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Problem
Independent musicians often face challenges in managing the business side of their careers, from booking gigs to handling finances and networking. At the same time, managers and venue representatives struggle to efficiently discover and book talent. The lack of unified tools worsens these issues, resulting in missed opportunities and slowing professional growth across the industry.
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Challenges
Independent musicians, managers, and venue representatives each face unique but interconnected challenges within the music industry. Artists often struggle with limited business knowledge, making it difficult to manage their careers effectively, while oversaturation in the market and unreliable networking opportunities hinder visibility and collaboration. Many also face unstable income streams that threaten long-term sustainability. Managers, on the other hand, grapple with discovering emerging talent in a crowded field, juggling time-consuming responsibilities like booking and promotions, and operating without access to robust analytics for data-driven decisions. Venue representatives experience difficulty in sourcing the right performers and lack a streamlined platform for direct communication with artists, resulting in missed opportunities and inefficient booking processes.
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Goal
To enhance the platform’s impact, the redesign will focus on five key areas: improving usability through an intuitive interface that simplifies navigation for musicians, managers, and venues; modernizing visual aesthetics to align with current music industry trends; incorporating unique features to establish a competitive edge in the market; fostering community engagement through interactive tools like forums and collaboration spaces; and implementing accessibility improvements to ensure an inclusive experience for users of all abilities.
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Scope of work and timeline
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User Research
At the start of the designing process, we conducted an in-depth UX review of the platform. As part of the user interview there are some frustration below:
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Competitive Analysis Research
Independent musicians, managers, and venue representatives face significant challenges in navigating the music industry. Artists often lack business skills to secure gigs and manage their careers, while managers and venues struggle to find talent efficiently. The fragmented tools currently available make it difficult to network, collaborate, and grow professionally. There is a clear need for an all-in-one, affordable platform to streamline these processes, enabling easier connections, career management, and opportunity discovery for all users.
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User Persona and Empathy Map
After competitive analysisuser research and analysis, user attributes and behaviours were assessed which are explained by empathy map and persona.
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Overall Findings
Through user research and empathy mapping, it’s evident that independent musicians, managers, and venue representatives face several critical challenges that hinder their ability to thrive in the music industry. Artists struggle with balancing creative output and business management, including securing gigs, managing finances, and promoting their work. Managers and venues, on the other hand, face inefficiencies in finding and booking talent. Existing tools are fragmented and often expensive, creating additional barriers to success. There is a clear demand for an integrated platform that streamlines these processes, fosters community engagement, and provides essential career management tools.
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Proposed Solutions with MVPs
Gig Management & Booking System
MVP Focus: Simplifies gig scheduling and discovery for musicians, and streamlines booking for managers/venues.
Key Features: Integrated calendar, gig applications, booking requests.
Career Management Dashboard
MVP Focus: Centralizes financial tracking, contract management, and self-promotion.
Key Features: Financial tracker, contract templates, marketing tools.
Community Networking Hub
MVP Focus: Facilitates collaboration and knowledge sharing among musicians, managers, and venues.
Key Features: Forums, direct messaging, project collaboration tools, filter and tags.
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Information Architecture
Information Architecture (IA) is the structural design and organization of information within a syustem. It focuses on creating a clear and intuitive structure for content, ensuring users can easily navigate and find what they need.
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Low Fidelity & High Fidelity Wireframes
Low Fidelity Wireframes are useful for communicating ideas quickly and easly, without getting distracted by colors, fonts or graphics.
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Visual Design
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Takeaways
All-in-One Career Management: A unified platform for managing gigs, finances, contracts, and promotions eliminates inefficiencies and supports career growth.
Networking & Collaboration: A community hub enhances connections between artists, managers, and venues, creating new professional opportunities.
Streamlined Marketing Tools: Integrated marketing features help musicians manage promotions efficiently, allowing more focus on their creative work.
Affordable Solutions: Accessible tools for booking, contracts, and financial tracking lower barriers for independent artists, supporting career development.
User-Centered Design: The platform prioritizes ease of use and accessibility, ensuring a smooth experience for all users, regardless of technical skills.
