Role
Lead UX Designer
Team
Project Manager
Engineers
UX Designers
@2024
AstroFM is a music app I built from the ground up as part of a passion-driven entrepreneurial project. It reimagines how people connect with music by tapping into emotional and subconscious experiences. As lead designer, I drove the project from concept to launch.
My Role
Built The Design System
Mapped User Flows
Led Cognitive Walkthroughs
Ran Usability Tests
Design Wireframes & Hi-fi Designs For 3 Features
Conducted Market Research
Built Prototypes
My Impact
Led the UX design and launch the product in 3 months.
Conducted usability testing with 40 beta users, achieving a 92% satisfaction rate.
*Jessy Carter*
Emotionally reflective, uses music to process and feel seen
Recently went through a breakup and career shift
User Persona
Our Business Goals
1
Create and launch a music APP within 3 months.
2
Enhance music recommendations with contextual relevance.
3
Deliver highly personalized music recommendations and interactions.
4
Drive consistent daily engagement with the app.
To support Jessy Carter and align with our business goals, I made the following design decisions:
01
Personalize Music Through Astrology
I used users’ astrology charts to align music with their emotional energy, making each recommendation feel more personal, intuitive, and emotionally resonant.
02
Built a Design System
To accelerate design with reusable components, ensure visual alignment, and enable rapid iterations.
03
Conduct Iterative Design
I tested low-fi screens early on to quickly gather feedback and iterate, allowing us to move faster and stay agile.
04
Simplify Onboarding With Minimal Input
I minimized user input during onboarding by by keeping only what’s essential, making the process faster, lighter, and more inviting.
05
Contextualize Music Through Mood Input
I used mood as a context to refine recommendations to align music with how users feel each day.
06
Use Calendar to Build Routine and Connection
I designed the calendar to help users build a listening routine and reflect on their emotional journey, encouraging regular engagement and long-term connection with the app.
07
Encourage Identity Exploration on the Me Page
I included the astrology chart to support self-reflection, helping users see themselves in the music and deepen the emotional bonds with APP.
08
Finalize Design Through Usability Testing
I tested the design with a diverse group of users to make sure it resonated emotionally and functionally across different identities and experiences.
How do I know my decisions are successful?
Reduce Design Time
Cut design time from 50 (planned) to 36 days—boosting efficiency by
20%
Exposure To Diverse Music
All beta users said AstroFM helped them discover fresh, diverse music beyond their usual genres.
Music That Reflects Identity
All beta users felt the music and lyrics recommended by AstroFM resonated with their personal identity.
High Onboarding Retention
95%
of beta users completed and stayed through the onboarding process.
Combine Astrology & Music
What’s Missing in Music Streaming?
And How We Fill the Gap?
I conducted interviews to uncover gaps in current music apps and case studies to explore astrology-based algorithms, aiming to see how unique birth charts could help surface users’ subconscious music preferences.
1
User Research
We interviewed 20 individuals based in the US who each spend over 2 hours daily on music apps. Over 80% felt that current music recommendations could be improved, citing issues below:
Participants
Gender
65 %
Female
35 %
Male
Age
80 %
18 - 30 years old
20 %
31 - 55
Music Preference
35 %
Pop music
25 %
Hip Hop
20 %
Melogy
15 %
Other
Used App
Apple
Music
Spotify
Youtube
Music
Pandora
Pain Points with Music Recommendations
Lack of Contextual Relevance
Recommendations don’t always align with users’ current mood, activity, or environment.
40 %
Not Personalized
Only based on prior listening habits without understanding deeper, subconscious preferences.
22 %
Repetitiveness
The algorithms tend to focus too much on similar genres or artists, limiting the discovery.
12 %
Other
Lack of control on users’ side
Overshadow lesser-known music.
Homogenized listening experience.
6 %
2
Case Study
We conducted case studies with 5 people to compare the music preferences suggested by analyzing astrological charts with their actual musical types. This was done to validate the feasibility of astrology-based algorithms.
Our Theory
Astrology suggests that the positioning of planets in a birth chart can offer valuable insights into their behavior and subconscious tendencies, including their music preferences. By integrating this astrological information, we aim to enhance music recommendation algorithms and create a more personalized music experience.
