What is
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The ChallengeBoth Jenna and Drew have been involved in the music industry for a long time and came to us expressing the dire need for hearing protection and awareness for music industry professionals. This vision propelled their desire to create an app where users could access affordable treatment and engaging resources to make hearing wellness a priority. Unanimously, we worked towards actualizing the development of an honest, human centered product.
I worked with fellow DESIGNATION cohort mates Andy Cho and Glo Kim to develop designs that holistically addressed the need for accessible hearing wellness resources and audiological care for music industry professionals and enthusiasts. |
Being able to work on this project was personally meaningful and profound.
I have been a singer-songwriter for some time and know several friends that have dealt with hearing problems due to loud music.
Curious and eager to find out more, I focused on the problems regarding the reality of music-induced hearing disorders and hearing loss prevention.
I have been a singer-songwriter for some time and know several friends that have dealt with hearing problems due to loud music.
Curious and eager to find out more, I focused on the problems regarding the reality of music-induced hearing disorders and hearing loss prevention.
Understanding Our Clients
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Jenna and Drew have been avidly trying to spread the word of Project Decibel by reaching out to music industry professionals through audiological consultations, “sound tours” where they would measure dB levels at music festivals, and custom ear plugs and in ear monitors specially for music listeners and professionals. Their following has been growing rapidly, and so has their idea for the app.
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Our key takeaways:
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Our client's questions:
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Jenna and Drew sent us rough wireframes to show us the features they desired for the app.
Sound meter
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Custom hearing protection
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Dashboard
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Setting The Stage For Our Research
We deliberated on our assumptions of hearing wellness and anticipated problems.
We narrowed our focus towards two primary assumptions:
We narrowed our focus towards two primary assumptions:
With the scope of our research defined, we created the following questions to guide our process.
Who are our competitors?
To better understand the scope of the product domain, we wanted to find out what
other companies are doing to address hearing wellness awareness and care.
other companies are doing to address hearing wellness awareness and care.
We found that services were divided by product and initiative, with varying levels of specialization.
Many of them were geared towards custom protection products.
Some companies do a stellar job curating and selling custom hearing protection like Sensaphonics, others have
a highly sophisticated application that assesses the user’s hearing state and adjusts the volume of their music for
them like Mimi Hearing, and a few have audiological care and resources for musicians and listeners like
SoundcheckAudiology and Musicians Hearing Solutions. But none of them had a solid footing on both
educative and medical resources.
In short, there wasn’t one cohesive platform that did everything that Project Decibel would do.
Many of them were geared towards custom protection products.
Some companies do a stellar job curating and selling custom hearing protection like Sensaphonics, others have
a highly sophisticated application that assesses the user’s hearing state and adjusts the volume of their music for
them like Mimi Hearing, and a few have audiological care and resources for musicians and listeners like
SoundcheckAudiology and Musicians Hearing Solutions. But none of them had a solid footing on both
educative and medical resources.
In short, there wasn’t one cohesive platform that did everything that Project Decibel would do.
Talking To Our Users
Glo, Andy, and I asked questions that gauged user backgrounds, their experiences in the
music industry, and their attitudes towards hearing wellness. We wanted to learn
what each user currently was experiencing and how they could be helped.
music industry, and their attitudes towards hearing wellness. We wanted to learn
what each user currently was experiencing and how they could be helped.
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During our user and SME interviews, everyone agreed that:
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Brian Fligor, the CDO of Lantos Technologies, told us that
the audiology industry does a terrible job of marketing hearing wellness. There is a stigma that separates audiologists from musicians, which has brought about a stagnancy in hearing wellness prevention and awareness due the lack of audiologists trained in music induced hearing loss and injury. Sam, an audio engineer outside of PdB’s network, told us that many musicians are unaware and hearing wellness is not talked about or pushed for. He told us that DJs play the loudest sound but rarely wear earplugs. |
Brian, a sound engineer, told us that he wears ear protection religiously because his job depends on it. He adjusts the frequencies and mixes of musicians for their performances because he wants to reduce injury in their ears.
