Jamspace

I led the end-to-end design of Jamspace – a conceptual mobile ecosystem designed to bridge the gap between professional networking and project management for music creators. Jamspace unifies the fragmented workflow of Instagram, Dropbox, and WhatsApp by centralising discovery, files, and communication into one fluid experience.

The Problem

Music creation shouldn't feel like admin work.

The modern music industry is decentralised, particularly for independent artists who operate without the infrastructure of major labels. An indie artist might find a producer on Instagram, send beat packs via WeTransfer, manage the project in WhatsApp, and track credits in Excel.

Through market analysis and user discovery, I identified that independent creators spend approximately 40% of their time managing files, chasing replies, and organising logistics instead of creating music.

The Opportunity: To build a "Digital Studio" that respects the creative flow while automating the business logic, removing the friction of app-switching for self-managed talent.

Research & Discovery

Understanding the "Hacky" Workflow

I analysed the current tools indie artists use to identify specific friction points.

1. Lost Context & Version Hell

• Pain Point: "Where is the latest mix? Is it in the email thread or the DM?"

• Insight: Users constantly lose track of file versions across different communication channels.

2. Discovery Friction

• Pain Point: Finding a collaborator often relies on cold-DMing on social platforms not built for professional vetting.

• Insight: High effort for low trust.

3. Admin Overload

• Pain Point: Creators struggle to transition from "creative mode" to "manager mode."

• Insight: Projects are often abandoned because the administrative burden becomes too heavy.

The Solution

A Unified Creative Ecosystem

Jamspace proposes a single environment where the Social Feed (Discovery), the Marketplace (Hiring), and Workspaces (Collaboration) exist in one fluid experience.

1. Contextual Networking

• The Goal: Move beyond vanity metrics (likes/followers) to professional relevance.

• The Design: Users connect based on specific Skills (e.g., "Session Guitarist") and verified Credits, creating a network built on merit.

2. Centralised Files (The "Discord meets Dropbox" Model)

• The Goal: Eliminate version control issues.

• The Design: I adopted a Channel-Based Architecture. Each workspace (e.g., sunset-ep) gets its own project/channel. Inside, I split the view into two: Chat (for quick communication) and Files (a structured repository for stems and mixes). It ensures conversation flows naturally without burying critical assets.

3. Trust-Based Marketplace

• The Goal: Reduce the risk of hiring strangers.

• The Design: The marketplace filters talent by verified credits. The Artist Card was designed to be information-dense but scannable, allowing users to filter by "Producer," "Engineer," or "Songwriter" instantly.

4. The Modern EPK (Electronic Press Kit)

• The Goal: A resume that doesn't feel corporate.

• The Design: A dynamic "Discography" tab automatically pulls in official releases. I introduced a "Send Request" modal that allows users to attach a specific project invite directly to the connection request, driving purposeful interaction from the first touchpoint.

Design Principle

"Flow State First"

From the beginning, I established that the UI should feel like a "Studio" — dark, immersive, and distraction-free.

• Visual Theme: "Studio Midnight" – Pure black backgrounds with electric orange and dark grey surfaces.

• Interaction Design: We paid meticulous attention to the "Connection to Creation" pipeline, minimising the steps it takes to go from finding a producer on the feed to opening a shared workspace.

  
  

Projected Impact

Accelerating the Creative Economy

While this is a concept project, the design aims to achieve specific outcomes:

• Reduced Admin Time: By centralising files and chat, the app targets a reduction in time spent searching for assets.

• Professional Networking: Moving networking from DMs to formal "Requests" is hypothesised to increase the success rate of collaboration inquiries.

  
  

Reflection & Next Steps

Designing Jamspace required balancing the chaos of the creative process with the structure of project management.

• Key Insight: Creatives don't want "Project Management Software"; they want a tool that gets out of the way. Renaming "Tasks" to "Projects" and integrating a music player directly into the chat makes the app feel like a creative tool, not a spreadsheet.

• Future Iteration: The next phase would involve designing a desktop companion app for easier DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) file syncing.