AI Experiences at Earbuds: Elevating User Engagement
Project
Earbuds | AI Experiences
Role
Product Design | Ideation, Design, Research, Testing, Prompt Engineering, Coordination, Bug Testing
Team
Me, co-designer Pania, and a team of 4 engineers.
Tools
Figma, Figjam, Illustrator, Notion, Zeplin, ChatGPT, Instabug, AmbassCo, Notion
Summary
With our runway getting shorter, we needed to attract investors and address low retention rates. Focused on social group features, our app allowed users to share music and chat with friends but lacked engaging solo activities. With AI as a leading trend, we created three AI-driven experiences under the Earbot umbrella—our AI music chatbot. The new features, Swipey, Dreamer, and Nostalgia, transformed user engagement and retention.
▴
15
%
Daily Active Users
▴
20
%
Playlist Creation
▴
12
%
User Retention
The Problem
Faced with resource limitations, project feasibility concerns, and time constraints, Earbuds needed a new strategy to retain users and expand its user base. Extensive user research revealed a growing demand for standalone features, highlighting the potential of AI integration.
Process
To bring these AI experiences to life, my co-designer and I collaborated closely with our engineers, ensuring involvement in every aspect of the project. Starting with ideation and brainstorming, we generated and sketched concepts to explore AI’s potential in enhancing user interaction. Continuous user interviews guided our design decisions, while we refined AI prompts for Earbot to ensure engaging responses. We rigorously tested for bugs, held regular meetings with engineers to brainstorm solutions, and created detailed user flows and prototypes. Our hands-on approach ensured the AI-driven experiences were innovative, user-friendly, and aligned with business goals.
Goals
- The primary objective was to develop three distinct AI-driven experiences to boost user engagement and retention. These features aimed to make music discovery fun and engaging
- Leverage AI and align with current market trends
- Attract VC Funding
Constraints
- Limited resources with only one engineer per experience, requiring efficient workload management
- Tight timelines requiring rapid design and prioritization of essential features over nice-to-haves.
- User interviews falling through
- Technical issues leading to compromises for timely delivery.
Solution
We developed three engaging experiences:
- Swipey: A “Tinder for music” feature where users swipe right for songs they like and left for those they don’t. AI then creates personalized playlists.
- Nostalgia: An AI-generated playlist based on the user’s chosen genre and year, offering a delightful trip down memory lane.
- Dreamer: A mood-based playlist creation tool, where AI matches music to the user’s current vibe.
Results & Impact
To evaluate the impact of the new AI experiences, we implemented a small-scale user testing phase over a month. The results demonstrate the positive impact of our AI-driven features on user engagement and retention, providing a robust foundation for further development and optimization.
0
%
Daily Active Users
Users interacted with the new AI features, returning more frequently.
0
%
Session Duration
Users spent more time exploring AI experiences.
0
%
User Retention
Users returned to the app within a week after trying the new features.
0
%
Positive Feedback
Surveyed users found the AI experiences enjoyable and engaging, particularly highlighting the Swipey and Nostalgia features as standout elements.
0
%
Playlist Creation
The number of playlists created through the app increased, reflecting heightened user activity and interaction with the app’s core functionality.
What's Next...
Post-launch, we planned to tackle playlist loading issues and expand our AI experiences to a web platform to increase app downloads. We also aimed to promote the app through new social features, encouraging sharing and boosting engagement. Continuous improvements and user feedback integration were key to enhancing these experiences further.
/Fin
This project was a true team effort, with my co-designer and I handling a wide range of responsibilities, from user research and product decisions to prototyping, bug testing, and marketing. It emphasized the importance of adaptability, time management, teamwork, and prioritization. Despite tight deadlines and a small team, we delivered features that met both user needs and business goals. The experience taught me to make tough decisions under pressure and reinforced the value of being flexible and decisive in a fast-paced environment.
