phase 2
To encourage generating potential solutions to the problem, the following activities were done:
Constructing How might we (HMW) questions
Deriving user requirements
Generating ideas
Prototyping the ideas (lo-fi)
Deciding the project direction
As the outcome of this phase was a chosen direction for the project, the phase itself is counted as a deliverable.
To frame the problem for ideation, HMW questions were constructed.
To make sure the ideation takes into consideration the user (the filmmaker), user requirements were derived from the user interviews conducted during the Problem Discovery phase.
To formulate potential solutions, two ideas were generated through brainstorming and gap analysis.
To communicate the ideas to the client, they were visualised in a lo-fi way through prototyping.
To determine the project direction and proceed with a potential solution, a co-reflection session was conducted with the client.
Based on the defined problem in the previous phase, one main and two follow-up HMW questions were created:
Problem: Filmmakers face the challenge of finding suitable music for their film projects, as this process often proves time-consuming and exhausting, leading to settling for mediocre music search results, which impedes the creative vision.
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How might we make the process of finding suitable music for filmmakers more efficient?
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How might we help filmmakers find suitable music on royalty-free music platforms faster and intuitively?
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How might we make the collaboration process between filmmakers and composers more affordable while keeping the value that comes from emotional investment?
Several important requirements for improving royalty-free music platforms were discovered during the analysis of the three filmmaker interviews conducted during the Problem Discovery phase. To know what ideas to generate later, the impact of those requirements was further analysed:
User requirements for improving royalty-free music platforms
Furthermore, the filmmakers addressed the value of working with a composer so this option also had to be considered. Therefore, the following wants were derived from the interviews regarding custom-composed music:
Since custom music is expensive and royalty-free music platforms have similar commercial sound in terms of beat, there should be an in-between option for filmmakers
When using custom music, all the people involved in it must give their agreement to use the music in a production which can be an issue
When featuring artists in film productions, they are usually found by the composer through their network so having a way to contact artists directly could be a nice feature in a music platform
Since music is part of the productions of filmmakers, some of them want transparency in the distribution of payments to musicians as it feels uncertain with platforms like Artlist and the filmmakers want to make sure the artists are paid properly
Based on the HMW questions, the user requirements and further brainstorming, the following ideas were created:
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Idea #1 - Advanced music discovery web tool
As opposed to existing royalty-free music platforms where filmmakers can mainly search for music by choosing various filters like mood, genre or theme, this idea offers them more advanced and out-of-the-box searching techniques like:
film/video structure - filmmakers can input the structure of their project, including scenes and their content, and the tool can suggest music that aligns with the specific structure
emotional knob - filmmakers can select the desired emotions for each scene and specify the intensity of each emotion, enabling the tool to recommend music that matches those emotions
AI similarity - filmmakers can upload an existing music piece that represents the desired style or mood, and provide additional instructions to the tool which can then find and suggest other similar music based on these inputs using AI
Gap analysis
Such a web tool would significantly streamline the music selection process for filmmakers as it would offer more customisation over the desired music style and therefore offer more desirable results. This would save valuable time and could be offered at affordable prices. However, such a solution would still depend on a music catalogue which has to be large and diverse enough so it contains potentially desirable music.
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Idea #2 - Collaboration platform
This idea focuses on creating a web community or network for filmmakers, composers, and other industry professionals. Within such a platform, filmmakers can:
showcase their projects and ideas
establish connections with other creatives
collaborate with composers to create custom music
negotiate terms and manage licensing
publicly provide ratings and feedback to other creatives
Gap analysis
Such a collaborative hub aims to create a vibrant ecosystem and foster efficient workflows between filmmakers and composers who can mutually benefit from their expertise, leading to high-quality music. Furthermore, the platform could have a subscription model which would allow affordable access for filmmakers, while paying composers properly.
The two ideas were visualised in the following low-fidelity Figma prototype:
During a co-reflection session with the client, the HMW questions and generated ideas were presented and discussed (together with the problem discovery insights). The following presentation was shown to the client:
After evaluating the generated ideas, it was determined that idea #1 is the preferred choice due to its inclusion of concrete examples showcasing its practical implementation. Creating such an advanced music discovery could offer more innovative opportunities for filmmakers like using AI to speed up the process of finding suitable music. Idea #2, on the other hand, was considered as an alternative option in case the client decides to involve composers in the future and expand upon the potential solution.
After framing the problem for ideation through HMW questions, two directions for generating potential solutions were considered. One focuses on making royalty-free platforms faster and more intuitive to find existing music, while the other addresses a possibly more affordable way to work with composers to create high-quality custom music. The explored user requirements highlighted specific features such as filters based on moods or emotions, an advanced search engine, further song customisation, and a "find similar" option. The generated ideas focused on creating an advanced music discovery tool with out-of-the-box searching techniques or creating a collaboration platform where filmmakers, composers, and other industry professionals can connect and share ideas. After prototyping the ideas in a lo-fi way and presenting all the results to the client, it was decided to continue with the first idea due to its innovative potential.
Having established a direction for the project centered around the idea about an advanced music discovery tool, the next step was to explore innovation opportunities about designing such a solution. Furthermore, the brainstormed searching techniques of the first idea (film/video structure, emotional knob and AI similarity) were found to be achievable using AI. It is crucial to note and retain those searching techniques as they will be referenced in the later phases.