Revitalising the Local Music Scene's Online Presence
Revitalising the Local Music Scene's Online Presence
A conceptual redesign to modernise S.O.F. T, a local online music forum.
Project Brief
Reimagine everday experiences for local youth musicians by designing socially impactful innovations, turning routine interactions into drivers of social change.
My Role
Entire project design process, from research to conception, visualization & testing.
Project Time
5 Weeks
Brief Context
Before diving into the project, I'd like to first explain the context around the task.
The brief required three proposed touchpoints, with flexibility in what each designer chose to create, as long as the
designs addressed the chosen persona and reflected insights from our research. My chosen persona was "Youth Musicians".
For the purpose of this article, I’ll be highlighting just one of those touchpoints, my redesign of "S.O.F. T"
Before diving into the project, I'd like to first explain the context around the task.
The brief required three proposed touchpoints, with flexibility in what each designer chose to create, as long as the designs addressed the chosen persona and reflected insights from our research. My chosen persona was "Youth Musicians".
For the purpose of this article, I’ll be highlighting just one of those touchpoints, my redesign of "S.O.F. T"
Interviews & Insights
In order to design for my stakeholder, I must first understand their lives, needs, and desires that I can help address.
To learn more, I scheduled face-to-face interviews with three local youth musicians, each with varying levels of
experience and involvement with the music scene.
In order to design for my stakeholder, I must first understand their lives, needs, and desires that I can help address.
To learn more, I scheduled face-to-face interviews with three local youth musicians, each with varying levels of experience and involvement with the music scene.
INTERVIEW INSIGHT #1
Music is deeply personal and important to youth musicians
Music is deeply personal and important to youth musicians
Youth musicians feel that music is a core part of their identity and who they are as a person. It also serves as a creative outlet,
a way to relax, and a way to communicate their thoughts and emotions that words often can’t.
Youth musicians feel that music is a core part of their identity and who they are as a person. It also serves as a creative outlet, a way to relax, and a way to communicate their thoughts and emotions that words often can’t.
INTERVIEW INSIGHT #2
Youth musicians often don't feel taken seriously.
Youth musicians often don't feel taken seriously.
Due to their age and the prevailing cultural emphasis in Singapore on financially stable and conventional career paths,
youth musicians fail to be taken seriously, especially outside of art circles.
Due to their age and the prevailing cultural emphasis in Singapore on financially stable and conventional career paths, youth musicians fail to be taken seriously, especially outside of art circles.
INTERVIEW INSIGHT #3
Little recognition and support from the general public.
Little recognition and support from the general public.
Additionally, Singapore’s competitive, success-driven culture and "crab mentality" often leads to harsh criticism of the arts and
little appreciation of it beyond profit or popularity, further discouraging aspiring creatives.
Additionally, Singapore’s competitive, success-driven culture and "crab mentality" often leads to harsh criticism of the arts and little appreciation of it beyond profit or popularity, further discouraging aspiring creatives.
INTERVIEW INSIGHT #4
The music scene is welcoming and supportive to youth musicians.
The music scene is welcoming and supportive to youth musicians.
Youth musicians find the community welcoming and easy to engage with, and one of the few areas they feel taken seriously. It
offers valuable support through like-minded peers and accessible opportunities to perform and get involved.
Youth musicians find the community welcoming and easy to engage with, and one of the few areas they feel taken seriously. It offers valuable support through like-minded peers and accessible opportunities to perform and get involved.
INTERVIEW INSIGHT #5
Youth musicians want stronger public platforms.
Youth musicians want stronger public platforms.
Although initiatives like music on the MRT and dedicated platforms exist, they often lack visibility, prompting youth musicians to
desire for stronger public recognition of their community.
Although initiatives like music on the MRT and dedicated platforms exist, they often lack visibility, prompting youth musicians to desire for stronger public recognition of their community.
Building Empathy
Using both qualitative and quantitative data from my interviews, I created a user persona board and journey map to
better empathise with the user and prioritise their goals and needs.
Using both qualitative and quantitative data from my interviews, I created a user persona board and journey map to better empathise with the user and prioritise their goals and needs.
S.O.F. T Analysis
"S.O.F. T", though usually referred simply as SOFT, is an online hub for Singapore’s music community, featuring the latest
news, event listings, and forum discussions. It was introduced to me by one of my interviewees.
Within the context of this project, SOFT has a very important role to fill.
SOFT OPPORTUNITY #1
Serve as a bridge between the general public and the music scene.
