I could not remember the time when I had to download the music into my mp3 player about 10 years ago. There was a maximum storage place for the number of songs stored in the music player, usually, cap at 1000–1500 songs. However, the introduction of smartphones in late 2000 immediately rewrote the whole music history.
Spotify has become the top music streaming app in the world. I use the app every day no matter I am staying at home or commuting to work. It is even more desirable when I am hosting a home party and just randomly play some music in the background.
I will refer to the usability heuristics and measure the usability and accessibility of the Spotify app.
Learnability
When users choose a song they are interested to play, the song’s pop-up page is very easy to understand and users could immediately know where to tap and click even the very first time. The sliding motion of the play bar is mapped to how many seconds a song has been played. The lyrics right underneath the control are available which users do not have to search for them on search engines or another song app.
When users tab on the upper right-hand “More” icon, They could view the whole album and view the artist without searching again for related information.
Secondly, the user interface is consistent across the website and mobile app. Since I rely on my smartphone when I am moving around and listening to music, I seldom use the web player. I just managed to realize that the web player is available and so easy to use when I was working from home and my phone is away from me.
The CTA buttons are very consistent in design with signature green color. It allows users to follow the flow easily and perform the actions/tasks they need.
Efficiency
Before Spotify, I had to search and download the music first and then transfer the music to my device from the computer. It takes time for the music to sync and finally I could play the music on the music player. With Spotify, I just need to search the music on the search bar and then click “play”.
Memorability
The search history shows my browsing history. I could remember which song or singer I am interested in one second. The home screen also shows my recently played list.
Design for inclusion
The font size is very easy to read. The headline/titles are significantly bigger than the body text. The line height between songs is significant enough that I could easily choose the song from the playlists. The buttons and interactive elements are big enough to tap with short button text. The app uses high contrast color combination- black and green.