Johnny, a professional guitarist in a grunge-rock band, shared similar thoughts: “I think there are too many people that don’t care enough about it.” He saw the value of hearing protection because older musicians he respected told him to take care of it since hearing loss would severely affect his ability to play and enjoy music. |
User Personas
Our primary target user was the visceral, young musician who is passionate about their career and views hearing wellness as a tertiary priority. Older music professionals we spoke to had the "deal with it" mentality, and our engineer users tended to be very meticulous with their hearing protection since their hearing defines their value in the industry.
Research Synthesis
We gathered our research and created an affinity map that helped us find trends and identify key insights from our research.
This led us to synthesize our findings into four key insights:
Why are people in the music industry content in their ignorance?
Because hearing wellness is not seen as a lifestyle, but as a product.
Because hearing wellness is not seen as a lifestyle, but as a product.
The problem we would solve for was now clear:
We refined the following three principles to help address the problem at hand and guide our designs.
Ideation
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After presenting our research and synthesis to Jenna and Drew, we started generating ideas for the product through mind mapping and value plotting. We identified a slew of key features that we wanted our app to have, and condensed our pool down to a few we could explore in depth.
We wanted to focus on prioritization, value, and actionability so that we could
increase engagement, awareness, and knowledge of hearing wellness.
increase engagement, awareness, and knowledge of hearing wellness.
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We wrote out insights we pulled from existing wireframes, user research, and our problem statement to evaluate the impact of and need for specific features by creating a values plot. We wanted to explore the types of things that would engage our users and allow them to see the value in hearing wellness. If people weren’t able to see the value in hearing wellness to act upon it and make it a habit, then we needed to start from there. |
Divergent Concepts
We decided to sketch out different versions of the onboarding process to see how we could diverge in our concept
prototypes. Each of us focused on separate value propositions, leading us to create three distinct concepts.
prototypes. Each of us focused on separate value propositions, leading us to create three distinct concepts.
The educative onboarding focuses on increasing awareness and engaging users by helping them realize the value of protecting their hearing through facts about the repercussions of sound.
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The upfront onboarding provides users with an upfront look of features available within the product.
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The profile onboarding allows users to set up a personalized account and share their unique backgrounds for the product to cater to their needs.
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Concepting the
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I took the lead for the profile onboarding concept. Based on the insights we gained,
users said that trust is highly sought inthe music industry because the materialism and stigma attached to fame and networking makes it fragile and hard to maintain. I felt that providing a welcoming and conversational platform to tell their stories would engage users on a personal level, build their trust, and lead them into the product. I wanted to provide users an easy process that would assess their current state of hearing wellness, what they know, and their current attitude towards it. Several users also talked about making things fun and engaging, sort of like a game with lots of visuals. While I didn’t think that gamifying the onboarding process would be universally preferred since the notion of competition can cause stress, I wanted to incorporate fun iconography and friendly language to address both medical and personal information. |
We did rapid time-boxed sketches for the features within the app as well: messaging an audiologist,
hearing test, and education center. With our ideas we collaborated with Megan, our creative director,
on brainstorming the goals, differentiation, needs, and corresponding design principles for each one.
hearing test, and education center. With our ideas we collaborated with Megan, our creative director,
on brainstorming the goals, differentiation, needs, and corresponding design principles for each one.
Concepting the
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Coming from an education background, I immediately wanted to work on the educational resource concept. My love and appreciation for design has been profoundly impacted by my fascination with human thought patterns and desire to help them achieve their goals through genuine human connections. I wanted this resource to promote diverse learning styles and optimize the way human minds work by respecting individual thought processes. Through this concept, I explored ways to deliver hearing wellness information to users in a way that would be familiar yet refreshing to them.
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From our interviews, we learned that our users prefer visual and audio information that is fun and engaging. I took this idea and included details that would enhance user interactions such as sharing, favoriting, liking, and commenting.
