molida chan



i’m an experience designer exploring the intersection of systems, space, and storytelling.

my work turns complex insights into tangible services and tools that make experiences more humane.

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Spotify Profile Redesign

Enhancing Connection and Curation




The Challenge
Spotify’s profile page has long felt underutilized — more of a placeholder than a meaningful space for expression. While Spotify has leaned into features like Blends, Jams, and Friend Activity, the profile itself hasn’t evolved to reflect how people actually connect around music.

I noticed that users were turning to outside platforms like Instagram, TikTok, or iMessage to share songs, while Spotify’s own profile felt static. 

The challenge became: how might the profile evolve into a place for self-expression, discovery, and lightweight social interaction — without compromising Spotify’s core identity as a music platform?

Currently, the Spotify profile offers limited ways for users to express themselves beyond playlists and listening history. This gap meant missed opportunities for identity, connection, and in-app music sharing.
The current Spotify profile.



The OpportunityHow might we make the Spotify profile a space that reflects personality, encourages connection, and feeds back into Spotify’s recommendation system?

Goals
  • Help users express themselves through music
  • Encourage in-app sharing and discovery
  • Strengthen Spotify’s social features without turning it into a full social network
  • Provide more data points for better personalized recommendations

At the heart of this project was a single question:

How might we reimagine Spotify profiles to make them spaces for connection and curation, not just storage?



Research Insights

Through competitive analysis and user observation, I mapped where Spotify profiles fell short:
  • Underused real estate — Profiles felt empty compared to how much people wanted to share.
  • Passive vs. active social features — While Blends and following playlists encouraged passive interaction, there were no tools for active expression.
  • Platform leakage — Users were sending recommendations via DMs or posting playlists on TikTok/Instagram, instead of staying inside Spotify.

Competitors like TikTok and Instagram showed how music discovery thrives when users can express taste, create micro-stories, and share context around songs.

Instagram Notes integrates music by linking directly to Spotify, showing how social platforms make sharing songs lightweight and conversational.
Stories let users share Spotify tracks visually and contextually, creating micro-stories around songs — something missing from Spotify’s own profiles.
Twitter/X demonstrates how music circulates socially through posts and conversation, but often directs traffic away from Spotify instead of keeping it in-app

The Solution
I proposed a redesigned Spotify profile page that gives users new ways to express themselves, connect with others, and discover music—all while staying aligned with Spotify’s identity as a music-first platform.





PINNED SONG OF THE DAY

Profiles allow users to pin one track that represents them in the moment.  This feature gives profiles a dynamic, expressive anchor that changes frequently. 

It encourages daily or weekly return visits and sparks curiosity: “What’s their song today?” 

Unlike playlists, it’s lightweight, instantly recognizable, and requires minimal effort from the user.



                                                               
Mockup of profile page with “Pinned Song of the Day






Profile-Centered Playlists

Playlists are at the heart of Spotify, but right now they live in isolation. By making curated playlists more visible on profiles, users can showcase their tastes in a personal way. 

This transforms profiles from static placeholders into living archives of listening habits and moods.

           
Profile mockup with playlists prominently featured.






In-App Song Recommendations

Currently, users share songs by copying links into apps like Instagram or iMessage. 

By embedding lightweight messaging or recommendation prompts inside Spotify, users can recommend tracks directly through the platform.

 This reduces friction, strengthens music-based social interactions, and keeps users within Spotify’s ecosystem rather than losing them to competitors.



End-to-end flow: recommending a track from playback to a friend’s inbox.






Highlight Playlist

Similar to Instagram Stories, the Highlight Playlist lets users curate a rotating list of tracks that evolve over time. 

This format allows for storytelling—whether it’s a “summer soundtrack,” “breakup recovery,” or “study vibes.” Highlights give profiles temporal context and make them feel alive, encouraging repeat visits as playlists change.


Mockup of Highlight Playlist feature.






Algorithmic Integration

Profiles connect to Spotify’s existing recommendation engine, ensuring that content stays fresh and discovery-driven. 

For example, a user’s pinned song could influence suggested tracks for their friends, or Highlight Playlists could feed into personalized mixes. 

This deepens Spotify’s core strength—recommendations—while giving users more control and transparency over what they share.
        
Profiles act as inputs to Spotify’s recommendation engine, creating a feedback loop that keeps music discovery dynamic and social.






Why It MattersThese profile updates reframe Spotify’s profile from static information to dynamic music identity.

  • For users, profiles become spaces to express, connect, and discover.
  • For Spotify, profiles drive in-app engagement, reduce platform leakage, and improve recommendation quality through richer data.


Before/after comparison of static vs. dynamic profile.



What’s Next
  • Prototype features and test with active Spotify users
  • Gather data on how profile engagement affects playlist follows and song shares
  • Explore opt-in social features for different privacy comfort levels