Google Home Music Redesign — Case Study
A user experience design project that makes playing music with Google Home easier.
Project Overview
In my apartment, I have 2 Google Nest displays and 4 Google speakers. Google houses the speaker/music playing functionality of their devices in the Google Home app, which is available on most smartphone devices. In addition to controlling these devices, the Google Home app also allows you to control tons of other devices and home automation functions.
For users like me, the Google Home devices serve two primary functions: the first being to play music and the second being to control the lights in my apartment. Controlling the lights is as easy as tapping a tile in the app. Controlling the music is not as straightforward.
The Tools:
Let’s Face the Music (the problem):
The current interface of the Google Home app (iOS) does not allow users to initiate music playback from within the app. To play music on a speaker in my home, I am required to use the voice command, “Hey Google, play [song title].” The only in-app controls available prior to verbally requesting a song are the volume control and treble/bass adjustments for the various speaker devices.
Once you verbally request a song, artist, or playlist, music controls finally appear within the app. The problem here is that you need to figure out what you want to listen to, without looking at your music. Sure, you can open the music app, scroll through your library and pick something. But, that’s duplicative work. If you are anything like me, I can’t always remember a song title or artist, but if I see it, I will know exactly what I am looking for.
Additionally, the current functionality of this system poses a barrier for individuals who are unable to speak or have speech disabilities.
The image above provides an easily scannable view of a user’s general experience with the current design. The User Journey Map below provides an in-depth look at how each step in this process could play out for a user.
The Solution
In order to solve for this small, yet frustrating hurdle, the obvious answer was to make it easily accessible from the homepage of the app. Much like most of the other features within the Google Home app, it only takes a tap or two to enable devices or adjust home settings. Music should most should get the same treatment. Google recently updated the user interface for the Google Home app and it looks something like this:
As seen in the image above and also defined in the User Journey Map, the immediate barrier I have to playing music is having to verbally request a song, artist, or playlist/album before I can get into the controls within the app.
The Redesign:
The solution I am proposing allows users to go from something like this:
- Deciding to play music.
- Verbally saying “Hey Google, play some music.” or “ Hey Google, play Heated by Beyoncé.”
- *Hoping the preferred speaker hears the request correctly.*
- Deciding to change the music (song or settings).
- Opening their preferred music app or the Google Home app.
- [Opening the Google Home app] Looking for music controls.
- Only then being able to control music from their phone.
To something a bit more efficient and accessible:
- Opening the Google Home app.
- Tapping the Media widget.**
- Selecting their preferred streaming service.
- Selecting a song to hear and speaker(s) to use.
**The new widget would sit alongside the other primary services like the Camera, Lighting, and Climate options and would look like this:
This redesigned experience can be explored below, or by visiting this Figma prototype:
The Mechanics:
The idea behind this new Media widget is that users can sign in and link their preferred music/media streaming services within the Google Home app. Once linked, all the user has to do is tap on their preferred streaming service, and an overlay appears of their preferred app. With the app overlay, users can explore their favorite streaming service within the comfort of the design they are familiar with and select from their own curated playlists, saved music, or the entire streaming service library.
Once the user has selected the song, they are presented with the “Now Playing” screen, which includes their song information and controls. Additionally, a list of devices within the user’s home is displayed, allowing them to simply tap and enable music playback on the desired device(s).
The Results
Upon presenting the rough draft of this proposal, the two key pieces of feedback received were to switch the icons on the new Quick Play menu with the official service/app logos and to add an easy-to-find button for adding new services, such as Apple Music, Pandora, and other popular music/media streaming services.
Version 1 of the Quick Play screen looked like this:
After receiving feedback on the new user experience, the Quick Play screen now looks like this:
Overall, this proposal takes some of the guesswork out of the music request process, shortens the time it takes to control media using the Google Home app and devices, and makes the process a little bit more accessible than before.
Future iterations of this idea could include:
- An enhanced app overlay interface (for streaming services) and
- A shortcut feature that allows users to substitute the initial “Media” button on the app homepage to include a direct “tap-to-play” button that instantly plays their music using their preferred streaming service, on their preferred Google Home speakers/devices.
