Meaningful listening
My bachelor's thesis, an exploratory design research study into how the format we listen on (streaming, vinyl, tape or CD) affects whether listening feels meaningful.
- Type
- Bachelor's thesis
- Methods
- Literature review, semi-structured interviews, observation, thematic analysis
- Participants
- 7 listeners who switch between streaming and physical formats
The question
"How might we create a more meaningful experience around listening to recorded music?"
Why formats
My literature review showed that every format comes with its own affordances, constraints and rituals, and these shape how much attention people pay to music. Looking through the lens of formats let me compare real listening experiences and turn them into design opportunities.
- Literature review
- Research objectives
- Recruiting
- Interviews & observation
- Thematic analysis
- Design opportunities
Listening to how people listen
I set research objectives around why people choose a format, what motivates them and what makes an experience feel more meaningful. Semi-structured interviews captured people's own stories, and watching them use their formats showed how they actually behave.
I recruited seven people who actively switch between streaming and at least one physical format, and wrote my interview guide from the research objectives and the literature.
Informed consent
Everyone knew what the study was for and agreed to take part.
Freedom to stop
Participants could pause or pull out at any point.
Control afterwards
Answers were anonymised, and participants could edit or remove anything they'd said.
What makes listening matter
Through thematic analysis I pulled the recurring patterns together into three themes.
Personal investment
Social context
Connection to the music
From these I defined design opportunities for listening experiences that are intentional, social and suited to their context.