Wayve
Project Overview
Designing the future of music engagement for Gen Z and Gen Alpha.
The Problem
Gen Z and Gen Alpha consume more music than ever, but passive listening
and algorithm-driven discovery have weakened the connection between
artists and fans.
The Solution
Wayve transforms passive listening into an interactive experience by
combining personalized discovery, social engagement, and meaningful artist
connections in one platform.
This SCADpro industry collaboration challenged our multidisciplinary team to explore how the music industry could create more meaningful experiences for younger audiences and drive long-term engagement.
Through surveys, interviews, affinity mapping, concept development, and iterative prototyping, we identified opportunities to transform passive listening into more active, memorable experiences. My role focused on UX research, concept development, interaction design, and prototyping while collaborating closely with designers, researchers, and developers throughout the project.
The project culminated in Wayve, an interactive music platform that combines social connection, immersive experiences, and personalized engagement to help artists build deeper relationships with their communities. Working on this project strengthened my ability to translate research into product strategy, collaborate across disciplines, and design experiences that balance user needs with business goals.
Key Contribution
Contributed to primary and secondary research by conducting interviews and market research.
Created the Gen Z and Gen Alpha personas that guided design decisions throughout the project.
Led the UX design of Wayve by defining user flows and designing the app experience.
Research Method
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Survey Conducted
Collected insights from Gen Z, Gen Alpha, and Gen Alpha parents to understand music engagement.
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Concept Directions
Developed and explored physical, digital, and hybrid concepts before refining the final Wayve experience.
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Industry Mentors
Collaborated with music industry mentors to validate and refine the project's direction.
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Research & Design
Spent 8 weeks conducting research, synthesizing insights, and iterating toward the final concept.
Key Findings
01
Music discovery is increasingly driven by passive scrolling rather than intentional listening.
02
Gen Z and Gen Alpha seek stronger connections with artists beyond streaming.
03
Fans are more willing to pay for music experiences that feel personal and exclusive.
Exploration & Iterations
Research & Discovery
We conducted interviews, surveys, and secondary research to uncover how younger generations discover and engage with music.
Concept Exploration
Using our research, we developed three concept directions: physical, digital, and hybrid.
Validation & Refinement
We refined each concept through mentor feedback and user testing to identify the strongest solution.
Final Solution
The strongest ideas came together to create Wayve, an interactive platform that encourages deeper music engagement.
Final Design Implementation
Wayve combines immersive pop-up experiences with a connected digital platform, creating a scalable ecosystem that extends music engagement beyond a single event.
Rather than choosing between Sonic Playroom and Flowstate, we combined the strengths of both into a physical pop-up experience connected to a digital platform. Guests create personalized visuals at the event and take them home through the app, extending engagement beyond a single visit.
This scalable model supports recurring pop-ups, exclusive digital content, VIP experiences, brand partnerships, licensing opportunities, and food and beverage to generate continuous revenue.
Wayve App
The Wayve app lets users create interactive visuals, revisit past creations, and discover upcoming pop-up experiences, extending the Wayve experience beyond the venue.
Digital Badge
Digital badges encourage users to visit new locations, collect every event badge, and share their experiences with friends, rewarding continued participation across the Wayve ecosystem.
Popup Venues
Each Wayve pop-up is uniquely themed for either Gen Z or Gen Alpha, combining interactive experiences, brand partnerships, food, drinks, and VIP packages to drive engagement and revenue.
How Wayve Scales
From Event to Ecosystem
01
Technology
A digitally curated app that tracks user engagement.
02
Venue Activation
Launch pop-ups to create engagement and revenue.
03
Digital Ownership
Companion app drives global growth and engagement.
04
Social Sharing
Expand the community through users sharing.
05
New Users
Personalized discovery drives return visits.
01
Technology
A digitally curated app that
tracks user engagement.
03
Digital Ownership
Companion app drives global
growth and engagement.
05
New Users
Personalized discovery
drives return visits.
02
Venue Activation
Launch pop-ups to create
engagement and revenue.
04
Social Sharing
Expand the community
through users sharing.
Takeaway
Great ideas aren't just designed. They're refined, validated, and built to grow.
The Wayve project taught me that successful product design extends beyond creating a great user experience. I learned how to evaluate ideas through both a user and business lens by considering scalability, long-term engagement, and sustainable revenue. Rather than choosing between our strongest concepts, Flowstate and Sonic Playroom, we continuously tested, challenged, and refined our ideas until they evolved into Wayve, a solution that balanced user needs with business goals.
It reinforced that great design is an iterative process, and the strongest products are shaped through research, collaboration, and continuous refinement. Most importantly, it showed me that the best products succeed not only because they solve user problems, but because they are designed to evolve, adapt, and create lasting value over time.
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