Sound of Life
Role
  UI Designer
Contribution
  UI Audit
  Wire-framing
  Interactive Prototyping
  Motion Design
Project background
As a digital publishing that celebrates the intersection of music, lifestyle, and culture for a younger demographic, Sound of Life has grown to a global readership exceeding 1.67 million. However, due to the varying content and expanding audience base, the growth of subscribers count slowed down, and the average time stay on page experienced a significant decrease. To address these challenges, the brand decided to revamp the whole website to make it more scalable and enhance the online presence.
Approach
I began the project by thoroughly studying and analyzing the research data for SOL. Concurrently, I conducted an audit of SOL's existing website and brand assets, and identified areas for improvement. To ensure the new design would be fresh and exciting, yet still recognizable for those familiar with the brand, I worked closely with the SOL team and key stakeholders throughout the process.
The vision
Not only a digital publishing, but a cultural hub & community where everyone with a shared value can feel a sense of belonging and inclusion.
A primary user group identified in previous research was college-educated and employed young adults. This demogaphic is shaped by a mix of ambition, social connection, and a continuous journey of self-discovery. Based on these findings, I set the visual tone for SOL to be as following: confidence, dynamic & inviting, to resonate with users' sensibilities and align with their stage of life.
Old acquittance or new friends, everyone is welcomed.
The content is categorized by topics like "people" and "places". While long-time SOL subscribers understand these categories, new users may find it hard to understand and navigate. The homepage addresses this by providing a navigation menu for experienced users and a mix of latest content for new users to explore freely.
Designed for both linear & non-linear reading
Many SOL subscribers enjoy in-depth reading, while others tend to skim through the editorials. To accommodate these preferences, the page provides a brief summary and a table of contents with links that help the readers navigate through the article with ease.
Beyond text: diverse forms for community engagement
In addition to articles, SOL has been producing a variety of multimedia content across their channels, including connoisseur's guides, videos, reels, playlists and podcasts. By categorising these multimedia elements under a new tab, the new design provides a clearer content structure and offers users diverse forms of engagement.
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