Case Study Content
As both a musician and researcher, I wanted to understand how young adults discover and engage with music content online. I noticed that small musicians struggle to reach their audience because platform designs make it difficult to understand what users actually want. After reviewing creator resources and user opinions, I hypothesized that the conventional social media design could be improved to support music discovery.
I began with two user surveys to collect general opinions about social media and music content. Based on these findings, I identified potential design issues that influenced my next studies. I conducted additional surveys, tested a Figma prototype of an Instagram redesign, observed how livestreamers grow their audiences in a multiplayer game, and used my own social media accounts to test content creation strategies.
Throughout the process, I met regularly with my research mentor to ensure my methodology was effective and professional. With the data and feedback I obtained, I defined requirements for a new social media platform and created multiple Figma mockups exploring possible modifications and features.
I documented my research and design process in a 91-page thesis for my undergraduate degree. I presented my findings at multiple expos, and my poster was selected as an educational resource for the undergraduate computer science honors program. Additionally, I applied my findings to my own content creation, growing my audience by 500+ followers.
