas that accurately represent our primary users.
Albert Yih
The melophile
Occupation:
Software developer
Age:
32
Traits
Introverted
Passionate
Creative
Analytical
Meticulous
"I love the symphony, but I often feel a bit disconnected from the community. I wish there was an easier way to connect with other music lovers without feeling a tad overwhelmed.”
Goals
Aims to connect with other music lovers and participate in discussions and events that deepen his appreciation for music
Wants to explore and attend more live symphony performances and musical events.
Pain points
Finds it challenging to connect with others in person
Feels overwhelmed by the plethora of online content and often misses out on events due to information overload
Patterns and behaviors
Spends significant time listening to various genres of music, particularly classical and symphonic pieces, often through streaming services
Prefers online interactions and digital communities over in-person gatherings but is open to connecting with like-minded individuals if facilitated effectively
How can we help Albert
Enable him to create or join smaller, complementary events around main concerts, such as pre-concert meetups or discussion groups
Provide Albert with tailored suggestions for local symphony events and concerts based on his music preferences and listening history
Ruby Barranco
The organizer
Occupation:
Content specialist
Age:
25
Traits
Flexible
Charming
Sociable
Connector
Strategic
"Bringing people together for fun and unique experiences is kinda my thing, but finding affordable events can be a challenge. And sometimes, you just need an easy introduction to something new!"
Goals
Wants to plan unique and enjoyable events that her friends will love and remember
Aims to connect with new people and expand her network through diverse social activities
Seeks to continuously find and try out new and interesting activities and events
Pain points
Faces difficulty sifting through the abundance of information and event options to find the best ones
Experiences frustration when events don’t meet expectations, leading to potential disappointment among friends
Patterns and behaviors
Regularly organizes events and outings for her friends, focusing on creating unique and memorable experiences
Actively engages with her social circles both online and offline, often serving as the hub that connects different groups of friends
How can we help Ruby
Offer exclusive discounts and promotions from local businesses to make events more budget-friendly
Allow her to collaborate with friends on event planning, sharing responsibilities and ideas easily
Enable Ruby to connect with new people and expand her social network through community events and interest-based groups
Jamie Loo
The entrepreneur
Occupation:
Restaurateur
Age:
38
Traits
Confident
Ambitious
Direct
Charismatic
Gregarious
"I’m always looking for innovative ways to attract new customers. I need tools that help me seamlessly integrate my restaurant into the community’s vibrant cultural scene."
Goals
Attract new patrons to the restaurant and increase regular customer visits
Increase sales through strategic marketing and promotions
Enhance the restaurant’s visibility and reputation in the community
Pain points
Competing with numerous other restaurants and businesses in a crowded market
Balancing day-to-day operations with strategic planning and innovation
The challenge of aligning restaurant promotions and events with local cultural and community activities
Patterns and behaviors
Regularly attends local events and engages with community leaders to promote the restaurant
Prioritizes customer feedback and continuously seeks ways to enhance the dining experience
Utilizes social media platforms to promote the restaurant, interact with customers, and share updates
How can we help Jamie
Use the app's analytics to reach potential customers who are likely to visit the restaurant based on their interests and behaviors
Provide tools to create and manage special offers, discounts, and loyalty programs directly through the app
Sync restaurant promotions with local events listed in the app, making it easier for Jamie to coordinate and participate in community activities
Flow exploration
We then designed detailed user flows for each of our personas to guide and inform the initial development phases of Polyphony. This ensured that our app's design and functionality aligned with the specific needs and behaviors of our target users, providing a solid foundation for development.
One of the initial user flows we developed was from Albert’s perspective. In his scenario, he navigates the process of creating an event and purchasing tickets.
Design
From sketches to high fidelity
Building on our discoveries, we swiftly began sketching Polyphony's interface and gathering feedback. We then moved quickly into creating high fidelity mockups to prepare for user testing.
Visual Design
One of the many mood boards we created.
Since Polyphony is designed to attract millennials and a younger audience, we curated visuals inspired by contemporary popular music to guide the overall design. We had extensive discussions about diverging from the Oakland Symphony's traditional branding to test for a different user archetype with this app. To achieve a casual yet refined experience, we incorporated deep shades and gradients of indigo and blue into the interface.
A sample page of the brand guide curated for Polyphony.
Once we finalized Polyphony’s visual direction, I created a comprehensive brand guide that includes all necessary components and patterns to assist the team in future design development.
Test
These wireframes were incorporated into a prototype that was used for usability testing. With each iteration, we engaged key users and stakeholders to gather feedback. Through this process, we identified the need to simplify and streamline the user experience. For instance, our home screen was confusing due to competing CTAs. Additionally, we discovered that our target demographic preferred logging in with Facebook.
Monitor
Planning for the future
Given the limited time available for this project, we planned a phased rollout of features to be implemented in the future.
MVP
1. Concert checkout and payment
2. Dynamic seating
3. Complete account settings
4. Event creation for all user types
5. Immerse mode
Phase 2
1. Suggested events
2. Suggested featured events
3. Opportunities for conversion and upsell in event and concert level pages
Phase 3
1. Push notifications and general updates
2. “Party” view
3. Additional features for business owners
The Detailed Solution
A convenient home screen
Upon opening the home screen, users are immediately presented with the current date, highlighting the concert of the night along with any user-created events.
Users can effortlessly bookmark and share concert and event tiles. By swiping left and right on the secondary navigation, users can access different dates or view a list of events attended by their friends.
Concert details
Users can easily select their preferred seats and purchase tickets directly from the Concert Details screen. Once purchased, the tickets are conveniently available in the user's profile.
A delightful check-out
Users can quickly access important logistical details and effortlessly connect with fellow concertgoers.
A simple way to connect
The main feature of Polyphony is to enable the creation of connected events. By clicking the create button on the home screen, users can organize various types of events centered around a concert experience.
