Streamlet
Music streaming mobile app
The problem
A startup company called Streamlet introduced a music streaming product using a freemium model. Their product included a mobile-web experience and a mobile app for both iOS and Android. Initially, the company focused on building a user base through their free product, but they began looking to design an experience for users to subscribe and pay a monthly fee for premium features. In terms of business goals, I aimed to create opportunities for new users to subscribe during registration and for returning free users to become paid subscribers within both the sign-in flow and the product itself.
The solution
The solution involved developing a premium product with superior features, aiming to motivate users to upgrade and generate a profitable revenue stream. The target user demographic for this project was 18-24 years old, characterized as tech-savvy and budget-conscious, considering media consumption an essential part of their lives. The company's brand personality was also described as “bold,” “smart,” and “hip,” creating a need for design to balance these adjectives.
My role
I led the project and worked on creating the visual design of new screens for the premium signup flows. My process involved a problem statement (see above), personas, sketches, wireframes, high-fidelity mockups, and extensive user testing.
Research
In my research, I looked at several articles in academic journals. Even though I did not apply their insights directly due to the project’s constraints, they provided more context for my design process.
Koch & Benlian (2017): Premiumfirst (free trial before free version) boosts upgrades; effectiveness varies based on premium product quality; short-term focus, long-term effects unclear.
Wagner & Hess (2013): Satisfaction with free version reduces payment likelihood; free trial followed by payment request encourages premium use; factors like attitude, social influence, value, and innovation affect decisions.
Mäntymäki & Islam (2015): Study limited to Spotify in Finland. Users continue for enjoyment, new music; premium users more likely to continue; motivations differ between free (enjoyment) and premium (discovery).
Mäntymäki, Islam & Benbasat (2019): Upgrade driven by enjoyment, perceived value; hedonic orientation for upgrading; enjoyment similar between basic and premium users; price value influences upgrading, not retention; new content discovery crucial; social connectivity minimal impact; intrusive advertising discourages upgrading.
Sketches/wireframes
When I started this project, I was proficient enough in Figma to start working on the high-fidelity mockups right away, and they served as my “sketches.”
User testing
There were several issues detected during this round of testing, although the feedback was largely positive:
Feedback on the saturation of the orange color, with a proposed solution to make it less saturated.
Users recommended changing the color of icons in the bottom menu when selected.
Thus, I made the following changes:
Adjusted the saturation of the orange color to address user concerns.
Changed the color of icons in the bottom menu when selected.
Final high-fidelity mockups
Result
The Streamlet music streaming UX case study aimed to transition free users to paid subscribers. High-fidelity mockups, informed by user testing, led to solutions like adding a "cancel anytime" statement and adjusting colors. Despite ongoing issues with color saturation and icon feedback, overall satisfaction increased in the second round. The iterative design approach successfully enhanced the premium signup flow, and we were satisfied with the results.