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DOC 2025-02
Amazon Music Credits: From streaming service to fan community
Prototype link
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Team
Nikhil Shetty
Penghao Zhu
Nikhil Shetty
Penghao Zhu
Role
UX Researcher
Interaction Designer
Graphic Designer
3D Modeler
UX Researcher
Interaction Designer
Graphic Designer
3D Modeler
Tools
Figma
Blender
Figma
Blender
TimelineOctober 2024 - December 2024
As part of the Amazon Music Design Challenge at Pratt Institute, I had the opportunity to collaborate with my teammate Penghao on reimagining fan-artist relationships within streaming platforms. We conducted user research and usability testing, ultimately presenting a gamified engagement system that addresses the critical gap between passive listening and meaningful community participation.
Part 1
Research & Insights
Understanding the Problem
Interviewing music listeners
We began by interviewing music listeners to understand how they engage with streaming platforms and artists. Our research revealed a fundamental gap: 75% of users felt Amazon Music lacked community engagement features.
Through our interviews, three critical insights emerged:
Interviewing music listeners
We began by interviewing music listeners to understand how they engage with streaming platforms and artists. Our research revealed a fundamental gap: 75% of users felt Amazon Music lacked community engagement features.
Through our interviews, three critical insights emerged:
1. Early Discovery Pride
"When I found Lil Nas X, he still had less than a thousand followers. I showed all of my friends before he blew up."
Users take pride in discovering artists early but have no way to demonstrate or be recognized for their support as those artists grow.
2. Connection Deficit
"I feel like I barely even connect with the artists that I listen to anymore."
Streaming platforms have become transactional—users consume music, but there's no meaningful relationship between fans and artists.
3. Maintaining Focus is Difficult
"I wish I could really keep up with artists that are still up and coming. I never do."
Even users who want to support emerging artists struggle to stay engaged with them on existing platforms.
Understanding our Users
Based on our research, we developed personas representing different types of music fans. An example of some personality types for a persona:
- Tries to discover new music daily
- Attends small venue concerts
- Wants to build meaningful connections with artists before mainstream success
- Frustrated by algorithmic recommendations over genuine discovery
- Struggles to tangibly support artists beyond streaming
Based on our research, we developed personas representing different types of music fans. An example of some personality types for a persona:
- Tries to discover new music daily
- Attends small venue concerts
- Wants to build meaningful connections with artists before mainstream success
- Frustrated by algorithmic recommendations over genuine discovery
- Struggles to tangibly support artists beyond streaming
Part 2
Insights and Recommendations
Insight 1
Users Feel Disconnected from Artists
- all of our interview participants expressed frustration with the lack of meaningful artist engagement
- users wanted tangible ways to demonstrate their support beyond passive streaming
- no existing mechanism to show loyalty or track their relationship with artists over time
Users Feel Disconnected from Artists
- all of our interview participants expressed frustration with the lack of meaningful artist engagement
- users wanted tangible ways to demonstrate their support beyond passive streaming
- no existing mechanism to show loyalty or track their relationship with artists over time
Solution
Music Credits & Fan Tiers
We created a gamified engagement system where users earn Music Credits through daily tasks like listening to music, discovering new songs, and voting for artists. These credits can be spent on exclusive rewards and help users progress through four Fan Tiers (Level 1-3 Fan, Super Fan) for each artist they support.
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- daily tasks that reward organic listening behavior
- visual progress bars showing tier advancement
- artist-specific tiers that create personalized fan journeys
Insight 2
Fans Can't Meaningfully Participate in Artist Success
- users expressed pride in discovering artists early but had no platform recognition for their support
- emerging artists struggle to gain visibility on algorithm-driven platforms
- no way for dedicated fans to amplify their favorite artists' reach
Solution
Monthly Artist Rankings
Users can spend Music Credits to vote for their favorite artists in monthly rankings. We created a dedicated "Trending Artists" section to give emerging artists visibility alongside established names, allowing fans to directly impact their favorite artists' platform presence.
