Innovation Incubation: Nurturing Ideas in Music and User Experience Design
Like design, music creation is an iterative journey, a continuous process of exploration and refinement. This week, I've found myself diving back into my "Trees and Surf" album working folders, and it's a journey filled with multiple versions of the songs I've created.
In the world of design, we have our own way of incubating products. It's all about a discovery process that unfolds as we develop a new release. In my case, the product is music, and sharing it with the world is a vital part of the process. To learn what people truly resonate with, I've turned to platforms like SoundCloud, harnessing the power of SoundCloud Pro to give my music unlimited publishing capabilities.
This journey has been nothing short of enlightening. With each release, I can see my music making its way into the lives of people all around the globe. I discover what resonates with the audience I'm gradually building. Some songs stick, and it's an amazing feeling when they do. But if a track garners a lower play count, it's a sign – maybe it's not quite ready for prime time, or perhaps it's time to retire that particular idea and seek a different way to express the essence of the song.
As I've ventured further into this musical odyssey, I've learned a valuable lesson: the more I publish, the bigger my audience grows. It's akin to the design process, where you start building a loyal customer base. In my case, it's a listening base, folks who eagerly anticipate my next track and share in this journey with me.
Much like in design, where I often rely on a customer advisory board to bounce early design ideas and solutions off, in the realm of music, my listeners serve as early adopters. They guide me, showing me what resonates with audiences and what doesn't. They provide feedback on what's working and what needs improvement. Sometimes, we can massage a design or a song to enhance it, seeking better results, and other times, it's back to the drawing board to refine the idea.
What's truly remarkable is that, just as my design customers often explain their problems more clearly during the feedback process, my music listeners communicate their preferences and feelings, offering insights I might have missed on my own. They don't just point out what doesn't work; they inspire new ideas to explore and incorporate into my creative process.
In the end, whether it's the world of design or the world of music, both journeys are about creating, refining, sharing, and learning. It's an ever-evolving process that's enriched by the engagement and feedback of the audience, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to continuously grow and adapt, both as a designer and a musician.
Learn more: Matt’s Music Page | Matt’s SoundCloud
Soundcloud is more than just a platform for sharing your music. It also gives you insights into your listening audience base. You can see who is listening to your tracks, where they are from, and how they interact with your music.
