Music Software for the Masses – How to reach new target groups through user-centered design.
Henrik Lenberg · 2011
The main argument in this report is that the number of music makers would grow significantly if music applications were easier to use. Today's applications have excellent technical capabilities, but their design makes them too complicated for new users without technical know-how and interest. Many people want to make music but find it too difficult to get started. To bridge this gap, we need to design better user interfaces to make music software attractive and accessible for more people.This thesis has a qualitative approach and is mainly based on 28 in-depth interviews with users, domain experts and stakeholders from the commissioning company. The goal is to learn more about why people want to make music and why music applications are hard to learn for some users. I also investigate Propellerhead Software's design process and how it affects the company's products.The results show that music software companies are not employing user research as a foundation for product design. Instead, they are making technology-focused applications with an emphasis on new features. Their main goal is to satisfy existing users and little effort is made to target a broader audience beyond current user types. People generally want to make music because it is fun, but the technical barrier is too high for many new users.I suggest that Propellerhead employs a user-centered design process with a clear strategy for gathering extensive knowledge about potential users. This knowledge should be used as foundation for new product design. The product focus must shift from technology to creation, and the main goal should be to improve interaction rather than adding new technical features. Traditional paradigms must be rethought and new interfaces must be restructured based on the users' mental models, instead of relying on the current implementation model.