Product Design
Vertigo Music
Vertigo is a social music app that lets users connect with close friends, create shared spaces, and listen to music together from anywhere in the world.
Vertigo Music is a mobile iOS app that lets users listen to music together in real time, no matter where they are in the world. As the lead designer, I guided the product from concept to launch, supporting the team in creating an experience that appealed to younger audiences and aligned with the expectations of modern streaming behavior.
Challenge:
Vertigo introduced a new way to experience music socially, but adoption required solving several challenges. The younger target audience expected fast, intuitive interactions and familiar social patterns. The app also had to integrate with both Spotify and Apple Music, each with its own technical and UX constraints.
Driving engagement was another key challenge. The product needed features that encouraged users to join sessions, create their own, and interact with the community in a meaningful way.
Strategy and Design Approach:
The strategy focused on creating a social environment that felt immediate, expressive, and easy to navigate. I simplified onboarding, clarified the value of listening together, and made it effortless to join or host a session.
We emphasized discoverability and participation by surfacing active listening rooms, shared music history, and interaction prompts. The visual identity was designed to feel energetic and aligned with youth culture.
Design, Test and Development:
Design
I designed the core flows for live sessions, profiles, and discovery while ensuring the app felt consistent across both streaming integrations. High fidelity designs defined the interface, interactions, and brand expression.
Test
Interactive prototypes were tested with users to validate clarity and engagement. Feedback led to improvements in session visibility, permission guidance, and invite interactions.
Development
I partnered with engineering to turn the design system into scalable components and ensure integrations with Spotify and Apple Music felt seamless. Detailed specifications supported consistent implementation across playback, synchronization, gestures, and error states.
Vertigo is a social music app that lets users connect with close friends, create shared spaces, and listen to music together from anywhere in the world.
Impact:
The redesign of the Vertigo iOS app led to significant improvements in engagement, navigation, and the overall shared listening experience. By streamlining key workflows and reducing friction, the product became easier to use and more compelling for new and returning listeners. Adoption of new features increased, and users were able to connect their music providers and participate in sessions with far fewer issues.
Key outcomes included:
• Increased user engagement by 37 percent
• Reduced new account drop rate by 14 percent
• Reduced unlinked music provider accounts by 48 percent
• Increased user invites by 70 percent
• Increased average session time from 2.8 minutes to 8.3 minutes
These improvements demonstrated the value of a thoughtful, user centered redesign and helped position Vertigo as a more social, active, and engaging music platform.
