Connert Connect

Creating impactful experiences for concert-enthusiasts seeking connections and meaningful experiences.

Overview

ConcertConnect addresses the disconnection concertgoers feel after missing out on musical experiences. We offer a safe and inviting platform for users to engage, connect, and build community, fostering impactful connections that elevate the live music listening experience.

Early Development

To determine the type of platform, we established specific research goals focused on discovering user needs and discovering essential features. We then developed a set of characteristics that users might seek in a concert connection platform.

  1. Social Circle Preference: Are concertgoers willing to attend concerts with people they don't know or do they prefer to go only with people they're familiar with?

  2. Methods of Connection: Do concertgoers connect with others with similar music taste online or in-person?

  3. Concert Discovery: How do concertgoers discover upcoming concerts or live music events?

Research

With our established research goals, we conducted: 40+ user surveys as well as competitive analysis and SWOT Analysis to narrow down a specific user problem. Our main findings included:

79% of users reported that the main deterrent of concert attendance was not having anyone to attend concerts with.

To understand why individuals faced this issue, we conducted 7 user interviews. We discovered that individuals had difficulty making personal connections and community due to discomfort interacting with people both in-person and online.

"Fear of being catfished online"

"Don't want to inconvenience others when making plans"

"Too much effort in taking the first step to meet people"

Redefining the Problem

From our research, we redirected our focus to the main issue that users faced:

Concertgoers miss out on impactful musical experiences due to lack of safety in online interactions, inability to form close connections with new people, and anxiety when initiating new conversations, causing them to feel frustrated and alone.

The Solution

ConcertConnect allows users to connect with other concertgoers by providing a safe platform to make it easy for users to initiate conversation and inspire shared concert experiences.

Onboarding

  • Identity verification for secure interactions

  • Personality quiz for more accurate friend matching

  • Connect even further through social media

Home

  • Personalized central hub for viewing upcoming events and discovering new communities

Friend Swiping

  • Connect with others on a more personal level through friend swiping

  • See unique traits like most listened to artist, favorite music genre, and music compatibility

Chats

  • Discover and join communities aligning with your specific intersets

  • Share events, communities, and badges with new friends

Profile

  • View personal musical traits

  • Share posts with community members

  • See earned badges from attending certain events

User Testing

During the usability testing phase for our mid-fidelity prototype of ConcertConnect, we focused on several key tasks to understand user interactions and gather comprehensive feedback. These tests proved critical in developing our final prototype.

Inconsistent Color Scheme

Users expressed the lack of cohesiveness in the app’s design. Inconsistencies in colors, spacing, text size, and button styles confused users and made navigating the app difficult.

Overwhelming Gradients

Users were distracted by loud gradients and experienced difficulty

Unclear Navigation Bar

Confusing Buttons

Answer Feedback

To maximize user engagement and reinforce learning, I implemented immediate, positive user feedback following each question. The game instantly validates the user's answer (correct/incorrect) and provides a direct link to the related Shades article for deeper exploration.

Rewards and Incentive

User interviews revealed a significant motivation gap, with participants expressing a lack of incentive or consequence tied to gameplay. This feedback confirmed the need to implement a rewards system to establish clear user benefits and encourage long-term engagement.

Takeaways

A key takeaway from this experience was gaining a deeper understanding of the product development process and value of design iteration. As said by Shades CEO Jeff Grimes during one of our conversations, "80% of designs don't get to see a place on the app, but that doesn't necessarily mean they aren't useful, it can inspire the creation of something impactful". This stuck with me becuase it highlighted the importance of being unafraid to experiment and a necessary part of the process is creativity and iteration.

I was also privileged to see my work launch on the Shades app and contribute to the experience of 1,000+ users, contributing my learnings to real-world developments!