Human Factors Evaluation of Spotify Music App: A Usability Report

Desklib provides past papers and solved assignments for students. This report evaluates Spotify's usability.

HUMAN FACTOR ASSIGNMENT 1

Contents
The interactive system & its users.........................................................................................................3
The Use cases........................................................................................................................................4
The Usability requirements....................................................................................................................7
The evaluation methodology.................................................................................................................9
The evaluation.....................................................................................................................................11
References...........................................................................................................................................18
Appendix.............................................................................................................................................20

List of figures
Figure 1: use case of Spotify app...........................................................................................................4
Figure 2: Visibility of system status image..........................................................................................11
Figure 3: Match between the system & the real world image..........................................................12
Figure 4: Recognition rather than recall image....................................................................................13
Figure 5: Flexibility & efficiency of use image...................................................................................14
Figure 6: Aesthetic & minimalist design.............................................................................................15
List of table
Table 1: Description of actors table.......................................................................................................5

The interactive system & its users
The Spotify is the interactive system which is the digital app of music, service for streaming
video & podcast that will provide the access to the billions of songs at one place & the
contents from the artists from worldwide. This is the music app which provides songs free
totally, if want all over the songs, require to upgrade it to Premium Spotify (De, 2018). Other
ways are, select the song or album on the browser & search it, may get the recommendation
from the feature of personalized like the release of radar, weekly discover & mix daily,
Develop the music collections, Watch or track what artist & friends are listening & develop
own station of radio. In Spotify, follow the brands, friends & celebrities & also see the “who
is following?” It also provides the library in which add the favourite songs & check out the
following users. Spotify is a very flexible music app which is introduced in India in 2019.
This music app is available on many devices like computers, tablets, cars, speakers, TV’s &
phones. It has one additional feature, easy to transition by Spotify connect as from one to
another. Its service is streaming only (Skog, 2018). Spotify, it is very easy to search the music
at any moment on the device like tablet, phone & computer. It has the number of tracks on
the Spotify so, if anyone is partying, working & relaxing, it simple to find the music on
fingertips. Also browse the music from the artist, celebrities & friends(Man, 2016).

The Use cases
Figure 1: use case of the Spotify app

Table 1: Description of actors table
Actors Description
Administrator Administrator in the Spotify, will manage the
libraries, delete the playlist that is already
created, create the playlist of the favourite
songs & delete the user from the account.
Basically, this will provide the facility to the
customer which is has been created their
account or who does not have. The admin
which update all the playlist according to the
latest & old. Also may provide some kind of
the subscription to the customer who is
visited many times on the Spotify. And
update about the new album or songs by
adding the songs. Admin can add artist &
genres also.
Free customers The customers that do not have the pack &
do not have register have many facilities like
browse catalogue as select the song
according to their choice, & also recommend
the song, make their own playlist, & like the
songs. Listening to the radio that is available
on the Spotify. In this free customers can add
the songs & make a playlist for one month or
more. But it is limited as compared to the
premium customers. This will limit some
services that are available for premium
customers. They also manage the account
like manage the profile, login & register
themselves on the app (Walder, 2018).
Premium Customer The customers that have the premium pack or
subscription may have all the services
available like they manage the accounts by

managing the profile, by login & by
registering on the Spotify. The premium
customer also listens to the radio, use the
features of the premium like by adding the
free songs, offline playing the songs, also
play in mobiles & browse the catalogue by
selecting song & recommendation the song &
share it friends, & relatives. By checking,
who are following their profile & liking the
songs. They will also follow the artist &
celebrities (Caraway, 2017).

The Usability requirements
1) App opening – The Spotify app which has led image display, opts the very visual &
focuses on the images & icons to attract the customers. The screen of the Spotify includes
the Home page, Browse page, search box, Radio & the library. It draws the attention of
the customer towards the particular features. It is easy to find the music without
navigating the menu footer. The design of the app is sleek; it will attract the customer
because of its GUI components used for designing the Home page. The Spotify app is
clever in terms of the approach by having all tabs in the Home page that enables the
customer to search the lots of contents without opening any other tab.
The design of the Spotify also helps in makes the sideways by swiping. In every feature
of the slide provider with the genres & playlist that is curated. It will easy to visit the page
that is “made for you” as it is the home page. This page host the playlist & mixes depend
on the choice of the customer so, will be easily accessing them on the Spotify app.
The most effective is machine learning. It also contains the cool features & interesting
that add up the value for the lovers of music like “concert near you” which helps them by
providing the upcoming list of gigs that is dependent on the artist that like by the
customer.
2) Browser- The browser in the bottom of the page which is then used by the customer as an
opportunity to properly clear what the customer searching. It maintains the visual
approach on the top of the page as the personalised playlist like “Happy Sunday”. It has a
very nice touch, grows the expectation of the customer. At the bottom there is the slider
which contains the 6 different filters for the customer so, the customer may select the
filter according to them for listening to the music.
The customer has in control for what they need to consume at the time of browsing. The
is the added touch is the app that discovers which is quickly piques the interest of the
customer to encourage the further app. This app greets the many genres & moods of
various range of 36 genres, moods & activities. The Spotify provides the 36 genres &
moods on the single page as a comparison to other apps.
This app provides the customer with the flexibility to browse from anywhere in the app &
also gives many options to select the artist, song according to their choice. The main
reason it has 36 genres & moods on the same page, it will provide a flexible environment.

