Innovation Workshop for a Music Streaming App

Product: An online music streaming app (e.g., "SoundFlow").

Device Type: Mobile (iOS and Android).

Comprehensive Workshop Plan

Objective:

To collaboratively evaluate, refine, and prioritize new feature ideas for SoundFlow, ensuring alignment with user needs, trends in music streaming, and business goals.

Duration:

1 full day (8 hours), split into 4 sessions.

Participants:

• Design Team (4 members)
• Product Manager (1)
• Key Stakeholders (2)
• User Researcher (1)

Pre-Workshop Preparation:

1. Collect Ideas: Ask team members to submit feature ideas beforehand using a shared template (Google Docs/Notion). Each idea should include:

• The problem it solves.
• The target user.
• Estimated value (user & business).
• Example ideas: “Collaborative playlists,” “AI-powered mood-based recommendations.”

1. Research Synthesis: Compile insights from recent user feedback, competitor analysis (e.g., Spotify, Apple Music), and app analytics (e.g., session lengths, skipped songs).
2. Materials Needed: Digital tools like Miro, Figma, or Google Meet for remote collaboration, along with templates for activities.

Workshop Agenda

Session 1: Kickoff & Context (45 mins)

Activities:

• Welcome and Goals (15 mins): Brief the team on the workshop’s purpose: to prioritize feature ideas and plan their implementation.
• Context Setting (30 mins): Present findings from:
• Analytics (e.g., which features users engage with the most/least).
• User pain points (e.g., difficulty discovering new music or customizing playlists).
• Competitor trends (e.g., Spotify Wrapped, real-time lyrics).

Outcome: A shared understanding of user needs, product goals, and the competitive landscape.

Session 2: Idea Sharing and Clustering (90 mins)

Activities:

• Individual Presentations (60 mins): Each participant presents their feature ideas (max 5 mins per idea).
• Example ideas:
• “Lyrics karaoke mode.”
• “Mood-based playlist generator using AI.”
• “A music quiz to discover songs interactively.”
• Clustering (30 mins): Group similar ideas into themes (e.g., "User Engagement," "Discovery," "Personalization").

Outcome: Categorized feature ideas by themes.

Session 3: Prioritization (90 mins)

Activities:

• Dot Voting (30 mins): Participants vote on ideas based on their potential impact (user satisfaction) and feasibility (development effort).
• Impact-Effort Matrix (60 mins): Plot ideas on a 2x2 matrix:
• Quick Wins: Features that are impactful and easy to develop.
• Strategic Bets: High-impact but resource-heavy features.

Outcome: A shortlist of 5-7 top-priority features.

Session 4: Strategic Planning (120 mins)

Activities:

• User Story Mapping (60 mins): For each prioritized feature, define user stories (e.g., "As a user, I want a karaoke mode to sing along with lyrics in real time").
• Roadmap Creation (60 mins): Break ideas into development phases (e.g., MVP, Phase 2, etc.) and align with sprint cycles.

Outcome: A strategic roadmap detailing phases for feature implementation.

Timeline

1. 9:00 AM - 9:45 AM:
2. Kickoff & Context

• Introduction and alignment on workshop goals.
• Presentation of analytics, user pain points, and competitor trends.
• Outcome: Shared understanding of goals and current landscape.

1. 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM:
2. Idea Sharing & Clustering

• Team members present their feature ideas (up to 5 minutes per idea).
• Group similar ideas into themes such as "User Engagement," "Discovery," and "Personalization."
• Outcome: Categorized feature ideas.

1. 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM:
2. Prioritization

• Conduct dot voting to evaluate ideas based on impact and feasibility.
• Use an Impact-Effort Matrix to prioritize ideas into categories: Quick Wins, Strategic Bets, etc.
• Outcome: A shortlist of 5-7 top-priority features.

1. 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM:
2. Strategic Planning

• Develop user stories for each prioritized feature using a user story mapping activity.
• Create a roadmap for feature implementation, breaking features into MVP and future phases.
• Outcome: User story maps and a strategic roadmap with defined timelines.

Example Features for Prioritization

1. Mood-Based Playlists: AI generates playlists based on users’ moods (e.g., “Relaxing,” “Energetic”).
2. Real-Time Lyrics Karaoke Mode: Users can sing along with synced lyrics in-app.
3. Collaborative Playlists: Multiple users can create and edit playlists together.
4. Interactive Music Quizzes: A game feature for users to discover new music.
5. Listening Insights: Personalized stats on users’ music habits (similar to Spotify Wrapped).

Expected Final Deliverables

1. A prioritized list of 5-7 features for SoundFlow.
2. User story map for each feature, illustrating how it fits into user workflows.
3. Feature roadmap with development phases and timelines.
4. A summary of the workshop’s outcomes for stakeholder alignment.

Evaluation Criteria Alignment

1. Content:

• Workshop activities are structured to identify high-value features.
• Aligns with user needs (e.g., personalization, engagement).

2. Scannability:

• Clear agenda and timelines for participants.
• Deliverables like the Impact-Effort Matrix and roadmap provide clarity.

3. Creativity:

• Focus on innovative features like karaoke mode or interactive music discovery.
• Collaborative clustering and prioritization methods.

4. Presentation:

• Organized flow with visual aids (e.g., Miro boards, digital templates).
• Clear, actionable outputs for follow-up work.