Want to make Discogs vinyl specific as there are so many problems users have experienced specifically from this website so this is where I am taking forward my inspiration from to create a completely new interface for a vinyl marketplace made more tailored to the target audiences buying/selling/searching user experience
-emphasis on the emotions/experience buyers and sellers have about vinyl as it is a specific analog trend that has come back, and using record stores and the website
-try and input aesthetic experience of those who prefer record stores and the anticipation of finding a vinyl they feel (need to speak to record store goers to get the other side to try and tie in with the new user interface)
SWOT
Strengths of Discogs-can see buyer ratings, strong trust in the community, can filter specifications, can buy/sell,updated regularly, seller ratings,
Weaknesses of Discogs-'time consuming', becoming less reliable, 'unecessary' interface evolution,doesn't include tax in price, clunky interface,
Opportunities of Discogs- to invest, make money, find the missing vinyl of your collection,
Threats- people diverted away due to confusing interface first time users, vinyl buyers preferring the record store experience due to vibrancy and love of not knowing what theyre getting,
Motivation-search for or upload vinyls for sale, invest in vinyls that will increase in value, collect, collection is expression of your character,
Goal- to purchase or sell desired vinyl
Positives of record stores- workers are (usually) happy to chat, you can listen to the vinyl, discovery, excitement, clutter, artwork everywhere, colourful,discoveries, split in to categories
Negatives of record stores- don't always have what you want, a lot of clutter to get through
Discogs statistics-
Personas of vinyl buyers-large age range, international (12 different currencies)
male student building up collection
middle aged record store business owner
classics fan and collector of different versions/presses
dj who makes a living mixing passionate about specific genres
teenage daughter buying for parent
-the fact it has an international user experience will inform the interface design process to be clear and direct without any connotations to specific countries popularities. using record stores as an input would be useful as these are placed internationally and are a shared experience, as is the passion for music.
-is used by businesses making it an essential, however to buyers is more of a luxury opportunity to buy and sell vinyls in various conditions to save money and earn money and obtain the hard to find vinyls that would be very frustrating to find in record stores in most cases due to huge stacks. this interface is used more specifically for those who know what they want, but a wishlist notification or recommendations tie back to the experience of going to a record store so this will be included
Information needed-homepage which can show recommendations based on previous interaction displayed incase you don't know where to begin and a login that remembers you for ease of experience, buying page with search engine to find vinyls with a distinct filter of condition/rating of seller/country it is in(which would impact shipping cost), selling page with your uploads with options to revise etc, genres page if you don't know what you are looking for but know what style which can involve soundtracks to dubstep, history section, notifications input for wishlists and when they become available for sale with your filters and specifications you get an email/app notification, artists page to browse their vinyls and related artists on the side such as spotify has, people also bought feature, help page for first time users who are not familiar, however I aim to make this interface as simple to navigate as possible and much less cluttered than the existing examples such as discogs and musicstack
What makes this better- is an opportunity to group all vinyl buyers and sellers wether they prefer stores or not, taking to one place where they can find the particular vinyl they want without having to sort through mass ammounts of stacks and at possibly a bargain price or having the opportunity to buy a sold out limited vinyl or a present they can't find between various record stores. allows the user to search specifically for what they want through artist pages, genres, condition, in their currency, finding the nearest to them, and for them to be notified when a vinyl on their wishlist becomes available. Within research asking a user of Discogs and a curator of an exhibition specifically on record stores, he said Discogs marketplace needed to be a larger feature of the site, and now this will be larger and catered specifically to the broad target audience in one place.
Need to ask for research:
Why do these people buy vinyl over cd's or mp3?
Overall feedback was that vinyls sound better and they are an investment, and owning vinyl has a true ownership compared to digital mp3s or cds. Also, those asked working at record stores in Leeds all agreed a vinyl collection is a reflection of who you are.
What could be adjusted to make the interface more engaging and easier to use for the purpose of buying/selling/searching vinyl?
Less clunky, a way to randomize vinyl like in the shops to keep the excitement and discovery, more simple and less time consuming to search.
Favourite part of the analog experience of collecting and playing vinyl, how could I incorporate this digitally to enhance user experience and bring the two audiences in?
Ownership of the vinyl and finding hidden gems in record stores, can recreate this with vinyl randomizer, and also quick and easy searching with preview player and larger artwork, more visual like the stores compared to Discogs marketplace.
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