iPhone: Powderfinger
Project type: iPhone / iPod app
Role: Producer, user experience designer
Tasks: research competitors, write project proposal, interface sketches, wireframing, and write functional and technical specifications.
Cover art was used to skin the app
Overview
The Powderfinger app is the best way for users to keep up-to-date with one of Australia’s most exciting rock bands. Get up-to-date news, information on tours, wallpapers, photos and music as well as exclusive content.
The app incorporated a unique feature specifically designed for iPhone: the Powderfinger Player. Setlists can be downloaded onto the app and live concerts could be recreated using studio versions of tracks from the user’s iPod library.
Process
After researching a number of competitor apps (I had nearly 25 band apps on my iPhone!) a few things were obvious – users expect a certain level of ‘standard’ content such as: tour information, photos, news, etc.
This tended to ‘break’ the Apple philosophy of ‘one app, one purpose’ but when you’re dealing with this much content, you have to bend sound of the rules.
I decided on five sections for the app:
- Cover art
- Tour info
- Media
- News
- Music
Cover Art
We worked with gorgeous album artwork created by legendary artist Storm Thorgerson – who also created covers for Pink Floyd, 10cc & Led Zeppelin (to name a few).
For Powderfinger, there were a number of alternative versions of the album artwork created so, I thought a lovely way to show the progression of the art would be to have a feature users could slide through to see that.
Tour Info
Find out the when and the where of Powderfinger concerts – pinpoint the location on the map and get directions (via Maps).
Media
Get exclusive fan only content like photos, wallpapers, and videos – all free.
News
Check out the blog, website news, and Twitter all in the one place so you never miss a thing.
Music
Peruse Powderfinger’s extensive discography and buy tracks straight through app and use the Powderfinger Player to recreate concerts using tracks from your library.
Cover Art section
Tour Info
Media - photos + videos
Discography + Powderfinger Player