Quick Web App Update
Development on revisions to the web app has been a bit slow recently since the pandemic due to increased workload and even other life events for JAMS main dev, Nick. I also have an increased work load but I try to keep abreast here and no matter what I’m doing, there is always a concurrent thread in my mind thinking of some aspect of JAMS. Feels a bit like an obsession at times. 
Though slow, some progress is being made and if things start heating up for the API and the network is seeming far more stable, I will do what I can to attempt to get up to speed.
Onto The (Hopefully) Good Stuff!
As I mentioned there are always some irons in the fire and prototyping on
Figma has recently been one of them. I don’t quite yet have a full understanding of how to get interactive components working of sliders, buttons, etc but that is likely just a couple YouTube videos and some head scratching away. Once I have something concrete then it will be onto next steps.
Currently I have quite a few flows mocked up in a different, not so pretty initial design… attempt, but many remain. The main purpose was to get a better understanding of how to design at all, then get grasp on prototyping with some interactivity while seeing how to design the web apps features and future features in mobile form. The current focus is to work on a redesign that is easier on the eyes.
Hopefully both web and mobile will provide a modern feel, be comfortable and familiar but also unique with an aim at simplicity, though there will be some fumbling along the way.
That is where I would like to present three color options, with the caveat that one of the darker options could be a Dark Mode perhaps by default or vice versa with the colorful option.
Brightly Colored
Darkly Colored (left) and a “Dark Mode” (right).
- Brightly Colored
- Darkly Colored
- Dark Mode
0 voters
Feedback appreciated.
Now for some Giffy goodness.
A couple short and simple representations of the few semi interactive flows in the brightly colored redesign I have. These are some of the pages you would interact with most if you are a more passive user but there are others for those looking to create public, or collaborative Playlists or Stations, pages where you see which are published or not, and flows for adding, removing, reordering when building a Playlist or Station. Much to be done!
Home
(sorry for speed, 4Mb Gif limit)
Search
Library
Player
(That coin stack icon is a Tip button 
)
Artist Page
Note: I would have liked to share a complete seamless video but there is a limit to the size of Gifs and a pain to get just right.
Edit:
A Different Design Choice
I should go over one of the more obvious design differences between what I’ve currently mocked up compared to other music/streaming apps, the use of “Cards” to organize different categories or sub categories.
It is more akin to folders and sub folders on a computer in a sense but the main intention to me was to reduce the sensory overload that I personally experience in other music apps like Apple Music or Spotify.
Though they have great designs in many respects I always find myself either not knowing exactly how to get the most out of the app, feeling overwhelmed or influenced by a whole page of album art and often influenced by what is familiar whether it be an album I recognize or just picking the “Liked Songs” playlist that I know I can enjoy. (The daily mixes on Spotify rarely appease me but Apples curator’s hit the nail on the head more often than not, which is noted 
)
So the question I’m hoping to answer is,
if a user isn’t simultaneously bombarded with so much visual and textual stimuli, will they have a more clear minded and intentional experience?
I think perhaps so.
I don’t have these mocked up yet but when you were to click on one of the Cards under say the Discover category, you would see all the typical album art and so on but it would all be completely relevant to that sub category (Card) you navigate to.
That’s it for now
Let me know what you think of the direction and design so far. 
