People return owning music physically post-digital era
It is often a curiosity to see a technology left behind by innovation make a culturally return- this has been the case of vinyl records. During the generation that grew up with iPods and mostly had digital music, a longing for physical ownership of music returns in a huge way.
A 19.2% increase from the same period last year.
Over 7.6 million LPs were sold between 29th December 2017 through the 28th June 2018, a 19.2% increase from the same period in 2017.
Vinyl sales now account for over 18% of all physical album sales in the US.
- thevinylfactory.com
https://thevinylfactory.com/news/record-vinyl-sales-usa-first-half-2018/
Also consider that they are simply new vinyl purchases- vinyl has always been collectively shared product as value is retained and increased for sought after releases.
Discogs is a music database and marketplace, popularized by its extensive information on vinyl records and heir various pressings. I’ve always felt that their site could navigate in a more efficient manner for the user. I took to creating a survey to see if others felt similar.
To gather my persona reflections, i conducted a survey with 86 applicants and posted to popular music subreddits such as /Vinyl and r/Music. It’s not simply for superior sound either! When surveyed, only 30% claimed that they collected for the listening experience, 3/4ths said they got into it to collect their favorite records.
And it’s not simply vinyl records either: cassettes and CDs have made underground followings that also celebrate the aesthetic of those mediums.
https://thevinylfactory.com/news/record-vinyl-sales-usa-first-half-2018/
Design Challenge
Many still rely on trains to commute in and out of the city, but a new age requires legacy companies stay up to date and remain a strong presence online to help remain present to both current and future riders. Boarding trains can be confusing enough, especially when dealing with delays and abstract times- this interface demands clarity and ease of use to help ensure everyone gets where they are going.
PROBLEM
Physical music sales need a better way to be categorized and purchased online in the wake of the return to physical music formats.
Solution
Implement streamlined methods of checking marketplace value, collection categorization, and tracking down rare releases to make collecting vinyl and other music forms a more enjoyable experience
User Research
Research Methodology
To gather my persona reflections, i conducted a survey with 86 applicants and posted to popular music subreddits such as /Vinyl and r/Music.
This survey asked participants:
Where do you most often purchase records from?
What initially got you into record collecting?
Where did you learn most of your knowledge on playing and owning records?
How important are specific pressing / releases to you?
Have you ever received a record damaged in transit?
What is the most trublesome part of collecting records?
What is your primary reason for using Discogs?
When asked what should be expected from the mobile app, the common themes for improvement were:
Participants were eager to share their criticism of the system, and were helpful in pointing me to a huge disparity between actions:
What initially drew you to collecting records?
It’s not simply for superior sound either! When surveyed, only 30% claimed that they collected for the listening experience, 75% said they got into it just to collect their favorite records. In fact, a recent study suggest 47% of vinyl record owners don’t even use a turntable to listen to them.
Persona
After gaining a read on the vinyl community, I created users based off of the concerns and opinions of those surveyed.
Deep collector looking for deep cuts
New collector who doesn’t even own a turntable
Guy who lightly colects