ux-Tunes-to-Sheets

Phase I: Analyzing Users, Competitors, and Initial Designs

Introduction

Tune-to-Sheets is a software that converts music into sheet music, making it easier for musicians to learn and play their favorite songs

Methods

When researching for Tune-to-sheets we mainly applied two methods for evaluating our competitors i.e. Competitive Analysis and Heuristic evaluation. We conducted a competitive analysis to identify strengths and weaknesses in existing applications that convert music to sheet music. We selected four competitors, each known for varying features and user bases. We evaluated these competitors on several criteria: strengths, weaknesses, quality, and price. Additionaly, we considered platform compatibility and feature sets. Each application was scored based on these criteria, providing a comprehensive overview of the market landscape and highlighting opportunities for improvement in Tune-to-Sheets.

Following the competitive analysis, we performed a heuristic evaluation on one of the selected competitors, MelodyScanner, which was particularly well-developed and aligned with our project’s goals. This method involved a detailed review of the application using established usability principles. We assessed MelodyScanner across ten heuristics. Each heuristic was rated on a scale from 1 to 10, and detailed notes were taken on identified strengths and weaknesses. This evaluation helped us pinpoint specific usability issues that we could address in our design process.

To better understand our target users, we developed some user personas based on preliminary research and existing literature on musician needs. Each persona included detailed backstories, personality traits, and specific goals related to music transcription and learning. We crafted scenarios illustrating how these personas would interact with Tune-to-Sheets, which helped the UX team empathize with users and align the software’s features with real-world use cases.

Findings

Competitive Analysis

The competitive analysis of music transcription tools highlighted several key points and their respective strengths and weaknesses. Melody Scanner offers multiple input and output options, though it is limited to solo instruments and requires an internet connection. PianoConvert processes music quickly but is restricted to piano only and has a brief free trial. MuseScore features a vast library and playback capabilities but lacks conversion options and has subscription limitations. Fiverr provides human transcription services with greater flexibility, yet it can be slower and less consistent.

Heuristic Evaluation of Melody Scanner

The heuristic evaluation of Melody Scanner reveals several strengths, particularly in user control, aesthetic design, and visibility of system status. However, areas for improvement include aligning the system more closely with user expectations, providing better error prevention guidance, and enhancing help documentation. These insights will guide the development of Tune-to-Sheets, ensuring it addresses these gaps and improves overall user experience.

Conclusions

From the research conducted by the UX team, the primary demographic the product should be targeted towards are amateur musicians with limited technical skillsets. This means it should be a major priority to make the product simple to understand and use for users of any skill level. Preventing errors and helping the user recover from errors the product is unable to prevent should be of particular focus, as that is an area that the product’s main competitor struggled in.

Caveats

An unfortunate caveat of the UX team’s research is the lack of actual user feedback as of the writing of this report, nor has the team had access to any functional prototype of the product. All information used in the creation of this report had to be sourced from members of the UX team. As a result, there is no guarantee that the insights gleaned from this research will completely match the preferences of the actual target demographic.