We learned that most musicians use Spotify and Apple Music, so I thought that having “casts” would engage more people to learn about hearing wellness and evoke the feeling of listening to a pleasant song or playlist. From there I came up with “dB wellness casts,” a series of bite sized lessons in the form of videos, audio, and articles that users could watch individually or through curated playlists that would be based off of their profiles and settings.
We learned that most musicians use Spotify and Apple Music, so I thought that having “casts” would engage more people to learn about hearing wellness and evoke the feeling of listening to a pleasant song or playlist. From there I came up with “dB wellness casts,” a series of bite sized lessons in the form of videos, audio, and articles that users could watch individually or through curated playlists that would be based off of their profiles and settings.
Testing Our Concepts
Jenna and Drew set up virtual meetings for us to conduct concept testing with five
different users. Each of us tested our own concepts and asked questions eliciting
feelings, assumptions, and inquiries driving the value, awareness, and desire
that users connected to the ideas we actualized.
different users. Each of us tested our own concepts and asked questions eliciting
feelings, assumptions, and inquiries driving the value, awareness, and desire
that users connected to the ideas we actualized.
User Feedback
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Educative Onboarding
+ Bite-sized information educated users on the importance of hearing wellness - Lack of app information |
Upfront Onboarding
+ Users knew what they were getting themselves into before signing up - Stocky and impersonal; lack of fun and excitement. |
Profile Setup
+ Questions and answer options were tailored to their specific needs and situations - Lengthy process |
Messaging An Audiologist
+ Transparency and personalized connection with an audiologist - Users wanted the language to be more welcoming with a level of professionalism. |
Hearing Test
+ “Terms & Conditions” and “HIPAA Compliancy” screens increased their trust and made them take the test more seriously. |
Educational Resources
+ A variety of information and curated content. -The resources were helpful and engaging, but not for regular reference. |
Convergence
Navigating our product
Because we felt that our concepts didn’t quite fulfill all of our intended design principles and goals, we continued to focus on how to
show product value upfront and make the experience personalized to cater their specific needs.
For the product features, we wanted to make them more cohesive, create actionable options, and generate trust through transparency.
We also wrestled with the idea of paid features because although our clients thought people wouldn’t see value in the hearing test if it
was free, we thought that adding expenses would keep the product from reaching less privileged users.
During our kickoff meeting, Jenna stated that an audiologist check up is usually $95-$100, but through this app she wanted people
who normally can’t afford to see an audiologist to be able to access everything they offer on it for $19.99. She also wanted us to ask
users how much they would be willing to pay for the app and said that she could compromise for a more affordable price point.
show product value upfront and make the experience personalized to cater their specific needs.
For the product features, we wanted to make them more cohesive, create actionable options, and generate trust through transparency.
We also wrestled with the idea of paid features because although our clients thought people wouldn’t see value in the hearing test if it
was free, we thought that adding expenses would keep the product from reaching less privileged users.
During our kickoff meeting, Jenna stated that an audiologist check up is usually $95-$100, but through this app she wanted people
who normally can’t afford to see an audiologist to be able to access everything they offer on it for $19.99. She also wanted us to ask
users how much they would be willing to pay for the app and said that she could compromise for a more affordable price point.
When we created our app map, we included the subscription idea to stay in line with our client's business goals.
We wanted to make sure that everything was cohesive, easy to access, and intuitive for the user to see value in
the product with continued use.
We wanted to make sure that everything was cohesive, easy to access, and intuitive for the user to see value in
the product with continued use.
We decided to fuse the ideas that received positive feedback from all concepts and develop a product
with features that would provide more actionability, upfront value, and trust in a cohesive way.
with features that would provide more actionability, upfront value, and trust in a cohesive way.
We felt that the onboarding process should allow users to personalize their information
and learn of features upfront to get them engaged and convinced of the value they will receive in the product.
and learn of features upfront to get them engaged and convinced of the value they will receive in the product.
