Spotify Usability Test
Usability Testing Class
Overview
This project was completed as part of my Usability Testing class. While Spotify did not request this research, the study was conducted with real users to gain valuable insights into how new users interact with the platform. These findings and recommendations are based on genuine usability testing and could be applied to improve the product experience
Method
Usability Testing
Pre & Post Test Evaluation
Think Aloud Protocol
System Usability Scale
Timeline
4 weeks
Role
Usability Tester
UX Researcher
Team
Thanacha Thamma
Kristina Munroe
Amelia Horstman
Mason Whisler
Why Spotify?
Spotify is one of the most popular music streaming platforms, offering millions of songs across multiple devices. Given its widespread use among college students, this study focused on first-time users to understand how they navigate and discover features within the app.
Our Goals
The main goal of this research was to analyze the experience of new users on Spotify, identify usability challenges, and suggest improvements. We specifically looked at:
How first-time users interact with key features
Any confusion or roadblocks in navigation
Differences in user experience across mobile and desktop
Areas where Spotify could improve onboarding for new users
Testing Approach
Participants
To keep the study relevant, we recruited college students at Kennesaw State University who had little or no experience using Spotify. Since they were digital natives, they were already familiar with other music streaming platforms, making their transition to Spotify an interesting test case.
Number of Participants: 5
Devices Tested: iPhone & MacBook
Task Complexity: Simple to moderately difficult tasks
Scenario: “Imagine you are a college student who has just installed Spotify for the first time. You want to explore its features, particularly those exclusive to a premium subscription.”
One of the user we tested
Methodology
Our goal was to evaluate how first-time Spotify users navigate and interact with the platform. To recruit participants, we visited the Architecture Building at Kennesaw State University, offering $10 Starbucks gift cards as an incentive. After confirming five participants, we conducted moderated usability testing on both mobile (iPhone) and desktop (MacBook) versions of Spotify.
To structure our evaluation, we used four key research methods:
Pre-Test Evaluation – Gathered background information on participants' familiarity with music streaming services, including their experience with platforms like Spotify.
Think-Aloud Protocol (TAP) – Participants verbalized their thoughts while navigating Spotify, allowing us to capture real-time insights on usability challenges and expectations.
Post-Test Evaluation – A questionnaire assessing participants’ overall experience, challenges, and enjoyment, helping us determine whether first-time users would consider adopting the platform.
System Usability Scale (S.U.S.) – A standardized 10-question survey that provided a quantifiable usability score (0-100) based on ease of use, consistency, and overall usability.
This structured approach helped us identify key usability pain points and gather both qualitative and quantitative data to assess Spotify’s experience for new users.
Another user we tested
Testing Process & Key Observation
Participants were asked to complete 6 to 7 tasks on both mobile and desktop versions of Spotify. Here’s what we found:
Mobile Navigation Challenges – Users struggled to locate features like Blend and Jam, while desktop navigation was smoother overall.
Unclear Feature Discovery – Many users expected dedicated icons for certain features but instead had to search manually, causing frustration.
Lack of Onboarding Support – Some tasks required trial and error, making discovery difficult for new users.
Thinking Aloud Protocol (TAP)
To capture real-time user thoughts and reactions, we used the Think-Aloud Protocol during testing. Participants were encouraged to verbalize their thought process as they navigated Spotify’s interface.
How This Helped Us:
Identified usability pain points in real-time.
Revealed user expectations vs. actual experiences with Spotify’s features.
Highlighted frustration points, such as users giving up on finding Blend and Jam.
Key Observations from TAP:
Some users forgot where they previously saw features, making it harder to relocate them.
Users expected a dedicated icon for features like Blend but had to manually search instead.
Desktop navigation was faster and easier compared to mobile.
System Usability Scale (S.U.S)
To quantify usability, we used the System Usability Scale (S.U.S.), a standardized 10-question survey measuring ease of use on a 1-5 Likert scale (Strongly Disagree to Strongly Agree).
Key Takeaways from S.U.S. Results:
Users found Spotify easy to use (4.8 avg. score for ease of use).
Participants felt confident using the product (4.4 avg. score).
Users found some inconsistencies (1.4 avg. score for consistency).
Certain features felt awkward or complex (1.8 avg. score for intuitiveness).
Overall Findings from S.U.S.:
The S.U.S. score indicated a positive usability experience, but feature discoverability remains a challenge, especially for new users.
Why This Reorganization Works:
More Professional – Uses clean bullet points instead of emojis for a structured look.
Easier to Scan – Readers can quickly find key takeaways without too much text.
Clearer Flow – Moves logically from participants → methodology → testing process → TAP → S.U.S. results.
Findings & Recomendation
Make the “Blend” Feature Easier to Find
Users expected a dedicated icon for Blend instead of searching for it manually.
Recommendation: Add a one-click shortcut for Blend to match the intuitive design of other Spotify features.
40% of users struggled to locate it.
Improve Access to the “Jam” Feature
Users assumed Jam would have a clear entry point but had to go through multiple steps to access it.
Recommendation: Add a direct Jam icon to reduce the number of clicks needed to start a session.
40% of users struggled to locate it.
Allow Users to Combine Any Playlist
Test participants enjoyed the ability to combine playlists but were confused when they discovered that only Spotify-made playlists could be merged.
Recommendation: Make all playlists combinable, including user-created ones. Additionally, renaming the "Combine" icon or action label could reduce confusion and make this feature more intuitive.
Users expected this to apply to all playlists, not just Spotify-made ones.
Introduce a Help Center for New Users
Certain actions, like finding Settings, starting a Jam, or creating a Blend, took longer than expected or caused users to give up.
Recommendation: Implement an easily accessible Help Center with short explanations and guides to help users discover features faster.
Final Thoughts
This study revealed that while Spotify is intuitive for experienced users, first-time users face usability challenges when discovering features. By improving navigation, feature accessibility, and onboarding support, Spotify could create a smoother transition for new users and enhance feature adoption rates.
This project highlighted how user research helps uncover real usability issues and how even small changes can make a big difference in improving the experience.