Mapping Memories through Music
Cosmic Drift is a mobile feature that lets users explore and relive sensory memories by navigating their song collection through a timeline interface. Users can filter playlists by date, surface songs tied to personal moments, and feel reconnected through music.
Type
Personal Project
DELIVERABLES
Mobile Design
Year
September 2024
Role
Creative Direction
THE CHALLENGE
Spotify users often build playlists over time—unintentionally associating songs with meaningful life moments. Currently, there's no simple way to relive those memories by browsing by date or feeling.
HOW MIGHT WE STATEMENT
How might we help users rediscover emotional memories by filtering their music history by date and context?
I’ve always loved making monthly playlists to keep track of my favorite songs, and over time, I realized they help me relive memories from different moments in my life. Studying sensory memory in psychology made me realize how music can trigger those emotions and moments from the past. Now, I’m thinking of a feature that lets people do the same—filter their music by date and bring back memories they didn’t even know they were creating, all through Spotify.
RESEARCH
MEMORY AND MUSIC
Research from the Journal of Experimental Psychology shows that 90% of participants could recall a personal memory tied to a particular song when asked, demonstrating the strong link between music and memory (Miller et al., 2020)
NOSTALGIA
Studies by the American Psychology Association (APA) show that nostalgia increases positive emotions by 65% and has been linked to improved mood, reduced stress, and a greater sense of belonging (APA, 2019).
A Spotify user analysis (Spotify Insights, 2022) found that nostalgia-driven playlists are played 85% more often by users aged 25-45 compared to other playlists, suggesting a significant user interest in content that allows them to revisit the past.
IMPLEMENTATION
Google Photos reported that its ‘Rediscover This Day’ feature had a 75% user engagement rate within the first three months of launch (Google Insights, 2021). This feature allows users to revisit memories tied to specific dates, showing how time-based content can effectively engage users.
Facebook Memories reports a 90% increase in daily active users on days when ‘Memories’ are prominently featured, indicating that users are drawn to features that help them reconnect with past experiences (Facebook Research, 2020).
DESIGN
Users can travel back in time by selecting a custom date range, allowing them to filter and revisit specific moments from their past.
DESIGN
To personalize the experience, they can also select moods, helping the system curate songs that not only match the time period but also resonate with their emotional state—making the journey more accurate, intimate, and immersive.
DESIGN
After selecting a date range and mood, users are presented with a personalized list of their most frequently played songs from that time period.
Each song is color-coded based on the selected emotional tone — for example, yellow for upbeat moods and blue for calmer vibes. Users can swipe right to include a song in their memory playlist, or left to skip it. This playful interaction helps users quickly build a nostalgic, emotion-driven playlist that captures the essence of a moment in time.
DESIGN
Once songs are selected, users title their memory playlist. These playlists are then saved in their collection, capturing emotional essence of that period in a name they chose.
WHAT I LEARNED:
I learned the importance of designing for real emotional needs, not just functionality, as users connect deeply with music tied to memories.
Grounding the feature in principles of sensory memory and nostalgia reinforced the value of research in creating meaningful user experiences.
Testing and feedback highlighted the need to adapt assumptions, showing me how iterative design leads to more user-aligned solutions.
This project taught me to prioritize designs that foster positive emotional connections, enhancing user engagement through empathy.