How would you improve an app on your phone?

Question Analysis

This question is asking you to think critically about an app you currently use, identify any limitations or areas for improvement, and propose meaningful enhancements. The interviewer is likely assessing your problem-solving skills, creativity, and understanding of user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) design. It also gauges your ability to think from both a user’s and a developer’s perspective.

Answer

App Chosen: Spotify

Improvements:

1. Enhanced Playlist Organization:

   • Situation: Users often have numerous playlists, making it difficult to sort and organize them effectively.
   • Task: Improve the user experience in managing and accessing playlists.
   • Action: Introduce customizable folders or tagging options for playlists, allowing users to group them by genre, mood, or activity.
   • Result: This enhancement will streamline playlist navigation, making it more intuitive and efficient for users to find and play their desired music collection.

2. Offline Lyrics Display:

   • Situation: Many users listen to music offline, but currently cannot access lyrics without an internet connection.
   • Task: Enable offline access to lyrics for downloaded songs.
   • Action: Implement a feature where lyrics are downloaded along with the song, provided the user has opted in for this in settings.
   • Result: This addition would significantly enhance the offline listening experience, providing users with a more engaging interaction with their music.

3. Improved Discovery Algorithm:

   • Situation: Users rely on the Discover Weekly and Daily Mix features to find new music, but the recommendations can sometimes be repetitive or not align with user preferences.
   • Task: Enhance the music recommendation system for better personalization.
   • Action: Incorporate user feedback mechanisms, such as thumbs up/down, to refine the algorithm based on real-time user preferences.
   • Result: This improvement would lead to more personalized and diverse music recommendations, increasing user satisfaction and engagement with the app.

By focusing on these improvements, Spotify can enhance user satisfaction and maintain its competitive edge in the music streaming industry.