Two phone mockups of Chiptune. One is playing "See You Again" by Tyler, The Creator. The other is showing a snapshot of the user's total minutes listened at 9,312 minutes.
Interactive Design Motion Graphics

Chiptune

Collaborator
  • Phạm Trường An
Year2024
MentorMs. Lê Thị Thanh Bình
ProjectFPT University HCM Capstone Project
Timeframe130hrs over 16 weeks
Mockups of some of Chiptune's screens.

Overview

Chiptune is a mobile music streaming app designed to make music discovery fun in the form of personalized playlists ("Stations"), unique user insights & community features.

It's our very own attempt at building a cultured, creative and strong music listening communities for enthusiasts.

A music streaming platform for users that love discovering new tunestracking their statisticsreading community newssharing listening highlights

Feature Group #1

Listen with purpose

Chiptune improves everyone's music listening experience by introducing additional ways to start listening.

Themed playlists
Direct search
Algorithmic suggestions
In-app charts
A card displaying a CD labeled 'Your New Favorite Song' by 'Unknown Artist,' set against a greenish-cyan circular background with pictures of popular artists.
Friend activity
Genre playlists
Related & featured albums
Personal insights
Feature Group #2

Track & share listening highlights

Gain access to unique statistics and insights, ready to be shared at any time.

Examples of social components in Chiptune.
Feature Group #3

Connect with global music enthusiats

Browse community discussions, fan content and get updates from friends without leaving your music app.

Examples of social components in Chiptune.

Timeline

(Click/tap to navigate)

Ideas

Chiptune was originally conceived as a "companion" app with gamification features and styled as a pixel art game.

The idea was deemed too niche.

By the third week, we'd abandoned the gamified rewards concept and pursued a more traditional app structure.

Personalized "Stations"
Achievements
Team challenges
Group listening
Daily tasks
Stats tracking
Pixel art style
Album information
Boss fights
Discussion browser
Genre/artist map
Insights tab
Characters
Social media feed
Reward system
Desk Research

4 out of 5 people listen to music using a streaming service.

An online music streaming service allows users to listen to music on demand, by paying a subscription fee.

0
global paid users
0
16 to 34-year-olds with an audio streaming subscription
0
global music streaming market size

Despite impressive economic potential, for many users, just listening on streaming apps is not enough.

Chiptune attempts to bridge the gap between "official" music content and "fan-made" music content.

We call these users "active listeners". Active listeners are those who:

1
Actively listen to music as a habit
2
Actively seek out new music
3
Actively engage with communities

Our estimates put this category of listeners at 15-20% of global paid users:

0
the average number of genres people listen to
0
say music is important to their mental health
0
of paid users seek out a new artist each week
0
of young users want to discover music from before they were born
0
say music gives them a sense of social and cultural identity
0
of Vietnamese users listen to music as a standalone activity

And what are they saying?

29%
"Take me away from my usual playlists. I want new stuff that challenges me a bit."
— re: lack of variety in recommendations
42%
"I find the suggestions are about 50/50 of what I actually listen to vs. current music that I’m not interested in."
— re: hearing the same songs in playlists too often
40%
"I prefer recommendations from other people to those from algorithms."
— re: preferring recommendations by friends
82%
"I'd like a space to see my favourite artists, albums, and genres so I can get more targeted recommendations."
— re: interest in top listen charts, genre analysis, etc.
60%
"Have articles and videos from artists and journalists about what’s going on in the music world."
— re: finding social content about artists appealing
We identified a clear opportunity: to help users fully explore the artists and genres they are interested in.

Who are these users?

Persona #1 of Chiptune
The Explorer

Dat Truong

Content Creator based in Da Nang • 25 y/o • Single

User Story

Dat is an avid listener eager to discover unique genres and expand his diverse library. He’s frustrated with algorithms that offer repetitive suggestions and wants reliable recommendations that align with his tastes, without overwhelming him.

Key Attributes
  • Pain Points: Overwhelmed by options; dissatisfied with mainstream recommendations.
  • Needs: A platform that offers diverse, yet relevant, music suggestions and tools for better organization.
Persona #2 of Chiptune
The Community Seeker

Linh Tran

Digital Marketer based in Saigon • 22 years old • Single

User Story

Linh loves sharing music discoveries with others and seeks a platform that connects her with like-minded fans. She’s frustrated by scattered community content and desires a centralized space for music discussions and updates.

Key Attributes
  • Pain Points: Difficulty in accessing all relevant community content in one place.
  • Needs: A platform that integrates social interactions with music discovery, enabling real-time connections with fellow listeners.
The solution The solution The solution The solution The solution The solution 
Several discarded options for Chiptune's logo.Animated Chiptune logo
Letter
Shape
Waveform
Inter
AaBbCcDdEeFf
Right Grotesk
AaBbCcDdEeFf
Aqua Glow
#00C2C2 → #36FFCF
Mint Frost
#041713 → #083C2F
Deep Turquoise
#041713 → #083C2F
Example of a mesh gradient in Chiptune.Example of a mesh gradient in Chiptune.Example of a mesh gradient in Chiptune.Example of a mesh gradient in Chiptune.Example of a mesh gradient in Chiptune.Example of a mesh gradient in Chiptune.

Dynamic Content

Many sections on Chiptune use dynamic colors based on album art. We celebrate each song's unique aesthetic, giving users a personalized, immersive experience that complements the app’s design without being confined to a single color scheme.

Here's what some of my recent listens would look like on Chiptune:

(Yes, they update in real time)
UTOPIA
DELRESTO (ECHOES) (feat. Beyoncé)
Travis Scott, Beyoncé
UTOPIA
DELRESTO (ECHOES) (feat. Beyoncé)
Travis Scott, Beyoncé
UTOPIA
DELRESTO (ECHOES) (feat. Beyoncé)
Travis Scott, Beyoncé