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About
SoundCloud is a global audio streaming platform with a vast community of over 30 million artists from 190 countries. It's an open and interactive space for creators, where you can not only enjoy music but also share your own. Whether you're a listener or an artist, It offers free and premium plans for listeners and artists. As a musician, SoundCloud is your go-to platform for uploading, sharing, and promoting your tracks, allowing you to connect with a worldwide audience and fellow creators.
#4 Consistency & Standards
Lack of Clarity
When on the homepage, there is a lack of clarity on where exactly the user can go to upload a song. It is placed very small in the top right corner using an icon that does not provide a concise indication to add new song or upload.
#1 Visibility of System Standards
Missing Upload & Progress Indicators
A quick message shows saying “Processing your track. It will be ready in a few minutes” But it doesn’t show you any indication of how far along it is in it’s upload progress nor does it indicate when the upload is complete.
#4 Consistency & Standards
Song Location Issue
There is no “My Songs” or “ Songs” to indicate or show where your songs go. There are other options, but nothing for single songs. User has to visit their profile in order to find their songs
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#7 Flexibility & Efficiency of Use
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User Profile Accessibility
Challenges
The user seeks their profile to find newly uploaded song but faces difficulty finding it, so they backtrack to the home screen.
The absence of a profile picture leads them to explore other tabs until they finally spot it in the top-right corner of the screen of the “Library” tab.
#8 Aesthetic & Minimalistic Design
Content Placement Overload
The excessive content placement can be overwhelming for users seeking a more streamlined experience.
Conclusion
The heuristics evaluation of SoundCloud's mobile app revealed crucial usability issues impacting the overall user experience. Addressing these issues through recommended improvements, such as clear upload options and enhanced visibility, is essential for optimizing the platform's usability. Heuristics evaluations are vital in identifying and rectifying usability issues early in the design process, ensuring a more user-friendly and efficient product. This proactive approach not only enhances user satisfaction but also contributes to the long-term success and competitiveness of the application in the ever-evolving digital landscape.
Key Learnings
01.
Acquired proficiency in systematically assessing usability issues through the application of the 10 Heuristics.
02.
Understanding the critical role of heuristic evaluations in identifying usability issues while navigating through different websites.
03.
The meticulousness required to discern usability issues while navigating through diverse websites.
Next Steps
