Vertigo Music iOS App

Vertigo is a social app that allows users to connect with their close friends, create an environment (chat rooms), and listen to music from anywhere in the world.

Role

Design Lead, User Experience

Industry

Music/Social

Duration

23 months

As the lead UX designer for Vertigo Music, I focused on creating a seamless, engaging experience that encouraged new users to quickly understand the product's value, effortlessly connect their music accounts, and stay active within the app

User Onboarding
We knew our onboarding flow had to strike a balance between being informative and lightweight. I led the design of an interactive onboarding experience that clearly communicated the app's core value—listening to music together in real time—while minimizing cognitive load. By introducing progressive disclosure and emphasizing early moments of delight, we reduced drop-off and increased successful account creation.

Account Link Setup (Apple Music, Spotify)
Connecting music services was a critical step for functionality but posed a high risk for abandonment. I collaborated closely with engineering and legal teams to streamline the OAuth flow, design clear permission messaging, and proactively address user concerns about privacy and control. We also implemented contextual tooltips and fallback paths to help users troubleshoot issues without exiting the app.

Driving Engagement Post-Connection
Once users connected with friends, our goal was to keep them coming back. I led a series of design sprints to test different approaches—from dynamic friend activity feeds to co-listening invites and personalized content modules. By introducing lightweight social nudges and highlighting active listening sessions in real time, we significantly improved retention and created a sense of shared presence, even when users weren’t actively chatting.

We worked together to create an easier way for users to sign up or sign in to the product, making the process effortless for our audience. During this exploration, we had to be mindful that users were skipping linking their music providers (Apple Music or Spotify) which is necessary to have a complete experience in vertigo.

We improved this by shortening this user flow to fewer steps and offering users incentives such as free Apple Music or Spotify trials.

To improve the sign-up experience, we got rid of all but one CTA and turned that into a triggered drawer with all options to sign up or sign in. Another win for us was the implementation of signing up with a phone number. We immediately noticed that users adopted this method exceptionally quickly.

a black cellphone with a white letter on it

Building on the foundation of a more seamless onboarding and social listening experience, our next design focus was centered on fostering user-generated content (UGC), strengthening community dynamics, and deepening the emotional resonance of the product.

Designing for Expression Through UGC
To encourage creativity and self-expression, we began shaping a lightweight UGC experience that made it easy for users to create and share content around the music they love. Whether it was live reactions, collaborative playlists, or audio snippets, the goal was to lower the barrier to participation. I led early prototyping and user testing to explore what types of creation felt most natural in a music-first environment, ensuring tools were intuitive while still feeling fun and expressive.
Creating Safe, Shared Spaces with Groups
We recognized the need for more intimate and intentional forms of connection, so we introduced a new “Groups” feature. This allowed users to create invite-only spaces to share music, talk, and hang out with friends or fandoms in a more comfortable setting. I partnered with our research team to understand what safety, control, and identity looked like for different types of users, and those insights directly informed the design of moderation tools, group roles, and content visibility options.
Designing for Friendship and Fun
At its heart, Vertigo was about people bonding over music in real time. Our long-term vision was to create a place where shared listening turned into shared memories. Every design decision—from microinteractions to ambient presence cues—was shaped by the desire to make the app feel less like a tool and more like a digital hangout. Whether users were dancing to the same beat across time zones or quietly queuing up songs for each other, we aimed to create moments that felt personal, emotional, and genuinely joyful.

Designing for Expression Through UGC
To encourage creativity and self-expression, we began shaping a lightweight UGC experience that made it easy for users to create and share content around the music they love. Whether it was live reactions, collaborative playlists, or audio snippets, the goal was to lower the barrier to participation. I led early prototyping and user testing to explore what types of creation felt most natural in a music-first environment, ensuring tools were intuitive while still feeling fun and expressive.
Creating Safe, Shared Spaces with Groups
We recognized the need for more intimate and intentional forms of connection, so we introduced a new “Groups” feature. This allowed users to create invite-only spaces to share music, talk, and hang out with friends or fandoms in a more comfortable setting. I partnered with our research team to understand what safety, control, and identity looked like for different types of users, and those insights directly informed the design of moderation tools, group roles, and content visibility options.
Designing for Friendship and Fun
At its heart, Vertigo was about people bonding over music in real time. Our long-term vision was to create a place where shared listening turned into shared memories. Every design decision—from microinteractions to ambient presence cues—was shaped by the desire to make the app feel less like a tool and more like a digital hangout. Whether users were dancing to the same beat across time zones or quietly queuing up songs for each other, we aimed to create moments that felt personal, emotional, and genuinely joyful.

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