I decided to create a gif of the logo to be used on the loading page to emphasize the ‘r’ being in the shape of a tree, which is a universal symbol of growth, family and life.
I created the gif on Adobe Animate and it was the first time I had used this software. It was hard to get the hang of it at first and after watching many YouTube videos, this was the final result.
I would like to create more gifs to use on my app but this is something I will focus on after I am happy with the content of the app as that is my priority.
The first survey created for this project was created to collect general views on Music Therapy from a diverse group of people of all ages, gender and association with music. As this survey was only shared on my social media pages, this will have limited the geographic location, age and background of the respondents however, this still gave a general idea of people knowledge of music therapy.
My survey generated 100 responses with the majority of respondents (72%) aged 17-34. The other 28% were divided across the rest of the age groups varying from the categories ’13 and under’ with 3% and ’65+’ with 2%.
My results showed that 48% of my respondents would consider to sing or play a musical instrument at least every day. However, 22% of my respondents would say that they do not sing or play a musical instrument ever.
47% of the respondents have heard of Music Therapy however they do not know what it is. Only 15% knew what Music Therapy is and know what it entails. 26% haven’t heard of it but are interested. The rest of the respondents (12%) haven’t heard of it and are not interested.
After a brief explanation of what Music Therapy is, 70% agreed that they are either very likely or likely to consider Music Therapy if they were feeling low. 15% of them said they would be neither likely nor unlikely and only 15% said they would be unlikely or very unlikely to consider it.
39% of the respondents said they have had some form of therapy in the past, whereas 61% had not. This could be an indication that I was trying to persuade the respondents to not only consider Music Therapy but to consider therapy as a whole.
35% of my respondents said they would prefer therapy through the use of an application on a mobile device which is why I have chosen to include a webpage that people can interact with as well.
To understand the market of my application, it is important to assess and determine the strengths and weaknesses of applications and websites within the market so I can make knowledgeable decisions based on the results I have found, to give my application an advantage. To carry out the competitor analysis I will be using the SWOT framework which will identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of each product.
Headspace
APP OVERVIEW:An app that offers guided mediation courses to help bring calm, wellness and balance to your life in just a few minutes a day. The app uses animations to teach new skills and to answer questions. The app also allows the user to track their progress.
Strengths: The app uses mediation music to reduce stress and anxiety and the short clips keep people returning to the app as they unlock more throughout their journey.
Weaknesses: The user has to pay for premium and often people relate the lyrics however it is all instrumental music
Opportunities: The app has notifications and courses to unlock and complete to make the user return to the app
Threats: The interface design may not appeal to some people as it can be see as quite childish with the animations.
Smule
APP OVERVIEW:An app that allows users to connect with others from around the world and sing with them to their favourite songs. It is karaoke based and the user can do solos, duets or groups. There is also a chance to sing with big artists.
Strengths: The app is a fun way to connect with people using music
Weaknesses: The app doesn’t appeal to everyone, for example the camera feature and having to sing may put people off, especially if they are feeling anxious or down.
Opportunities: It is potentially like a therapy without labeling it as one; it is fun, interactive and it could take someones mind off negative thoughts.
Threats: It is used for fun and in personal music rather than person, serious ways of looking at music
Calm
APP OVERVIEW:No. 1 App for mediation and sleep. The app uses sleep stories, breathing programmes, masterclasses and relaxing music. Its aim is to reduce anxiety and stress, as well as helping with sleep. There are many topics to choose from such as Relationships, Forgiveness and Happiness.
Strengths: A wide range of music to suit different needs and allows the user to unlock different parts of the application based on duration of use and premium accounts which keeps the application interesting and fun
Weaknesses: The app requires the user to pay for premium after the free trial
Opportunities: There is something for everyone – breathing exercises and mediation music for anxiety, sleep, confidence and more.
Threats: It has quite a messy interface design; there are lots of busy pictures which create a confusing and stressful experience which is something that should be avoided when using a calming app.
Georgia Fortnum - Final Project Research Blog 