Designed a low-data music streaming experience for users in emerging markets like Brazil, conducting field research in favelas to understand real barriers to music streaming.
Client
Spotify
Duration
4 months (Mar-Jun 2017)
Team
Product owners, developers in Stockholm
Role
Senior Product Design Consultant
Make Spotify usable in low-bandwidth areas and increase adoption in favelas and other regions with data limitations. High data costs were a major barrier to adoption in emerging markets, preventing millions of potential users from enjoying music streaming. Users felt anxious about streaming on mobile networks, worried about burning through their data allowance.
Designed and tested a 'Data Saver' theme that streamed music with just 1% of the normal data use. Conducted field interviews and user testing on-site in Brazil to deeply understand the real-world constraints and behaviors. The feature let users play four on-demand playlists with minimal data consumption, making streaming feel safer and more accessible even without Wi-Fi.
Successfully launched feature with increased adoption in target markets and measurable improvements in retention. After nail-biting A/B tests, the Data Saver feature stood out as a game-changer, making streaming on Spotify feel a whole lot safer and more accessible.
Conducted field interviews and user testing on-site in Brazil, including visits to favelas to understand the real barriers caused by high data costs. This immersive research revealed how data anxiety prevented users from enjoying music streaming, and informed every design decision in the Data Saver feature. Understanding the context—limited budgets, expensive data plans, and unreliable Wi-Fi access—was crucial to creating a solution that truly served users' needs.
On-site research in Brazilian favelas
Understanding data cost barriers
Designed a feature that let users play four on-demand playlists with just 1% of their data. Created intuitive UI that made data usage transparent and controllable, giving users confidence to stream even when not connected to Wi-Fi. The design balanced audio quality with data efficiency, ensuring users still enjoyed their music while dramatically reducing data consumption.
Reduced streaming data to just 1% of normal usage through intelligent compression and quality optimization
Clear UI showing data usage and giving users full control over when to enable data saving mode
Curated selection of four on-demand playlists optimized for the Data Saver experience
After nail-biting A/B tests, the Data Saver feature stood out as a game-changer. The feature was rigorously tested across different user segments in emerging markets to validate its impact on adoption and retention. Made streaming feel safer and more accessible even without Wi-Fi, fundamentally changing how users in data-constrained environments could enjoy Spotify.
Data reduction
On-demand playlists
A/B test success
The Data Saver feature fundamentally changed the relationship between users and music streaming in emerging markets. By removing data anxiety, we enabled millions of users to confidently enjoy Spotify on the move, transforming it from a Wi-Fi-only luxury to an everyday companion.
"Users felt confident using Spotify while on the move. It was a game-changer, making streaming on Spotify feel a whole lot safer and more accessible, even when Wi-Fi was out of reach."
— Internal User Research, Spotify Brazil Team
Users felt confident using Spotify while on the move. It was a game-changer, making streaming on Spotify feel a whole lot safer and more accessible, even when Wi-Fi was out of reach.
Internal User Research
Spotify Brazil Team
Next Project
Vromm - Driving Instruction App