Audio Personalisation App
Sony | Headphones Connect Redesign
Introduction
Sony Headphones Connect empowers users to personalise their Sony headphone experience, offering features like sound customisation, noise-cancelling adjustments, and adaptive audio settings. The app provides complete control over headphone performance, firmware updates, and audio presets, ensuring a tailored listening experience. The redesign focuses on enhancing the user interface, improving accessibility, and further Sony brand integration, making for a more intuitive, complete experience.
This redesign was completed prior to Sony’s rebranding of the app to Sony Connect.
Year
Timeline
Problem Space
The Sony Headphones Connect app, while feature-rich, is hindered by a cluttered interface and limited accessibility, making it difficult for users to customise their listening experience with ease. These issues detract from the app’s potential to provide seamless control and alignment with Sony’s reputation for innovation.
Secondary Research of Headphone Companion apps
Enhanced device control matters
“69% of customers say they are more likely to purchase from a brand that personalizes experiences, highlighting the importance of tailoring features to individual preferences.”
Deloitte Insights
Accessibility drives retention
“Apps with poor accessibility and convoluted navigation can lead to frustration, with 30% of users abandoning them altogether and seeking alternatives.”
Nielsen Norman Group
Personalisation boosts engagement
"A study by Localytics found that apps that are regularly updated see a 70% higher user satisfaction rate, demonstrating that timely improvements significantly boost user trust and engagement."
Localytics Blog
USER Reviews
User reviews from the App Store and Play Store revealed key insights from real user experiences, highlighting opportunities to refine the Sony Headphones Connect app for a more seamless and tailored experience.
“Painfully slow, annoying, constant notification”
Notifications and beeps for no apparent reason. Doesn't indicate what the issue is, just random beeps & the occasional'Bluetooth connected/ dosconnected“. Some useful notifications about battery life are ignored. Take it back to basics, please.
andy38-ash - App Store
“Doses not save settings”
App does not save headphone settings. On each use the app has reverted to default settings and require customisation again. Very frustrating app for a premium product
Qozm10nenfhvhfhd - App Store
“Still too complicated and clunky to find options”
Still too complicated and clunky to find options. Firmware upgrade process is awful: you need to disconnect to upgrade, disconnect,... there's nothing happening, connect, you need to disconnect to upgrade,... there's nothing happening, rinse and repeat. Amateurish stuff, Sony.
Simon Chambers - Play Store
“Very poorly designed app”
The words you use in this app aren't user friendly at all. You use acronyms I have to search up (just put what it means in brackets otherwise you're overly confusing). This app should be able to be used by everyone.
Hadiyah Q - App Store
“A more user-friendly design is required.”
These applications exhibit considerable complexity, with certain settings exhibiting unpredictable changes after a short period. A more user-friendly design is required. My used worst experience with sony connect app
Muhammad Saifullah - Play Store
Designing for Broad USers
To gain insights into user needs and challenges, a comprehensive user base persona was developed. This persona encapsulates the common themes and pain points identified across the general user base.
Experience Mapping
The user journey outlines the typical experience of using the Sony Headphones Connect app, focusing on key stages, user actions, and emotions. It identifies goals, frustrations, and areas where design improvements can enhance usability and satisfaction.
Task Map
TAsk MaP: Setting and selecting Audio profile
An audio profile involves personalising sound settings, tailored to match user preferences for different genres, environments or moods.
Wireframes
USER TEsting
User testing with five participants verified that the suggested changes to the initial designs effectively addressed issues that were not originally considered.
Before
Features Hidden
Users found it difficult to locate features as they were buried within the interface and required extensive scrolling.
After
New toggles and modals
A grid layout with quick action toggles was implemented, allowing users to easily access and toggle key features without unnecessary scrolling or navigation.
Before
Segmented Functionality
Related features were separated, causing confusion and making users feel like certain functionalities were hidden or difficult to find.
After
Dedicated Modals
Intricate features were grouped into dedicated modals, creating distinct spaces for them and logically correlating related functions. This improved accessibility and allowed for the inclusion of more features in a streamlined manner.
Design System
To be able to iterate on the existing prototype, a design system was created, including components with variants, colours, progress sliders and device mockups.
Connect Profiles
Explored
Looking beyond the current redesign, community-driven features were explored, including the ability for users to share and download personalised audio profiles. This fosters a sense of community while enhancing the app’s personalisation capabilities.
Users can select, edit, share, delete downloaded profiles and hide preset profiles.
Project Thoughts
From the start, the goal was to redesign the app to better serve user needs while maintaining Sony’s premium brand identity. Simplifying complex audio features without losing depth was the key challenge. Early testing revealed difficulties navigating between features, therefore adjustments like the introducing toggles and modals improved accessibility and reduce clutter.
User feedback highlighted the need for clear organisation, leading to dedicated modals for more detailed settings like the equaliser. This allowed for deeper customisation while keeping the main interface clean. Striking a balance between control and usability was challenging, but the final design enhances user engagement without overwhelming them.
