I started my research by conducting interviews with musicians I know to understand their experiences with viewing chords and what they find struggling.
August 2022 - September 2022
UX/UI case study
Chordette is an app that allows musicians to browse for chords to use as they perform, transpose songs or make some adjustments, and create setlists to share with band members. With this, musicians can be more organised by having all the chords in one place, in sync with their bandmates, and performing with no worries.
As a musician, I have been through several difficulties managing chords to play at some events, and I know my friends also experience something like me. It might be great if I can combine my design and music skills and come up with some solutions for my musician fellow.
Jump to the design
Summary
Next, I did a competitive audit to analyse existing chords sites that interviewees had mentioned, including ones that I normally use. From that, I can understand their strengths and weaknesses, and what opportunities my project can offer to solve the pain points.
To conclude, the primary group of users are musicians who perform live. The limitations are difficulties to manage song lists (setlists), trouble transposing songs, and inaccuracy of chords, which force them to switch between chords sites to find one that meet their needs. Moreover, there is also a struggle time to come up with songs and difficulties to scroll through the chords screen.
Notes from the interview are categorized into groups, including common pain points interviewees faced.
Pain points
Organising
Users find it struggling to collect and organize song lists.
Customisation
Some chords sites don't offer transposition. Also, sometimes it is difficult for users to keep track of the changes they made in the songs.
Accordance
There is often confusion about the order of setlists and the version of the song among band members.
Song suggestion
It can be frustrating when users cannot come up with the right songs to fit the desired mood and tone or difficulty.
Continuity
Most chords sites usually missing something. So users cannot stay on the same site, they have to change between sites to find what they need.
Accuracy
Sometimes users find that chords are inaccurate or simplified. They have to jot down the correct chords by themselves.
Persona: Robin
Problem statement
Robin is a live musician who needs to manage and organise chords for his band setlists because he wants to make sure everyone has the same chords.
User story
As a musician, I want to organise all the chords in one place, so that I can perform without confusion with bandmates.
Persona: Alice
Problem statement
Alice is an amateur guitarist who needs suggestions for songs that she can play because she doesn't have much music knowledge.
User story
As a music beginner, I want to have song suggestions, so that I can know which song is suitable for me.
User journey map
This journey map is created from Robin's perspective to illustrate his experience when he is about to perform at some gigs. From these, some opportunities can be offered to solve his problems.
User flow
This diagram illustrates the main flow of the app; to browse for songs, view chords, create a setlist, and share with bandmates.
Paper wireframes
I drafted some sketches of 4 key screens after listing some features that should be included.
Digital wireframes
