P2

User Research

Once we came up with our problem space, it was time to understand the needs of individuals who are affected by the problem of trying to learn an instrument, specifically on a college campus. During this phase of the project, we interviewed eight college/grad students from Dartmouth and other universities who have either previously learned an instrument, are currently learning an instrument, or have expressed a desire to learn one. The full documentation of the interview process and resulting insights can be read here. The information provided below serves as a brief overview.

Interviewees

* See the report for detailed descriptions of the interviewees

Suraj

Mary Margaret

Emily

Joe

Max

Ansh

Ben

Ryan

Due to Covid cases on campus, many of our interviews took place on Zoom. Here is a screenshot from an interview conducted by Sean and Caroline with one of our participants. During this interview, Caroline took notes while Sean facilitated. Similar procedures were followed for the other interviews.

Affinity Diagram

Mode of Instruction

Social Aspect

Practice Habits

Access to Resources

Private lessons seem to be the most beneficial, but they are time consuming and expensive
Finding the right teacher can be challenging, especially without a referral from someone who has used the teacher before
YouTube has many resources for aspiring musicians, but the surplus of videos can make it hard for users to find the best instruction

Connecting with friends who play the same instrument can be motivating for an individual trying to learn how to play
People who come from a family of musicians can bond with their family over their music
Listening to the songs other instrumentalists play can be inspiring
Sharing music with others is rewarding
Playing with people at a much higher level of experience can be intimidating and detract from the fun

Pressure to practice can come from parents and cause resentment
Most do not rely on practice schedules
Having private lessons holds people accountable to practice
If there is an long-term goal, such as a band performance or a competition, it may be easier to motivate to practice

Sheet music can be difficult to find
If the sheet music can be found, it is often very expensive to access it
Not everyone has access to an instrument to play and some do not know where to get an instrument from
Many people listen to music and get inspired to learn the songs they are hearing
It can be challenging for beginners to find music suitable for their level

Here is a screenshot from one of our team meetings! During this meeting, we unpacked the data from all of our interviews, generated our empathy map, and began brainstorming POV statements and HMW statements based on the POVs.