tap to zoom
- monthly voting system using Music Credits
- separate "Trending Artists" section for emerging talent
- visual leaderboard showing real-time rankings
Music Credits & Fan Tiers
We created a gamified engagement system where users earn Music Credits through daily tasks like listening to music, discovering new songs, and voting for artists. These credits can be spent on exclusive rewards and help users progress through four Fan Tiers (Level 1-3 Fan, Super Fan) for each artist they support.
tap to zoom
- daily tasks that reward organic listening behavior
- visual progress bars showing tier advancement
- artist-specific tiers that create personalized fan journeys
Insight 2
Fans Can't Meaningfully Participate in Artist Success
- users expressed pride in discovering artists early but had no platform recognition for their support
- emerging artists struggle to gain visibility on algorithm-driven platforms
- no way for dedicated fans to amplify their favorite artists' reach
Solution
Monthly Artist Rankings
Users can spend Music Credits to vote for their favorite artists in monthly rankings. We created a dedicated "Trending Artists" section to give emerging artists visibility alongside established names, allowing fans to directly impact their favorite artists' platform presence.
tap to zoom
- monthly voting system using Music Credits
- separate "Trending Artists" section for emerging talent
- visual leaderboard showing real-time rankings
Insight 3
No Visible Recognition for Long-Term Support
- users wanted proof of their dedication to artists, especially early support
- no way to showcase their "day one fan" status
- lack of collectible achievements made the platform feel impersonal
Solution
Collectible Fan Badges
Users earn unique, artist-branded badges as they progress through Fan Tiers. These badges are showcased on user profiles with interactive 360° views and commemorate significant milestones in their fan journey.
Collectible Fan Badges
Users earn unique, artist-branded badges as they progress through Fan Tiers. These badges are showcased on user profiles with interactive 360° views and commemorate significant milestones in their fan journey.
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- album artwork-inspired badge designs
- Badges in Progress section showing goals
- date stamps proving early support
Part 3
Design & Development
3D Badge Modeling
I designed and modeled the collectible fan badges in Blender
Each badge was crafted to reflect specific album artwork, creating personalized rewards for fan engagement.
tap to zoom
I designed and modeled the collectible fan badges in Blender
Each badge was crafted to reflect specific album artwork, creating personalized rewards for fan engagement.
tap to zoom
Part 4
Outcomes
We conducted usability testing with the interactive prototype
Key Findings:
- 100% of participants found the Music Credits system engaging and expressed willingness to use it regularly
- users successfully navigated the core features with minimal friction
- minor confusion around scrolling behavior and page context was noted and addressed
What We Delivered
A Fully Interactive Prototype:
- a gamified Music Credits system with daily tasks
- four-tier fan progression (Level 1-3, Super Fan)
- monthly artist rankings with voting functionality
- collectible 3D badges with 360° viewing
Prototype Link
Key Learnings
This project reinforced the value of understanding user motivations beyond surface-level behaviors. Music fans don't just want to consume. They want to participate, be recognized, and feel connected to the artists they support.
Our research validated that community features are not "nice-to-haves" but essential to modern streaming platforms.
Reflection
What I'd Do Differently
If I were to continue working on this project, my focus would be on scope control and feature prioritization.
While our final system was comprehensive, the project became somewhat bloated with overlapping features.
Given more time, I would:
1. Tighten the Core Loop
- focus exclusively on the Music Credits → Fan Tiers → Badges cycle
- Remove or simplify secondary features that diluted the central experience
2. Conduct More Rigorous Testing
- Test with a broader demographic beyond design students
- Run A/B tests comparing different reward structures
3. Explore Technical Feasibility
- collaborate with developers early to validate feature complexity
- better understand backend requirements for the rankings system
Looking Forward
This project taught me the importance of being critical about feature bloat, even when ideas are exciting.The strongest designs often come from restraint. doing fewer things exceptionally well rather than many things adequately makes for a better product.