Rate Your Music Profile Page Redesign
Sept. 23, 2024
Rate Your Music (RYM) is one of the leading music and film encyclopedias on the internet. Users can also categorize and review albums using a five-star rating system.
RYM's profile page as of Oct. 2024
Pain points:
Confusing Layout
The inbox, account, photos, friends, set, and play history buttons are placed oddly. The "Upload a profile picture" area is far too large for a site focusing on music and film. The username is also placed out of easy viewing range for the user.
Color & Font Usage
The colors and fonts vary too much in their given space. For example, the "subscribe" navigation bar button is a different font entirely from the other buttons. Most of the body styled text is too small. The music rating category buttons ("recent", "ratings", etc.) are too harsh in contrast with black against blue.
Album Metadata Length
The album and artist information are too small and long, with its width spanning more than half the page sometimes.
Headers & Descriptions
The "music" section header in the middle is too easy to miss and oddly right-aligned. The music map in the top left has no description and the user has to infer what it is.
Lack of Visual Hierarchy
Users can be easily confused where to navigate when they first reach the page.
Draft Prototype:
User-Centered Redesign:
Fonts & Colors
The fonts and colors were varied sparingly and made consistent with styles across the page. The header was adjusted for size as well. The music map was captioned for clarity. The music rating category buttons were also softened in contrast. The dates and album metadata were enlarged and rearranged for compactness.
Profile Picture Resize
A reduction in size and restricted square aspect ratio of the profile picture shifts the emphasis from the user to their catalog of music.
Button Rearrangement
The "inbox", "account", "photos", "friends", "set listening to", and "play history" buttons fall under the category of user data and preferences and should be grouped under the username.
Notifications Addition
The compact notifications section in the top right adapts the original section under the inbox with more detail.