3) Radio – The radio in the app of Spotify is free of the cost & easy to access by the
customer as they may select any station to listen to the song & it is comfortable to
navigate in the Spotify app from one page to other.
The customer may select any music & recommend more songs according to their choice.
The page of the radio is flexible & easy to understand as it does not have many complex
features. It shows the song that the customer is currently listening & the customer
recently played in their playlist. According to the previous playlist of the customer, it will
recommend. As this page of the app is not contain too much of the design, it has a simple
& easy design. The customer may feel flexibility & easy to navigate on other features.
4) Search- the search is the most effective way to find the music of the choice of customer
& this feature claims that all the world songs on the fingertips. Now a day a new feature
is used to search by voice search, it is the most useful feature as the customer does not
need to write the name of the music or artist. It just by voice the assistant can understand
the music searched.
The Spotify function of the search is very intuitive & predictive. As the customer write
the letter the result display straight away & it is true to make there the visual stimulus it is
in the form of the cover of the playlist & the picture of the artist. This feature provides
customer flexibility & easy to understand.
5) Closing the app- The app will always be changing & have the up streaming services that
are produced to provide the customer with the ease & delightful experience at the time of
using the Spotify. The Spotify provides much functionalities & features that give
flexibility to the customers.
Spotify is the most intuitive features that are liked by the customer easily. It is the major
music player that is streaming in the world. As the interface used by this app is great & it
provides the customer with the feature of GUI. The major feature of this app is to easily
navigate from one page to another without having any disturbance & complexity. It
provides all the features in the single page so, it easy for customers to search for anything
& easy to understand as of its simplicity.

The evaluation methodology
1) Visibility of system status – The speed of the internet is very common for Spotify
customers, but sometime it will happen when the internet was capped or it is slow. It will
affect the rate of the streaming of the Spotify & affect the music to got glitch. At the time
of slow internet, the Spotify do not display any buffering sign on the screen & also not
stop the music. But it will stop & start at the same time as the customer is not aware of
the fact of internet stalling the music stream; it feels like it freezing up itself (Forsgren,
2015).
2) Match between the system & the real world- The layout of the system is the same as
another player of the music & it is utilising in the same manner. It will use the languages
that are similar to an email, & website of social media like ‘follow’, ‘starred’, ‘inbox’ &
‘trending’. It utilises the colloquialisms such as “queue playlist” & “what’s new” to help
the customers to search the music & for system navigation. It uses the language that the
customer is familiar with. As there is no need to ask or consult for using the app.
Another additional feature is it does not work is repeat & shuffle buttons. It is commonly
used in different music apps that allow the customer to control automatically, how much
time & what to play. The button of the shuffle works great & the repeat is the control
standard feature of the device of playing music. & will not use as one of this is
frustrating.
3) Recognition rather than recall- As the layout of the system this is the same as the
various app of music. It is very easy for the customers who are already familiar with the
windows & the iTunes player of media too easily understand how to utilise the Spotify
easily. The Spotify app has a similar User interface as like other apps but has some
incremented functionality. The bar displays the labelled clearly at the top of the window
& twice click on the music will begin the playing as it is very standard.
4) Flexibility & efficiency of use- The app offers the 3 tiers access for their customers as it
has free, premium & unlimited. The subscription that is free just required to the customer
to signup & downloads the app of Spotify on their system or device. From that, they will
be easy & listen to numerous songs or music on their devices like laptop & computer. The
premium pack, allows the customer to listen to the music on any device ad-free like
phones, laptop, tablets & computer. It also provides additional functionality like customer
may listen to the songs in offline mode with $ 11.99 monthly.

5) Aesthetic & minimalist design- when utilising the app of Spotify typically that have a
layout of three columns. The first column, for the main control window, the feature of the
main window is music & the artist page and the column third alternates among the social
media & the place of ads. The alternative ads among the column third, & the bar of the
bottom. But it is seldom interferences by utilising the app itself. The Spotify is easy for
use & it is intuitive incredibly that offers the customer the experienced by using the music
player (Lee, 2016).

The evaluation
1) Visibility of system status
Figure 2: Visibility of system status image
It is the application that successfully keeps the customer well informed of any kind of
condition of the function that is more active. It will affect the rate of the streaming of the
Spotify & affect the music to got glitch. The Spotify do this by browsing continue to the app
for the music & albums while showing the timeline of the song for the song that is playing
currently.
The Spotify of the premium also permits the customer to listen to the songs on the separate
system & secondary device used to control. At the time of slow net, the Spotify do not
display any buffering sign on the screen & also not stop the music. In this app, the music
playing on the version of the desktop of the Spotify is “Bertha”. The customer plays the song,
change the song, pause the song & volume by the app on the mobile.
Status of music