Spotify Rooms

DESIGN CHALLENGE : Add a feature.

During the quarantine of 2020, I found myself locked down in Athens, Greece, close to my family and friends but unable to get close to anyone. However, I am fortunate enough to have a shelter, food, and good health which led me to have a lot of time to kill. I undertook this “add a feature” challenge as a way to pass some time and to create work that adapts and reflects a brand’s already existing characteristics.

Spotify, being one of my most used applications, is — in my humble opinion — lacking a group session feature. At this time of intense social distancing, I envisioned a new feature for Spotify, where a group of friends could add songs to a shared queue, have a remote party, share great songs with each other, exchange new music, and feel closer together.

The idea of Spotify Rooms was born.

User Stories

Under the unprecedented circumstances of the quarantine, the feature took a slightly quirky dimension:

• As a user I want to co-create a real-time queue with my friends so that we can replicate the feeling of a party while isolated.

Yet, under normal circumstances this feature would apply to the following user story:

• As a user I want to be able to co-create a real-time queue with my friends so that we dynamically affect a party’s music.

Tasks

1. Create CTA to for creating a Room
2. Create pop-up to name the Room
3. Display the Room
4. Create CTA for inviting contributors
5. Display screen for selecting contributors
6. Display Room with contributors and queue of songs with votes

Lo-fi Prototype

Quick sketches of the defined tasks

Final Prototype

To achieve the high-fidelity design, I considered the current look and feel of the Spotify brand, and I tried to balance innovation with consistency of navigation and design, while also keeping in mind the functional implementation of such a feature. The final design was made using Figma.

Takeaways and Surprises 🖤 🎶 🎧

I had a lot of fun creating this feature as it felt as if I was working for a brand that I really connect with. I enjoyed re-creating Spotify’s sleek design and thin lines.

Plus, it was a mind-blowing moment when 2 days after I finished designing this feature, what looks like a new group session feature appeared on my Spotify profile. Hmmmm…..

Demo

Watch the demo of Spotify Rooms below. Stay home and party people!