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We wanted the onboarding to hook the audience with hearing wellness and app feature information, followed by a profile that would engage them with friendly language that invited users to express their hearing wellness needs and experiences in the music industry. |
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We placed our hearing test in a sub tab of "My Hearing" called "My Ears" so that users could access personalized hearing wellness services.
In conjunction, we created a sub tab called "My Audiologist" that users can use to message an audiologist, view nearby clinicians, and access actionable post-message options such as taking a hearing test or viewing custom ear products. We wanted the process to encourage proactivity from the user so that they could keep track of their hearing tests and 3D scans and continue to make it a habit sustained by trust and transparency they received from the app. |
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The resources section emulated a digital library with topic sections and filters for users to easily access the information that they need. We wanted to provide a balance between actionability and guidance with details on view time and bite sized information. Users would scroll horizontally to view written material for a detailed yet digestible read. We took on the task of taking concept feedback and modifying the format to better fit user needs. |
During our final round of testing, we carefully assessed usability and concepts to validate both the desirability
and functionality of our product. We wanted to witness the thought processes of our users
as they interacted with the product in order to understand their perception of its value and functionality.
and functionality of our product. We wanted to witness the thought processes of our users
as they interacted with the product in order to understand their perception of its value and functionality.
During usability testing, we focused on the value that users sought from the product,
how they interacted with the features, functional clarity, and whether or not the product
would help them proactively maintain hearing wellness.
how they interacted with the features, functional clarity, and whether or not the product
would help them proactively maintain hearing wellness.
So what did we ultimately learn?
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Users appreciated the simple, straightforward onboarding, actionable options following the hearing test, and abundant resources,
but felt that the paywall approach lacked transparency and clarity about the value users would be receiving. We iterated on the
homepage based on feedback and made a more streamlined, navigable version. Click here for a closer look at the app map.
but felt that the paywall approach lacked transparency and clarity about the value users would be receiving. We iterated on the
homepage based on feedback and made a more streamlined, navigable version. Click here for a closer look at the app map.
We were able to affirm from our final testing that users value personalization, transparency, and actionability,
which increased their engagement through the ownership, trust, and empowerment that they are able to feel.
which increased their engagement through the ownership, trust, and empowerment that they are able to feel.
Click here to see our final interactive prototype.
RecommendationsThough our time with Project Decibel has ended, there is still a lot of un-chartered territory to explore for further product development. Here are the key recommendations that we made to develop upon the current state of the product.
Iterating and Testing Challenge: With given limited time and resources, we were not able to go about performing enough rounds of iteration and testing. Recommendations:
Content Strategy Challenge: We had difficulty determining how to display the content to different users with different mental models with varying ages and backgrounds. Recommendations:
Distinct Value for Users Challenge: There wasn’t a clear understanding of the business value proposition from users. Recommendations:
Client Reception Jenna and Drew communicated with us throughout the project and provided us with keen resources and support. They have continued to work with DESIGNATION to develop the UI for the product based on our research and wireframes. |
ReflectionThis project provided valuable insights into how music industry professionals deal with hearing wellness and how culture and environment impacts their perspectives. The idea of musicians being “creatures of habit” became an integral part of helping musicians improve their hearing health by making care and awareness a regular part of their lives. Music professionals work so hard to perfect their craft to the point where they feel that their accomplishments should forego their health, which in turn creates roadblocks for their well-being and the qualities of their careers.
There was a bit of a disconnect between what we intended to figure out from testing and what we actually gained. In our test plan, we included quantifiable metrics that asked users to assess information value, awareness, ownership, and trust users felt from the product on a scale of 1-5. However, we ended up asking more qualitative questions because we realized that their personal experiences overwhelmingly impacted their interactions with the product. Users gave very personable and specific feedback, which helped us a lot with our synthesis process. That in turn allowed us to move forward with recommendations to improve the quality of user interactions and product value. After going through this journey, I can confidently say that we were able to create viable options for users to take care of their hearing wellness. I hope that many musicians and music enthusiasts will use the Project Decibel app to improve their hearing wellness and prioritize their state of being in order to fully engage in their passions for music. |