Resonance: Music Companionship Like Never Before

Three questions to the project team

What was the particular challenge of the project from a UX point of view?
From a UX perspective, the first main challenge was truly understanding the needs of our user group. Initially, we explored many directions to solve the problem but struggled to make decisions and move forward. How can a virtual app address the loneliness caused by the virtual world? This required us to deeply understand what users really need. With so many apps aimed at solving loneliness, why haven’t they worked? What can we do to make it effective?

Another challenge was breaking free from conventional thinking. Music apps are abundant, so how do we avoid becoming just another Spotify? We discarded the traditional play-pause layout and put the pet at the center. Everything revolves around interacting with the pet.

What was your personal highlight in the development process? Was there an aha!-moment, was there a low point?
The highlight was seeing the pet react to music, moving to the rhythm. It felt like a genuine interaction with the user. The pet's touch-based interaction also showed me how even virtual characters can form strong emotional connections with users. The "aha!" moment came when I realized that music is not just for entertainment, but a powerful medium to connect people with minimal effort.

Low points: We had to decide whether the pet should be customizable by users or randomly generated. Each choice impacted the user experience, and we eventually chose a solution that was easy to implement and didn’t burden users. This experience taught me that in product development, it's essential to prioritize and discard non-essential features.

Where do you see yourself and the project in the next five years?
I believe Resonance is a highly promising product, as many of my friends and professors have said. It combines popular and dynamic elements such as pets, music, and AI, aiming to solve the growing issue of loneliness in the digital age. And the project aligns with my team's values—we want to create a product that genuinely helps people by making it easier for them to achieve their goals. I’m confident that if developed with care, Resonance could become a product with global influence, helping people combat loneliness.

About myself, in five years, I hope to design three products related to mental health and personal growth. My goal is to stay grounded and continue creating impactful designs that make a real difference in people's lives.