No time to explain. In this series of articles, I do a quick review of websites where we’ll discuss three flowchart aspects such as onboarding, killer features and dark patterns. Today, we are going to focus on Spotify. Without further ado, let’s get into it.

#1 — Signing Up

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This video was made by pageflows.com and shows you a full signing up process in detail.

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What’s bad? Signing up for Spotify is much more difficult than I expected. Their registration form looks archaic now and can be organized better without email confirmation and annoying reCAPTCHA. But once you’re done, you can use the Web Player. Seems like a good idea to make a user feel relieved after a small struggle.

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What I've learned?

  1. Make the signing up process as simple as possible
  2. Divide the process into logical parts and don’t show too much content simultaneously

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User flow

TAKE A LOOK AT THIS USER FLOW — HOW WOULD YOU MAKE IT SHORTER? CREATED WITH FLOWMAPP USER FLOW TOOL

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#2 — Creating a playlist

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This video was made by pageflows.com and shows you the process of creating a playlist in detail.

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Creating and sharing are definitely Spotify’s killer features.
What’s good? Making a playlist on Spotify is as easy as taking candy from a baby.
What’s bad? Well, you simply can’t add a song to multiple playlists.

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‍What I've learned?

  1. Take care of alternative user flow scenarios
  2. If you struggle to think through all scenarios by yourself, try brainstorming with your team

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User flow

WHAT’S GREAT ABOUT THIS FLOW?
IT HAS A NUMBER OF FEATURES UNDER THE CUT — LIKE ‘ADD TO QUEUE’ OR OPENING A PLAYLIST LINK DEPENDING ON THE DEVICE. CREATED WITH FLOWMAPP USER FLOW TOOL

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#3 — Downgrading your account

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This video was made by pageflows.com and shows you the downgrading process in detail

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«You're too important to me to let go. There's just so much left to do, and so much time to live and love. I want you to be there in my life.» — Any Ex-Boyfriend

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What’s good? No dark patterns were noticed. High five, Spotify!
What’s bad? Just like with your ex, if you have good reasons to break up… Break up already!

What’s more, you shouldn’t ask users to return after they’ve just unsubscribed. It’s simply ineffective and doesn't make any sense.

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What I've learned?

  1. Be more empathetic and put yourself in someone else's shoes
  2. Asking about the reason for unsubscribing is certainly cool, but not in a three-page poll

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Outro

If you’ve decided to make your own streaming service or radio, take this into account when prototyping.

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  1. Keep it simple. Good design is as little design as possible
  2. Decide which feature is the coolest and develop it. Are you creating a playlist? How about three playlists simultaneously? And maybe collaborative playlists? And a playlist where you can navigate between labels?
  3. Make the user feel free. Don’t be frustrated if they decide to unsubscribe