Nova
Optimizing the User Experience
Team
- Carolina Araujo
- Hebah Haque
- Rocio Perez
- Prajas Kadepurkar (me)
Duration
3.5 months (Jun 2024 - Sep 2024)
My Role
- UX Design Intern
Background
Synth connection at your fingertips
The Nova is a MIDI controller designed from the ground up to push synthesizers to the next level. It gives musicians and producers expressive freedom typically found only in acoustic instruments.
Problem
The unclear direction
Despite its innovative design, Nova's success depends on understanding its audience and their needs. The challenge is to identify what users expect, uncover their pain points, and ensure Nova's features work well for both beginners and experienced musicians. Solving these issues is key to creating a product that connects with users and succeeds in the market.
Goals
To define target users and to drive further innovation
The main goals of this project were to better understand Nova's audience and their needs. By focusing on these goals, we aimed to gather useful insights to guide the design recommendations for both the current and future versions of Nova.
Identify Nova's Target Audience
Determine the core user groups most likely to benefit from and engage with Nova.
Understand Desired Features
Uncover the functionalities potential users want in an instrument like Nova.
Address User Challenges
Explore the pain points current users face in fully utilizing Nova's capabilities.
Enhance User Experience
Explore opportunities to expand Nova's functionality to better meet user needs.
Approach
Engaging Users to Shape Nova's Future
Open Sauce ShowcaseN = 80+ sessions
At the Open Sauce 2024 hardware convention, we conducted short usability sessions lasting 10-20 minutes. These sessions allowed participants to interact with Nova, providing valuable first impressions of the instrument. This hands-on engagement helped us gather immediate feedback on the design and functionality, as well as observe how users navigated the interface and interacted with the current features.
Open Sauce Participant SurveysN = 72 Responses
We also asked participants to fill out surveys to learn more about their needs and expectations. The surveys helped us understand what features people want in an instrument like Nova and gave us more detailed feedback. This information was key to figuring out who Nova's target audience might be and how to make it better for them.
Synchronous Usability SessionsN = 5 Users
With the identified target user types, we conducted hour-long, in-person usability sessions to explore deeper questions, such as how users validate their interest in the instrument.
Interviews with Current Nova UsersN = 3 Users
Simultaneously, we interviewed current users to uncover challenges they face in utilizing Nova's full potential, as well as the features they most value and those they hope to see in future versions.
Data Analysis and Design Recommendations
Insights from all these methods were analyzed and synthesized into actionable design recommendations for both the current and upcoming versions of Nova.
Finding #1
Target Audience Identification
Identifying Nova's target audience was the first step in shaping its design. By collecting feedback from a wide range of users at Open Sauce, we were able to pinpoint the main user types who would benefit the most from Nova. These insights led to the creation of user personas, helping us better understand the needs, goals, and challenges of our target audience.
Sam P. Ler
The Producer
Goals
- Push creative boundaries and experiment with unconventional sounds in their productions.
- Integrate the Nova seamlessly into their existing DAW workflow for both composition and sound design.
Pain Points
- Finds traditional MIDI controllers limiting in their expressiveness or feel overwhelmed by their complexity.
- Seek an instrument that bridges the gap between intuitive playability and deep sound design control.
Liv Keys
The Performer
Goals
- Elevate their live performances with an instrument that offers unique sounds, visual impact and dynamic control.
- Captivate audience with a visually engaging performance and a distinct musical style.
Pain Points
- Finds traditional instrument setups limiting in terms of sonic possibilites and visual impact.
- Seek an instrument that can act as a stand-alone performance tool or integrate seamlessly with their existing gear.
Finding #2
Feature Requests Matrix
To better understand the features that would resonate most with users, we created a Feature Requests Matrix. This matrix included both features generated based on user pain points and desires, as well as specific features directly requested by users during interviews and usability sessions. Each feature was ranked by user likeability, which allowed us to visualize which functionalities would have the greatest impact on improving the user experience. This helped prioritize the most valuable features for both current users and potential adopters, ensuring that design efforts were focused on what mattered most.
Results
Clear Insights and Clear Direction
We successfully identified Nova's target users and gained a clear understanding of their needs. Using the Feature Requests Matrix and design recommendations, we outlined a clear path to improve Nova's current experience and guide its future development.
Retrospective
Collaborating with the Leadership
This project gave me valuable experience working directly with executive leaders, including C-level executives. Collaborating with the CEO taught me how to balance product vision, business goals, and user needs. Through meetings, I gained confidence in presenting research findings and explaining complex ideas in a way the CEO could easily understand. This helped me create clear, actionable recommendations that aligned with both business goals and user needs. It also improved my ability to connect user-centered design with strategic decision-making.