In 2022, I began working towards my UI Design certification through CareerFoundry. My very first project, this music app was designed with nostalgia at the forefront of design.
This ten-week project was the first time designing for user interface. The request is for an 80s-only music app with three functionalities (the ability to create a profile, search for new artists, and make a playlist), custom icons, and a branding style guide.
I reviewed closely two of the most popular music apps, Spotify and Soundcloud, to better understand their overall architecture, and based my design decisions on what the typical may already expect of a music app.
Other than the color scheme, the style of this app came together with a good bit of ease. I worked to create a look around neon lights on dark backgrounds. The icons art meant to emulate neon signs with bright hues and slight glow. The heading type choice was appropriately named “Neon 80s.”
I enjoyed creating neon sign-like icons, but found settling on a color scheme challenging. I encountered difficulty in creating a home screen layout, but ultimately simplified it and created something that fit the brief. Each stage of the project provided valuable lessons, such as considering the big picture during wireframing and choosing a suitable 80s-inspired font.
If and when I come back to this project, I would explore alternative color schemes popular in the 1980s and see how they might work for this app as well moving away from a pure black background (it can be a bit harsh on the eyes).
