Background
Group project undertaken as part of a masters course, focused on developing an innovative solution to enhance social interactions through a shared musical experience.
In our Interaction Design Methodology course, we undertook a group project that we named "Soundscape," inspired by the "Social Gothenburg" theme. Our goal was to enhance the integration of newcomers in Gothenburg by leveraging the universal language of music. Recognising the potential of music to bridge cultural and social divides, we set out to develop an innovative musical Augmented Reality tool. "Soundscape" is designed to facilitate social interactions among city residents, encouraging them to connect through shared musical interests. By creating a user-friendly AR interface, our project aimed not only to improve social connections but also to make these interactions more engaging and accessible for individuals looking to broaden their social circles within the city.
Project specification
Duration: 9 Weeks
Tools:
- Figma
- Unity
Research
The research phase focused on investigating the social challenges faced by newcomers, aiming to understand how these challenges could be addressed
Empirical Evaluation
To understand the social dynamics and challenges faced by international students and newcomers, we conducted interviews, focusing on their experiences with local integration, social barriers, and digital platforms for socialization. This qualitative approach provided deep insights into the users' needs and preferences.
Thematic analysis
Following the interviews, we conducted a thematic analysis to identify recurring themes and patterns in the data. We also conducted an Importance/Feasibility Matrix and a KJ Analysis to efficiently identify and prioritize the challenges faced by newcomers. These methods allowed us to focus on significant issues that were also feasible to address, ensuring our project was both impactful and practical.
Findings and themes
We analyzed feedback from our research to identify key user preferences and challenges.
Difficulty in Finding Shared Interests: Newcomers struggle to find and connect with individuals or groups that share similar interests, particularly in a new and unfamiliar environment. This challenge is compounded by the lack of targeted tools or platforms that can bridge individuals based on common interests, such as music, which transcends cultural and linguistic boundaries.
Universal Appeal of Music: Music emerged as a significant and universally appealing medium for connecting people. Shared musical interests have the potential to foster connections across cultural and linguistic divides, making it an ideal basis for enhancing social interactions among newcomers.
Need for an Immersive Experience: Participants expressed a desire for more immersive and engaging platforms that could facilitate social interactions in a more natural and intuitive manner.
Social Interaction Challenges: The research highlighted that newcomers are eager to socialize and integrate into their new environment but often lack the means or the confidence to initiate interactions. Tools that can lower the barriers to initiating social contact and provide a non-threatening platform for engagement were seen as highly beneficial.
ideation
Our team brainstormed creative solutions, turning research insights into practical ideas for the app.
The ideation process began with brainstorming sessions, where we evaluated various concepts to address the identified challenges. The decision to focus on a music-sharing application stemmed from music's ability to transcend cultural differences and foster emotional connections.
The concept revolves around an AR app designed for use with AR goggles, displaying a bubble over individuals' heads to reveal the music they're listening to, enabling users to see and interact with them based on shared musical interests.
We developed low-fidelity prototypes to visualize and test our concept, followed by higher-fidelity prototyping in Figma to refine the design and user experience. This iterative process focused on enhancing user social interaction and refining the interface based on user feedback.
Story board
To visually present our concept and get a grasp of how users can interact with it and how it can help break down social barriers, we also created a storyboard.
Evaluation
We conducted hands-on sessions with target users to evaluate the app's usability and effectiveness.
The evaluation aimed to gather insights on the usability, appeal, and potential impact of our AR- music-sharing concept on fostering social interactions.
User testing approach: Our user testing was structured around interactive sessions where participants engaged with our low-fidelity paper prototypes. These prototypes outlined the core features of our music-sharing application, including music discovery, social interaction cues, and the AR interface. By simulating the user journey through various scenarios, we aimed to capture authentic user reactions and feedback.
Feedback collection: Feedback was collected through a combination of observational notes, direct participant comments, and structured interviews following the interactive sessions.
Prototyping
We developed a high-fidelity prototype of the app to closely simulate the final user experience for further user tests.
Our iterative design process led to the creation of a high-fidelity prototype, refined through feedback from initial user tests. Our idea for the final product was that it would be deployed on an AR-headset so we tried to create a suitable improved prototype for user testing.
The prototype, developed in Figma and later translated into a Unity-based AR app, introduced features like "Notes to the Song" and "Jam Session" to encourage users to initiate social interactions. It also included sounds and music to further immerse the user during the tests.
The AR app, deployed on an iPad, allowed users to experience an augmented reality where UI elements were superimposed over real-world settings, enhancing immersion and social connection potential. The user could then interact with the UI by using the touchscreen on the ipad.
Final concept
Our final design transforms social interactions in Gothenburg with an AR-tool that connects people via musical tastes.
Through intuitive features like "Notes to the Song," "Thought Bubbles," and "Jam Sessions," Soundscape invites users to leave digital footprints in a shared musical universe, encouraging spontaneous social encounters. Envisioned for future integration with augmented reality glasses, Soundscape stands at the threshold of transforming public spaces into arenas of musical discovery and connection, paving the way for a socially cohesive Gothenburg.
Album showcase
This feature shows the album cover, song name, and artist’s name that another user is currently listening to.
Musical compatability
This icon allows users to instantly see how their musical tastes align with others, displayed as a percentage of compatibility.
Listen together
This feature invites users to join a shared listening session, bridging physical distances and creating a sense of togetherness and shared experience
Interactive emojis
Users can choose from a variety of emojis to convey feelings like joy, sadness, excitement, or appreciation.
Thought bubbles
Allows users to leave personal comments or thoughts on the song currently playing.
Jam session
Enables one user to act as a DJ and control the music stream, with others able to join the session and listen together in real-time.
Viewing musical compability
By comparing musical tastes, users can discover common ground with others, fostering a sense of connection and opening up avenues for deeper discussions about music and related interests.
Friend request
After engaging with others through music, comments, or jam sessions, users have the option to send a friend request,
Explore peoples profiles
By simply engaging with the bubble displaying what someone is listening to, users can access the individual's profile. This profile showcases their musical preferences, including favorite genres, artists, and tracks, along with personal achievements in the app.
Gifting playlists
Gifting playlists allows users to curate and share a selection of songs with someone else.
Outcome
The finalized Soundscape app successfully addresses the initial challenge of using music to connect newcomers and locals.
The development journey of the Soundscape AR app resulted in a high-fidelity prototype that embodies our vision of enhancing social interactions through music in an augmented reality setting. User testing of the AR app provided valuable insights, affirming the prototype's usability and effectiveness in fostering genuine social connections. Participants praised the immersive AR experience and the authentic interactions it facilitated, underscoring the app's potential as a novel platform for social engagement.
Conclusion
Reflecting on the project, we recognize the potential of AR in creating meaningful social interactions.
Despite the simplicity necessitated by current limitations, the positive reception and feedback point towards a promising direction for future improvements. The Soundscape project served as an invaluable learning experience, enhancing our understanding of creative prototyping and the critical role of iteration, especially when dealing with future technologies like augmented reality. This project underscored the importance of adapting our prototyping techniques to accommodate the unique demands and possibilities of emerging technologies.
