Tapspace music publishing
Sample pages of the iPhone app
My role: UX/UI Designer
The issue and solution:
Tapspace is a small music publishing company based out of Portland, Oregon who wanted to save on international shipping costs by creating an app that would be a repository for their vast catalog of music. Their clients wanted easy access to the music to download on an iPhone or iPad for their rehearsals and performances. The solution was the app we created based on their existing website that would save on shipping costs and increase purchases because of the added convenience. "Jane and Sara brilliantly brought our mobile app design to life. They really took the time to get a grasp of our brand and our values!" Jim Casella and Murray Gusseck
Tools used: Sketch, Adobe XD & Adobe Photoshop, InVision, Survey Monkey, Pen & Paper
The workflow for the Tapspace app was content-driven navigation. We wanted users to move freely through content and have an immersive experience with purchasing & downloading music, listening to audio files and viewing the sheet music.
Wireframes for the mobile app using Balsamiq.
Using Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines, I created buttons, icons, and a layout that would allow for easy-to-tap navigation for the customer.
The research:
We completed both qualitative and quantitative research to gain a better understanding of Jim & Murray, the co-founders of Tapspace. We wanted to understand their pain points and see how we could save on shipping costs with an app. We established personas rooted in qualitative research and user behaviors. Why are users going to the Tapspace app and what are they trying to accommplish? We concluded they are going to Tapspace to listen to and view the music to purchase, download and print the music for their educational purposes. They are systematic users that are detailed oriented.
The ideation and design:
Once we gathered the results from our survey, combined with the ask from the stakeholders, we went to the drawing table. We did everything from a crazy 8 sketching exercise, to using Balsamiq to best understand how could successfully implement content-driven navigation for the tablet and the iPhone.
The testing:
We completed several rounds of usability testing, specifically with musicians who would be using the app to download music and see the sheet music on their responsive device.
Validation & Implementation:
Both Jim and Murray were pleased with the end result and are hoping to get the app developed in the near future. They understand this technology is the next step with their music publishing company and are glad to have had the UX Design thoughtfully completed. "Jane and Sara brilliantly brought our mobile app design to life. They really took the time to get a grasp of our brand and our values!" Jim Casella and Murray Gusseck