Introduction
We all know the power of music. It can move mountains, heal problems, bring life out of nothing. As popularly quoted and observed, we can’t imagine video content without music. That’s why songs, back ground music have got so much prominence in movies. There are umpteen number of movies/scenes which worked mainly due to music. Can we think of blockbuster movies without their riveting musical score? Many video games have worked purely based on it. Its also a best way to celebrate. We can’t have celebrations without music. It can stir the right emotions and that’s why when its missing/not up to the mark, its commented that soul is missing.
Idea
When its so important why is it that this main ingredient is often missing in software products? Possibly because, these products are used in public areas and can cause disturbance to others. Head phones is a workaround but has its own challenges. Its interesting to note that Youtube is a popular product with audio and is accessed everywhere! So there are workarounds possible to handle the potential disturbance to others.
Advantages
There are several advantages of using music to elevate User Experience in software products:
1) With original music, a lasting impression can be created for a software product. A trending score can drive more traffic and thus, new customers.
2) Recall value of a product can be improved, which is critical to have returning customers.
3) Enhance customer engagement. E.g. In the order check out journey, if an adrenalin pumping music is used, we can hold the customer from distractions and help them complete the transaction. So drop-offs can be reduced.
4) As quoted by Maya Angelou, ‘People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel’. So with MUSIC, we can make customers feel the way product makers intended.
5) Make user experience a joy! There’s no human who doesn’t like humor. So in the customer use case journeys, musical experimentation can also be done. Some seemingly boring screens can be transformed into fun/amusing times and help customers feel content with the time spent.
Conclusion
So looking forward for days when musical score becomes a default function of UX, software delivery management and all the software products have their unique music!