Jake’s Birth Chart
1
2
3
4
5
(Birth chart screenshot from Co-star)
Jake’s Music Preference Analysis
1
Ascendant in Capricorn
grounded & practical
Timeless, mature music with a traditional feel.
2
Moon in Aquarius
unconventional emotional world
Unique, futuristic, or experimental music.
3
Mars in Leo
bold & energetic
Powerful, theatrical music which gives sense of pride.
4
Sun in Virgo
analytical & appreciation of detail
Well-structured music with clean production and intricate lyrics.
5
Venus in Libra
desire for harmony & balance
Music with poetic lyrics, meaningful stories, and an elegant touch.
Jake’s Actual Music Preference
Preferred music type
Indie Rock & Classic Rock
Alternative & Experimental
Singer-Songwriter
Favorite artists
The Beatles
Sufjan Stevens
Flying Lotus
Joni Mitchell
Favorite Songs
‘Blackbird’ - The Beatles
‘Everything in Its Right Place’ - Radiohead
‘Never Catch Me’ - Flying Lotus
‘The Night We Met’ - Lord Huron
Our Conclusion
The comparison of Jake’s music preference analysis with the Jake's actual preferences revealed a high correlation. This demonstrates that incorporating astrological data into music recommendations is a viable solution for current pain points in music recommendation.
3
Ideation
Playlist
How does it address user pain points?
By curating playlists that adapt to users’ moods and activities.
How does it support business goals?
By enhancing contextual relevance and creates a highly personalized experience.
Compose (in development)
How does it address user pain points?
By allowing individuality and creativity in music experiences.
How does it support business goals?
By delivering individualized interactions and encouraging personal engagement.
Calendar
How does it address user pain points?
Links music to specific memories, enhancing contextual relevance.
How does it support business goals?
Incentivizes daily use by encouraging users to check off each day on the calendar.
Me
How does it address user pain points?
Provides personalized insights into listening patterns and birth charts.
How does it support business goals?
Differentiates the app by emphasizing individuality.
Build A
Design System
How Might Design Make Users Feel Cosmically Connected?
I designed with a dark background and purple as the primary color to evoke a mysterious and cosmic atmosphere. I chose a clean sans-serif font to keep it approachable, and added reusable celestial and zodiac elements to strengthen the astrological feel.
Conduct Iterative Design
How Do We Design Fast Without Losing Sight of Users?
I ran cognitive walkthroughs with 16 users to quickly spot confusion points, improve clarity, so we can confidently move the screens to higher fidelity while staying user-focused.
1
Onboarding
1
New user tutorial
2
Log in method
3
Birth date input
4
Birth time input
5
Birth location input
6
Birth location search
7
Location confirm
8
Music genre select
Problem shown in user testing
5 users mentioned that:
The onboarding takes too long, making me lose interest in what's after login.
Solution
After consulting with engineers, we decided to access users' music preferences from their Spotify/Apple Music accounts and remove the page 8 to streamline the process.
2
Playlist Feature
Problem shown in user testing
12 users mentioned that:
“I find the quadrant chart too abstract; I’m not sure how to select my mood.”
The selection range is not reasonable
1
The icon is not clear
2
The mood is difficult to articulate.
3
Solution
We streamlined the mood selection by categorizing it into distinct emotions with adjustable intensity. Additionally, we merged the mood and context inputs into a single page to simplify the user experience.
3
Calendar Feature
1
Calendar(day)/
feature used
2
Calendar(month)/
feature used
3
Calendar(month)/
feature unused
4
Song
detail
4
Me Page
1
Me page
2
Upgrade purchase
3
Successful Purchase
4
Settings
Final Prototype In A Glance
How Do I Design with Purpose at Every Step?
I designed 45 high-fidelity pages in a month, making sure each feature delivered its core value and aligned with user goals to create a meaningful experience.
1
Onboarding
A reliable third-party login system to ensure efficient user authentication and data security.
Decision & Rationale 1
Streamline Onboarding to Keep Users Engaged
Third-party logins and minimal input make it quick to get started, reducing drop-off and keeping users in the flow.
