The Musical Colour Wheel

Dan Rose Music Consultancy

Project duration: 6 months

Project Background

Dan Rose is a music consultant for the television and film industry.

Looking for a system to connect their music library with clients via the web, a web based application was designed that allows music to be uploaded using a bespoke content management system. Latest musical discoveries can be uploaded on a regular basis and sent out monthly to clients. This instant method of delivery is well suited to time poor clientele. Each client has their own library within the application so they can save anything suitable for their projects and then pass onto colleagues.

Design Process

This project began by devising a system for the library music could be categorized and displayed onscreen, and secondly what type of system could be developed that would allow music to be updated on a regular basis.

With the music library crossing a wide range of genres and styles, we felt it was wrong that music should be grouped by genre, as it makes people have a preconceived idea of what they were about to listen to. We proposed an idea that referenced the condition synesthesia, a condition in which one sense (for example, hearing) is simultaneously perceived as if by one or more additional senses such as sight. From this we then grouped the music into eight colour groups - so music that was uptempo was placed in the orange group etc.

The next system we proposed was on what sort of schedule would new music be added to the wheel, would it simply be a case of when it was new and had just been discovered. For us we felt that this would get lost so we used a monthly calendar system - so that at the beginning of each new month - new music would be added and clients would be announced.

This project was developed by systematically applying a approach across the whole application.

Interface Design

Red dots indicate music files that have been saved to the users library.

Analytics

There is a full analytical side that keeps track of who is listening to the different types of library music, and tailored appropriately so the right kind of music is sent to the right kind of clients.