A celebrity musician approached me to create a unique digital experience for presenting his music album. Following our initial meeting, we decided to develop a 10-level video game, where users could unlock the music after completing each level. The game garnered over 200K downloads worldwide and featured Logic, a platinum recording and former Def Jam artist with 6.5 million followers. This project resulted in a tangible digital product that received real-time feedback from a substantial user base.
As the product lead, I wore many hats to bring this project to completion. From character design and scriptwriting to UI and animation design, I tested my creative skills across various disciplines. I also assisted in developing all the marketing and advertising materials, which helped us achieve significant results on a relatively small budget.
Music is distributed and consumed in the same way across all genres. A move to streaming is reducing the need for physical albums, which were often offered an additional layer of creativity whilst providing listeners context to the music they were listening to. Creating a unique digital experience will provide an elevated experience, that would have been otherwise lost due to the this transition in music.
As this was a project being built from the ground up, we needed to work with the development team to understand the parameters under which we could design. We also needed to create a design system that could be leveraged both as video game assets and advertising material for when the product launched.
To engage stakeholders and users, we needed to create a storyline that aligned with the album's music and propelled the narrative. I initially wrote the entire script, which featured professional voice recordings from celebrity artists that translated into animated cutscenes. These animated cutscenses were used in both the game and advertising campaigns.
As the artist was new to the market at the time, we needed to create an effective advertising campaign that attracted existing fans of the label and also encouraged new listeners to try the project. We worked on a range of trailers, content collaborations, and merchandise to achieve downloads at scale.
This project was unlike any other that I had experienced. Following the release of Logic's - Black Spiderman single (50+ million views to date), it was important to capitalise on the momentum. This led to working overnight, sleeping in offices, flying to New York and ending up on the stage at the O2 arena. It was an experience that allowed me to work with talent across all displines whilst expanding my network into areas which were often protected by gatekeepers.
February 2023 - Start Date
As the owner of the label had his own established fan-circle, we had access to primary data that we could use to our advantage to create optimised user experiences. It also helped us when it came to designing our personas and user journeys for this application. The tricky part was diversifying our users away from the core audience so that the new-up and coming artist under the label can create his own, unique fan-base. I explored different assumptions by creating a diversified user personas as well as running questionnaires with different focus groups. As we were limited on time and budget, we had to trim the time set to complete these tasks whilst combing this information with secondary data.
- How can we create a game which introducers users to the artist in a clear and creative way.
- How do we make the game engaging enough for users to see it through to completion.
- How can we design an in-game listening experience that allows users to seamlessesly consume the music.
- How do we expand the brand outside of the videogame to generate revenue.
Miles has been a fan of Logic for many years and has eagerly been anticipating a new music album from him. He comes across a new single which introduces
As a university student, Miles uses music and content as a way of escapism from the pressures of studying or as an aid to working out. Music and stories that are creative and motivating help inspire him to stay on track with his journey.
Miles is opionated about his music tastes and belongs to few groups at his campus where he can debate his views with other like minded individuals. Conversations, friends and media heavily influences his taste. Ultimately he makes decisions on what he wants to filter in and out.
Miles was born into the digital revolution which means that he is used to listening to and consuming music through the streaming platforms and YouTube. He is frustrated at the state of the industry and a lack of creativity. Every project seems the same.
Ameesh is a keen planner and struggles with anxiety. When plans deviate from the expected course, he can rapidly become overwhelmed. Maintaining organisation and adhering to a plan helps him manage these feelings.
Miles at the time of this product's launch was using an iPhone 6S
Ameesh, with his extensive experience in healthcare, prefers clear and easily understandable corporate branding. He values consistency over creativity.
Sharon is a locum pharmacist seeking more consistent work in and around her local area.
Sharon aspires to establish her own business, but she still has daily costs to cover. She needs a reliable method to take on locum shifts to earn money according to her schedule.
The location and salary offered greatly impact her decision to accept a shift. She prefers not to travel too far from home to reduce commuting time. This gives her more time to build her business.
Sharon often finds it frustrating when she can't discover potential opportunities in her local area. As a result, she typically has to travel further than necessary, which cuts into her available time.
Sharon is relaxed but also lacks the ability to stay organised. This means that she fails to plan her shifts in advance, which results in her often looking for opportunities week-to-week.
Sharon is technologically savvy. She often researches for the best value-for-money solutions, which has resulted in her choosing a Samsung phone as her daily driver.
