Streamlining VNYL's Experience
VNYL sees every record as a story and created a service to help vinyl lovers and newcomers discover, share, and enjoy that journey.
Overview
VNYL is a membership club delivering monthly vinyl records curated to each user's music taste.
Problem
Membership experience felt complex, limiting new subscriptions.
Goal
Simplify the flow to:
- Automate curation for scalability
- Improve vinyl discovery
- Build confidence for new vinyl buyers
Project roles
- Daania: Design lead
- Sandra: Research lead
- Brian: Synthesizing research lead
Timeline
6 weeks
Platform
Responsive website
(mobile-first approach)
Tools
- Figma
- Excel
- Jira
SOLUTION
Design solution
1. Automating album curation process for new members
Automated curation helps new members select music easily, while giving curators clear data for better recommendations.
2. Selecting next month's order
Simplified album selection through the profile lets members plan upcoming orders and access their VNYL library.
3. Purchasing individual exclusive records
Members and non-members can buy one-of-a-kind vinyl records, making VNYL more accessible and helping users grow collections.
4. Educating music enthusiasts about vinyl
Learn about VNYL services and vinyl culture through community resources that build knowledge and confidence before purchase.
Success metrics
Based on second round of usability testing
- Increased VYNL's retention rate
- Decreased cognitive overload
- Increased website interactivity
DEEP DIVE
But, how did we get there?
Product evaluation
(5 applications)
User interviews
(6 users)
Surveys
(30 responses)
Usabilty testing
(6 responses)
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Research insights
Testing VNYL's existing platform
Users liked the vinyl collection, but struggled with navigation and album selection.
Terminology
Words like "vibes" were confusing
Users didn't understand how it related to music choice
Manual curation
Long questionnaires frustrated users
Employees selecting albums felt outdated
Service clarity
Service details unclear
Users weren't sure what was included in subscription
DEFINING DESIGN PRINCIPLES
Core problems that need reinforcement
Personalization
Do not offer an exhaustive catalog of songs; instead, focus on helping customers discover music they'll love. Personalized content trumps all.
Engagement
Create a platform for a broader range of users and evolve with customer tastes and aptitudes.
Education
Equip new vinyl enthusiasts with tools to learn more about classic technology. Build an experience that evokes and intensifies our users.
Design principles and the content prioritization framework helped narrow my decision-making process.
After understanding what the issues were and defining our design principles, we directly jumped into the design phase!
PERSONALIZATION
Designing to Personalize Membership
We began with low- and mid-fidelity sketches to gather feedback and refine concepts. The focus was on automating album curation for both new and existing members.
Primary focus:
- Subscribing to a membership plan
- Choosing the first record
Membership plans
Show value of each plan and explain how membership works.
Recommendations
Suggest records from past collections; include gift membership options.
Social proof
Add reviews to build trust.
Support
Include FAQs to answer common questions.
Spotify integration
Use streaming data to improve record curation
Personalized profiles
Help curators tailor memberships
Selection confidence
Show users curated albums to build trust
ENGAGEMENT
Building out Store
Research showed that genre and mood drive music choices, and users filter by genre when browsing.
Design response
- Added a simple filter list with genre tags
- Considered how to satisfy both members and one-time buyers
Engagement
- Added VNYL exclusives + genre tags to attract collectors
- Integrated Spotify playlists for quick discovery
Trust
- Displayed reviews + ratings to build confidence
- Highlighted reduced member pricing to drive sign-ups
Convenience
- Simplified checkout flow
- Reduced decision-making with clear album previews
EDUCATION
Updating the 'About' Page
Help users understand VNYL's services, reduce anxiety about vinyl technology, and build trust before their first purchase.
Brand intro
Quick overview of VNYL and its value
Vinyl care
Clear FAQs and guidance for new users
Curators
Humanize the brand by showcasing curators
CONCEPT VALIDATION
Testing our assumptions
6/6 appreciated integration of spotify and easy connection to sync up their music streaming history.
"Percy, member of Spotify"
"I can't believe it automatically synched all my history and curated feed to my liking"
5/6 users found value on listening to music on same platform and not getting directed to another app.
"Judy, owner of 20 records"
"It saves so much energy and time when you can do everything at the same place"
But, not all things were appreciated by users, and we iterated on them and updated them.
Terminology fix → Replaced "vibes" with clearer "records"
Membership clarity → Added more plan details to support subscriptions
HIGH FIDELITY+PROTOTYPING+BRANDING
Refinement
After testing early flows, we refined key screens based on user feedback.
About page update → Added a clear brand intro, vinyl care tips, and curator profiles. This reduced confusion and built user trust before subscribing.
Next month's order flow → Integrated album selection directly into the member profile. This encouraged ongoing engagement and gave users more control over their subscription.
Impact
These refinements aligned the product more closely with user expectations, making the experience clearer, more informative, and easier to use.
Style Guide
We designed VNYL to feel energetic, fun, and nostalgic, reflecting the vinyl experience. Colors, contrast, and typography were refined during iteration to balance energy with readability.
We also unified the tone and voice to be liberating, human, concise, and informative, ensuring consistent terminology across the product.
Design solution
We redeveloped VNYL's website in a way that felt user-friendly and was backed by users' preferences. The solution brought users and VNYL a comprehensive experience that kept users engaged on the platform and brought growth to the VNYL business by acquiring more members in its subscription model.
We cleaned up the album curation process for VNYL users to discover and explore vinyl music and also provided a store feature where users can purchase individual records.
Reflection & Future Developments
Reflection
Communication is key →
Learned how vital clear communication is in design thinking and team collaboration.
User-first mindset →
Realized that not all design ideas fit users' needs, even if they're creative.
Prioritization matters →
Learned to "pick battles" by focusing on the most critical aspects of design when not all solutions are feasible.
Future Developments
Business perspective →
Next step is to gather insights from VNYL's business owners, not just users.
Impact validation →
Measure if design updates align with key performance indicators (KPIs).
Let's work together
I'm always interested in new opportunities and collaborations.