Beats Music for iPhone first time user experience
The good bits:
- Beats Music learns about the user’s music preferences through a highly interactive music taste selector, after he signs up for an account. The explicit customization comes in 2 steps: first, the user selects the music genres he likes and hates; then, he gets to choose specific artists he likes or hates from those genres. The interface for this selection is fluid and more artists can be populated at any time. During the process, the user can clearly see at the top of the screen how many more selections he has to make in order to finish building his taste profile.
- Thanks to this bit of customization, the new user immediately sees content that is relevant to him. This personal focus helps ensure engagement and attention.
- The app then introduces the new user to various sections through the use of inline cues and hints.
To be improved:
- Although Beats advertises a 14 day free trial, it is not truly free. The user still needs to create an account to make use of it. Beats should consider that information is a form of currency, and that it is asking for the new user to entrust the app with his information before he’s been given any value. It is especially misleading that the button labelled “Get started” opens up a panel with icons representing registration options. The app could consider providing the 14 day free trial to those even without an account required, and should make it clear why an account is needed to customize music tastes.