Sharon is drawn to lighter, more pastel colours. She prefers clarity and consistency when it comes to selecting brands.
Darren is the owner of a medium-sized commodity trading company and has over 30 employees.
Darren's main objective is to create efficiency within his company. It has been making stable profits over the years, but compliance and operations are cutting into his margin.
The ease of use is significant for Darren. He understands that if any purchasing decisions regarding software are made, he needs to.
His business currently uses many software solutions that lack integration options. This means that his software costs are consistently increasing, while there is a lack of a coherent workflow across his business.
Darren is quite reactive to situations. He is patient, however, things that have a high learning curve or seem more confusing than they are lead him to become dismissive and frustrated.
Darren understands the importance of good software but is far from being well-versed in technology. He uses a Dell desktop PC for work and a mid-tier iPhone for daily calls and writing emails.
Bold colours, large fonts, and clear imagery appeal to Darren. He isn't averse to information being more visual, as long as it is clearly presented.
Thinks
"It shouldn't be this difficult to find good locums to manage my pharmacy."
"I don't have time to look for pharmacists."
"Is there an easier way to find the right, reliable talent?"
Does
Relies on referrals for current recruitment.
Researches options on locum-centric platforms from where he can hire.
Looks at websites of companies that meet his specific need.
The website that presents the right value proposition leads him to book a demo.
Says
"I can't afford to hire the wrong talent; it will cut into my profit."
"It's becoming harder to find the right locums in the area."
"I want my pharmacy to perform better. Talent makes a difference"
Feels
Ameesh is feeling stressed, overwhelmed, and at times, out of control. Having to work shifts where locums have not shown up as scheduled is making him feel overworked. Being tired is impacting his decision-making.
Thinks
"I find it hard to stay organised or plan my life too far in advance.”
“Maybe I'm not cut out to run a business. Looking for work while finding time to build a company is challenging. “
“Commuting is draining my time."
Does
In the short term, Sharon continues to work with the pharmacies she has built a rapport with and trusts her abilities.
The need to find a solution to her problem forces her to research options where she can seek locum opportunities.
Websites that seem to solve her problem and make it easy to sign up are companies where Sharon creates a profile.
Says
"I need to find local pharmacies where I can regularly find work."
"There must be an easier way to find work."
"If I can find a few local pharmacies, it can facilitate a lifestyle that gives me a chance to build a business."
Feels
Sharon as a person is often relaxed, which creates a lack of urgency during specific times of her life. She feels as if she needs to get more organised in the way she manages her time and her finances which is pushing her to look for solutions that make it easier and more convienient to find more accesible work around her area.
Thinks
"I don't have time to work with a software company that lacks a strong understanding of HR compliance."
"I want a specific tool that fits my budget and meets my business needs."
"The customer service for the solutions I currently pay for is unacceptable."
Does
Darren speaks to managers in the organisation to find out the depths of the inefficiency and how these are impacting performance.
He begins to research a scalable HR solution which can be customised to meet his business needs.
He holds a meeting to discuss the possible solutions and brings the solutions to showcase how flexible they are.
Says
"I want to maximise the productivity of our business.”
“I don't really want to have to pay for different software solutions that only partially solve my HR compliance problems.”
“Paying for a completely bespoke solution will be too costly for us at this stage of the business."
Feels
Darren has been running a business for many years, developing patience and empathy along the way. However, he has grown accustomed to the status quo, and the rising costs and endless task lists necessary for action completion have left him slightly frustrated. This frustration, combined with his innate problem-solving abilities, is prompting him to seek viable solutions.
Worksys initially struggled with a lack of a distinct brand identity that could be utilised across various advertising assets, including their website and product suite. To rectify this, it was crucial to develop a brand that leveraged the user research and competitive landscape analysis. I responded by creating a vector logo, brand palette, and typography kit.
The aim of the wireframes was to illustrate to stakeholders how the information architecture and website content would become structured and comprehensible. This also assisted me in designing the website's database.
Although my main objective was to focus on the brand's website, I was asked to analyse the existing UI of the product and create screens that incorporated the new branding. This served as a guide for the developers and as marketing collateral, helping new clients visualise the tool's capabilities.
Once the client had signed off on the clickable Figma prototype, I was able to shift into WebFlow development, where I transitioned my designs into a fully functioning website.
