Spotify Refocused
Presented by Adam Fisher-Cox 2015 KPCB Fellowship Design Challenge
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Spotify is unique among streaming services in that it expands the user's music library to include almost every song one could want. Yet the Spotify app makes this ability secondary to playlists, social, and other features that aren't unique at all.
When it comes to music, personalization and ownership are key. But in Spotify, the small amount of space devoted to the user's personal tastes is shoved into the sidebar. This doesn't look like "your" music app. It's the same for everyone.
A simplified interface that prioritizes the user's favorite content and personal navigation elements, and minimizes the rest.
The refocused Spotify centers around the user's library of music, which can be imported from iTunes. Songs the users explicitly plays and stars are automatically added to his or her library.
The default view is now your personal library. The sidebar has been cleaned out to prioritize the "My Music" section. The former "Main" section has been renamed "Explore" with a pared-down list of the main discovery sections, making music discovery a journey you can choose when the mood hits.
Search is now front and center in the refocused interface, with cleaned-up results that focus on music and artists first, erasing the line between your local files and Spotify's extensive collection. The songs or albums you choose from your search automatically get added to your library for easier re-discovery later.
Instead of forcing social integration, social opportunities are integrated contextually where you might want them most. The Now Playing menu, for example, allows you to share your current song, album or playlist to social media whenever you want to.
Spotify's discovery sections remain, allowing you to discover new music based on your mood or through curated and social playlists. Star a song in the Now Playing menu to immediately put it in your library.
In addition to the larger structural changes highlighted above, many smaller interface changes combine to make a more pleasant experience. Redundant buttons have been combined and the sidebar has been reorganized to focus on user-centered features and minimize visual clutter.
The refocused Spotify still contains all the same features as the current version, but with an interface that feels much more personal for all users, even those who like the current app just fine. The redesign makes it easier for Spotify to be a complete replacement for apps like iTunes, instead of just an additional service.