B-Side

CONTEXT & PROBLEM

Music listeners are bored by algorithm-driven streaming that pushes passive listening, leaving them craving meaningful, socially-driven discovery.

Questions we asked ourselves:

• How do current algorithmic recommendation systems impact a user's perceived sense of discovery, and at what points does convenience transform into boredom?
• In what contexts do users actively seek out human-led curation as an alternative to algorithmic suggestions?
• What kind of platforms do users currently use to discover new music? Are there any technical or social barriers that prevent users from engaging in shared taste discovery?

RESEARCH & DISCOVERY

Interviewing our potential users

Interviews with 20 active and passive listeners revealed key insights into their music discovery habits, emotional drivers, behaviors, and core pain points. Below is an image of our user personas:

"I use Spotify because all my friends use it. I enjoy seeing what other people are listening to."

From our interviews, we quickly found that:

75% of people use Spotify as their main streaming service, largely for its social features.

80% of music listeners say that they are "tired." Finding new music is a large time commitment.

Positioning ourselves on the competitive landscape

Passive listeners rely on algorithms and favorites, while active listeners discover music on social media like TikTok and Instagram. This insight shaped our strategy to find that "unique space" in a crowded market.

What we learned (& the opportunity)

Users aren't lacking music. Rather, they are lacking meaningful context. The core opportunity isn't a better recommendation algorithm, but a social space that sparks personal conversations over data-driven playlists.

STRATEGY & IDEATION

Drafting the core value proposition

For music enthusiasts, whether casual or active, who feel exhausted by algorithmic recommendations, B-Side is a social music network that enables human song discovery. Unlike traditional streaming giants and social media platforms, B-Side turns music sharing into a community-driven conversation.

Identifying must-have features

• Adding notes to music you share
• Music preview (30 seconds to see if you digging the music or not)
• Calendar/catalog of all the music you saved/shared
• Apple Music + Spotify integration and cross-platform compatibility

DESIGN & PROTOTYPING

Creating the application map

After defining B-Side's core features and value proposition, I mapped the application architecture to outline the user flow and visualize how users achieve maximum value.

(Click for larger image)

Bringing the map to life

Because the home page is critical to hooking users, we focused heavily on seamlessly integrating the note feature without cluttering the music metadata (and following metadata guidelines!). Below are early concepts that we quickly iterated on after user feedback revealed they were too crowded:

This was our original home page design. We quickly realized it was too cluttered and it was also against metadata guidelines.

We settled for this home page design. It is a lot more intuitive, follows the guidelines, and gives us a smooth transition to the music friend "feed" page.

Building the visual identity

I collaborated with my visual designer to craft an organic, human-centric aesthetic. We wanted to steer away from sterile tech designs to make the app feel raw, authentic, and unfiltered.

IMPLEMENTATION & POLISH

Onboarding

Set up a profile with a username, profile picture, email, and password.

Song recommendation

Share a song and a note on the home page to unlock and view your friends' recommendations.

Looking for a specific song? Search for it using the Spotify/Apple Music song library API.

Streak & friends

Build streaks by sharing songs with friends everyday.

Preview, save, or directly add shared songs to your playlist.

Profile & friends

View all of the songs you shared and saved.

Send and receive friend requests.

REFLECTION & LEARNING

What I learned

Constantly iterating has taught me the importance of staying focused on REAL user pain points. As we continue designing new features, our goal is to launch an app that both our team and our users genuinely love using.