Summary
As Design Director at Bonsai, I led a full rebrand and product redesign as we pivoted from mentorship to music fan engagement. We introduced audio-based interactions, audiograms, and fan data tools to help artists identify and connect with their most loyal fans, integrating seamlessly with platforms like Discord, Instagram, YouTube, and Reddit.
My role
In 2022 I became design director at Bonsai, only a few weeks before the company made a major pivot into a completely new area. This required a full re-brand and redesign of the brand and the product, which I have led, and continue to work on.
Why pivot?
Over the course of Bonsai’s first iteration (Bonsai V1) we learned that there was very little incentive for high profile executives to take time off of their day to meet with mentees. During outreach campaigns and research sessions we identified a key group of users who were more interested in 1:1 connection - creators. So we gathered as a team to really define what the purpose of our product would be and build from there. After days of brainstorming exercises we landed on the following idea: A platform to help recording artists transform passive followers and fans into superfans.
This large of a shift at Bonsai also meant we not only needed a new product, we needed a whole new look that resonated with recording artists and their managers.
User research
While we briefly worked on shifting only our audience, but keeping the 1:1 video structure of the product the same, we quickly learned that that model would not work for our new audience.
User journey
We decided on audio being the best format for our Fan x Artist interactions. We put together the simplest possible user journey for both the Fan and the Artist, and began working on transitioning the product iteratively.
Evolution of the audiogram
To increase the shareability of the Artists' audio responses we chose to use the mp3 files and pair them with the Fan and Artist info, and generative art, to create visually appealing videos. These videos could be exported and shared in 9x16 and 1x1 formats, and were auto-posted to Bonsai's Instagram and Youtube Shorts pages. We called these videos audiograms, or 'bonsais.' The look and feel of the bonsais evolved over time, based on engineering capabilities and user feedback.
As a small agile team we had to take an iterative approach to the audiogram. Starting with pre-built generative art that we designed around, until getting to a point where every aspect of the audiogram was bespoke and customized to our product and our designs.
Integrations
A major piece of feedback we received was "Fans and artists don't need and don't want another social media platform, or another app they have to keep track of, they have enough on their plates." With this in mind we decided to find ways to integrate Bonsai into platforms where Fans and Artists were already interacting. Making the experience seamless for fans, and very low effort for artists.
Artist profile
The artist profile became the heart of our product, where artists could manage integrations, sort through comments and answer them, search through content, and see their fan insights.
Fan data
Now that we were intaking large amounts of fan data from platforms like Discord, Instagram, YouTube, and Reddit, we found a new opportunity to help artists connect with their superfans, and that was through data. We created the concept of a fan FICO score, where fans could be ranked based on their number of interactions with artists, allowing artists to more accurately target their superfans for ticket presales, and merch drops. This also became incredibly useful for managers and record labels that wanted to unify all their artists' fan data in one place.
Conclusion
The transformation of Bonsai from a mentorship platform to a hub for fan-artist engagement exemplifies the power of user-centered design and adaptability. By embracing audio interactions, integrating with existing platforms, and leveraging fan data analytics, we created a product that resonates with both artists and their audiences. This journey highlights the importance of aligning product development with user needs and industry dynamics, resulting in a more connected and vibrant music community.
Let's Chat
vicmov@gmail.com