Decision & Rationale 2
Earn Trust Through Clear Communication
We explain why birth data is needed and how it’s protected, helping users feel safe.
2
Playlist Feature - Mood Selection
A daily user input to enhance contextual relevance in music recommendations.
Decision & Rationale 1
Make Mood Selection the First Step
Mood selection comes first to ground the experience in how users feel, setting the stage for more emotionally relevant music.
Decision & Rationale 2
Allow Only One Entry per Day—but Keep It Flexible
Limiting to one mood per day encourages honest reflection without fatigue, while skip/return options respect user readiness.
Decision & Rationale 3
Use Mood to Drive Contextual Recommendations
Using mood enables more context-aware music that feels personal, and emotionally supportive.
Decision & Rationale 4
Offer Clear Mood Choices
Offering 10 clear moods makes selection easy. “Nothing specific” gives space for users who feel unsure—supporting honesty without pressure.
2
Playlist Feature - Playlist
An immersive and personalized exploration of music and its deeper relevance.
Decision & Rationale 1
Design Discovery as a Slower, Reflective Experience
Using individual cards instead of a playlist list slows down the interaction, encouraging users to engage with each song more.
Decision & Rationale 2
Build Curiosity with Symbolic Previews
Showing a planet and keywords before revealing the song creates emotional anticipation and adds narrative depth.
Decision & Rationale 3
Explain Recommendation Logic to Build Trust
“Why this song” offers insight into how the music connects to the user’s mood—making recommendations feel personal.
Decision & Rationale 2
Let Users Regenerate When Needed
The regenerate button lets users reject a playlist that doesn’t resonate, without needing to reset everything.
3
Calendar
Ritual-like interactions to encourage consistent listening routines
Decision & Rationale 1
Turn Listening History into Emotional Memory
The clickable calendar encourages users to revisit past moods and playlists. This deepens emotional investment and gives users a reason to return regularly—boosting retention.
Decision & Rationale 2
Let Users Reconnect with Music That Matteres
Giving users quick access to all liked songs makes it easy to reconnect with music that felt meaningful. This reinforces personal value and increases re-engagement with the app’s core content.
4
Me Page
A self exploration feature with highly customizable settings for personalized experiences.
Decision & Rationale 1
Visualize Identity Through Birth Chart
Including a birth chart summary helps users see themselves in the app, adding emotional depth and making the experience feel more personal.
Decision & Rationale 2
Birth-Based Setup with Editable Details
Auto-setting the username and avatar from birth info saves setup time, while allowing edits ensures users feel ownership over their identity.
Conduct Usability Tests
How Does Usability Testing Refine Design Decisions?
Over 2 weeks, I conducted usability tests with 40 users who had never interacted with AstroFM before. We ensured designs were tested with a diverse group to evaluate effectiveness in meeting varied needs.
Participants
Age
22 - 43
years old
Listening Hours
0.5 - 5.5
h / day
technological proficiency
Proficient
Knowledge in Astrology
Unfamiliar - Expert
What intrigue participants
The immersive celestial visual language
The experience of mood selection and card flipping
The intuitive navigation and simple linear process
What confuse participants
The loading time after mood selection, and before playlist is too long, taking 16-20 seconds.
The regenerate button in Playlist page is not clear and visible.
Solution 1
The loading time between mood selection and playlist takes approximately 16 to 20s.
To address this, we need to redesign the loading page to keep users entertained and motivated. We plan to include daily guidance for users, providing something engaging to read.
1
Telling users we are loading the page
2
Tell users what this page is about
3
Content that engages the users
4
Users can click to process to the next step
Solution 2
User feedback indicated that the regenerate button in the top-right corner was not visible enough and its purpose was unclear.
To address this, we redesigned the regenerate button as a card with explanatory text. After users flip through the three playlist cards, the regenerate card appears, providing two options to regenerate the playlist.
1
Combine text with regenerate button for more clarity
2
Tell users how many times left for them to regenerate
3
Make it into a card so users don't ignore it easily
Sakura Wang
©2025
Product & UX designer
Get In Touch
yixinwang.sakura@gmail.com
My Linkedin