Serve as a bridge between the general public and the music scene.
By offering accessible coverage of local talent & scene updates, SOFT can help demystify the scene while remaining casual
through the blogs, allowing it to be more approachable to the general public and better understand the culture.
By offering accessible coverage of local talent & scene updates, SOFT can help demystify the scene while remaining casual through the blogs, allowing it to be more approachable to the general public and better understand the culture.
SOFT OPPORTUNITY #2
Nurture the local music community online.
Nurture the local music community online.
SOFT provides a space for aspiring artists and event organizers to connect and build a supportive, tight-knit community. Its online
presence makes it especially accessible to newcomers who aren’t yet involved in the in-person scene.
SOFT provides a space for aspiring artists and event organizers to connect and build a supportive, tight-knit community. Its online presence makes it especially accessible to newcomers who aren’t yet involved in the in-person scene.
Unfortunately, in practice SOFT is unable to achieve these goals to their full extent, but not due to a lack of features.
Firstly, SOFT has a dated visual identity, and on the internet, first impressions matter. For new users, this can create an impression of unprofessionalism or even inactivity. Not only might this discourage them from engaging with the platform, but it could also reflect poorly on the broader music community, potentially weakening its image and reach.
Secondly, SOFT has minimal marketing efforts. Of the three people I interviewed, only one was aware of the platform.
While this is a small sample size, a quick online search also reveals that SOFT has very limited visibility or advertising
presence.
Hence, my goal is to redesign SOFT’s homepage and create a set of mockup advertisements using a fresh visual identity.
Secondly, SOFT has minimal marketing efforts. Of the three people I interviewed, only one was aware of the platform. While this is a small sample size, a quick online search also reveals that SOFT has very limited visibility or advertising presence.
Hence, my goal is to redesign SOFT’s homepage and create a set of mockup advertisements using a fresh visual identity.
Visual Design
When developing the visual design, I turned to my interviewees for inspiration once again, asking them to share images
from music events or gigs they had attended.
When developing the visual design, I turned to my interviewees for inspiration once again, asking them to share images from music events or gigs they had attended.
While the bright lights and energetic atmosphere were striking, what truly captured my attention was the powerful
sense of community. Watching people from all walks of life come together, united by a shared love of music and the joy of
being present in the moment, that was what I felt was lacking from current day SOFT.
This concept became a key influence in shaping the tone and spirit of my visual design. Alongside the striking visuals,
whenever possible, I ensured that every image I used included a group of people together.
While the bright lights and energetic atmosphere were striking, what truly captured my attention was the powerful sense of community. Watching people from all walks of life come together, united by a shared love of music and the joy of
being present in the moment, that was what I felt was lacking from current day SOFT.
This concept became a key influence in shaping the tone and spirit of my visual design. Alongside the striking visuals, whenever possible, I ensured that every image I used included a group of people together.
Experimentations & Wireframing
Conclusion
While I am satisfied with the prototype I have created, I do not feel that this is where it ends on the grander scale of things.
For my project, I targeted youth musicians and their experiences within the space, and on that front I feel that I have created a redesign that would appeal to them and help introduce a new wave of artists to the site.
However, music isn't just for the youths, to expand on this project I would want to interview more experienced artists within the field of different genres, or even the average casual music fan, and see what they would wish for a rebranded SOFT.
SOFT still has a long way to go in terms of development, but if it does, it can serve as an integral pillar in the community.
If there was more time…
Conduct more interviews to help further develop user personas and insights.
Interview a wider range of personas to help create a SOFT that would appeal on a wider scale.
Develop more pages and user flows beyond just the visual design.
Conclusion
While I am satisfied with the prototype I have created, I do not feel that this is where it ends on the grander scale of things.
For my project, I targeted youth musicians and their experiences within the space, and on that front I feel that I have created a redesign that would appeal to them and help introduce a new wave of artists to the site.
However, music isn't just for the youths, to expand on this project I would want to interview more experienced artists within the field of different genres, or even the average casual music fan, and see what they would wish for a rebranded SOFT.
SOFT still has a long way to go in terms of development, but if it does, it can serve as an integral pillar in the community.
If there was more time…
Conduct more interviews to help further develop user personas and insights.
Interview a wider range of personas to help create a SOFT that would appeal on a wider scale.
Develop more pages and user flows beyond just the visual design.
Let's work together!
Email: ellure.cheong@gmail.com
Phone Number: +65 96639263
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/ellure.cheong
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