Spotify API

User research began with a fascination of the Spotify play-listing algorithm. Spotify is one of the most popular streaming platforms in the world. They also have an API for developers to utilize their huge database of music to build interesting applications and uncover insights into our listening habits.

Exploring the Data

Data was pulled from the Spotify API to help inform an iterative UX design process. The Spotify API request returns information about what makes a song unique. Some typical data metrics include loudness, key, and tempo. More interestingly, it returns qualitative attributes such as ‘Danceability’, ‘Energy’, and ‘Acousticness’.

Steps Taken

Working on an team level, the steps taken to achieve the final product include:
- Deliverables: Hi-Fidelity Prototype, Interactive Data Vis
- Research Techniques; Personas, Direct Interviews, Paper Prototype, Generative Usability Testing
- Tools: Tableau, Python, Spotify API, Paper Doll, Zoom

Ideation guided our team to work within the “Billboard Hot 100” playlist data. A paper prototype was developed listing songs on the playlist. Functions that were added to this test consisted of the following: a drop down to filter chart by year, slider range scales to filter attributes, individual song bar charts to view results, and list of songs ranked from 1-100.

Hi-Fidelity Prototype

Based on generative feedback from the paper prototype testing, 4 dashboards were developed as high fidelity prototypes. The idea with this dashboard was to create a visual that would allow users to understand the attributes of a top 100 song. We designed options to sort data by year and highlight where specific songs landed on the chart.

Interactive Data Vis

Allows users to select any song from Spotify and retrieve its attributes. See below to navigate to tool.