Rebel Rebel: a case study on taking the opposite approach

Products we’re passionate about start by scratching an itch; we have a problem we want to solve. But with a marketplace crowded with options and the likelihood it’s been tried before, how do we approach it in a way that’s fresh enough to attract users?

In this case study, Hannah and Matt will share the thinking and process behind their product This Is My Jam, an unconventional approach to song sharing.

Learn about the benefits of (and techniques for) questioning established product and technical orthodoxy; the role style and trends play in product appeal; and victories as well as mistakes from the early days of prototyping Jam.

Transcript

1. Rebel Rebel Hannah Donovan & Matthew Ogle UX London 2013
2. HI! @han we are… & @flaneur
3. Product patterns Trend, anti-trend The story of Jam In this talk…
4. Product patterns Trend, anti-trend The story of Jam 1 2 3 In this talk… GO
5. There are two big problems in online music:
6. There are two big problems in online music: I want to listen to ‘my’ music – when, where and how I want Access * For varying definitions of ‘my’
7. There are two big problems in online music: I want to listen to ‘my’ music – when, where and how I want Access * For varying definitions of ‘my’ I need ‘new’ music Discovery and ‘new’
16. Access Discovery Music Startups by Primary Focus
17. Access Discovery Music Startups by Primary Focus 1998 Napster 2006 Last.fm Pandora YouTube 2004 MySpace 2010 + Turntable.fm Jam iTunes Match 2002 iTunes Store 2000 iPod 2008 Spotify GrooveShark
18. Access Discovery Music Startups by Primary Focus 1998 Napster 2006 Last.fm Pandora YouTube 2004 MySpace 2010 + Turntable.fm Jam iTunes Match 2002 iTunes Store 2000 iPod 2008 Spotify GrooveShark
19. Access & discovery are examples of 1st and 2nd order problems
20. Access & discovery are examples of 1st and 2nd order problems 1st order Infrastructure Tools Needs
21. Access & discovery are examples of 1st and 2nd order problems 1st order Infrastructure Tools Needs 2nd order Community Play Wants
22. Access & discovery are examples of 1st and 2nd order problems 1st order Infrastructure Tools Needs 2nd order Community Play Wants Government consensus Public gov.uk website
23. Access & discovery are examples of 1st and 2nd order problems 1st order Infrastructure Tools Needs 2nd order Community Play Wants Government consensus Public gov.uk website
24. Access & discovery are examples of 1st and 2nd order problems 1st order Infrastructure Tools Needs 2nd order Community Play Wants Government consensus Public gov.uk website Sodastream™
25. Access & discovery are examples of 1st and 2nd order problems 1st order Infrastructure Tools Needs 2nd order Community Play Wants Government consensus Public gov.uk website Clean tap water Sodastream™
26. 1 st or 2nd ? Both are important but require different strategies.
27. Find out as early as possible which type of problem you like working on. It will make you happier.
28. 1 st order products 2nd order Second order products usually require a stable first order product or system in their space first.
29. Access Discovery Music Startups by Primary Focus 1998 Napster iPod 2006 Spotify GrooveShark 2004 Last.fm Pandora YouTube 2010 Turntable.fm Jam iTunes Match 2002 MySpace 2000 2008
30. First order Second order Product Opportunities by Problem Type Infrastructure Tools Needs Community Play Wants
31. First order Second order Product Opportunities by Problem Type Infrastructure Tools Needs Community Play Wants Trends & taste matter more
32. New trends often emerge in opposition to previous ones.
33. New trends often emerge in opposition to previous ones. 70s
34. New trends often emerge in opposition to previous ones. 70s 80s
35. New trends often emerge in opposition to previous ones. 70s 80s 90s
36. New trends often emerge in opposition to previous ones. 70s 80s 90s 00s
37. New trends often emerge in opposition to previous ones. 70s 80s 90s 00s …and we wanted to make a new music discovery service 201 1 it was
38. We noticed: In 2011, music discovery apps were borrowing many trends from online culture in general. ✤ big data / algorithms ✤ social = real-time feeds, updated frequently ✤ more content = better; playlists as base unit ✤ “spreadsheet music”
39. Imagined Opposite ✤ 100% hand-picked ✤ Slow ✤ Less content; a song as base unit ✤ Visual culture of music; personal expression If you want to create something playful, a good exercise is to imagine the opposite. ✤ Big data / algorithms ✤ Fast (real time) ✤ More content; a playlist as base unit ✤ “spreadsheet music” 201 1 Status Quo
40. This Is My Jam 1 2
41. This Is My Jam 1 2
42. And we recently reached 1million jams shared (slowly and thoughtfully). Chris Thorpe @jaggeree @ThisIsMyJam is closest thing I've felt for a while to the John Peel show I remember from youth. You may not like all but discovery is key. 27 Jan 12 “Here’s the deal: you get one song at a time and that’s all you get. That’s your jam. Simple. I like it” “This is My Jam is part of a growing, and overdue, movement… fucking delightful”
43. It’s worked surprisingly well, but we’ve also grappled with mistakes along the way: Mobile native vs. web first? When is a constraint too much? How do you know the ‘first order’ infrastructure is reliable? ?
44. 1 2 3 Are you trying to solve a first or second order problem? Both are valuable but have different properties. How does that affect you? If you’re solving a second order problem, how does it interact with larger trends?
45. And imagine the OPPOSITE You might just create something new that meets emerging desires.