Connecting Creatives at Amazon Music
Project Rhythm
Connecting Creatives at Amazon Music
Project Rhythm
Connecting Creatives at Amazon Music
Project Rhythm
Project Rhythm
Connecting Creatives at Amazon Music
Problem
Valuable creative work at Amazon Music was getting lost in the noise, limiting collaboration and the team's ability to reach its full potential.
Problem
Valuable creative work at Amazon Music was getting lost in the noise, limiting collaboration and the team's ability to reach its full potential.
Problem
Valuable creative work at Amazon Music was getting lost in the noise, limiting collaboration and the team's ability to reach its full potential.
Role
Product Designer, Visual Designer
Role
Product Designer, Visual Designer
Role
Product Designer, Visual Designer
Duration
4 months (2023-24)
Duration
4 months (2023-24)
Duration
4 months (2023-24)
tl;dr
Developed a web-based platform designed to centralize creative work, showcase projects, and foster a more connected and informed team at Amazon Music.
tl;dr
Developed a web-based platform designed to centralize creative work, showcase projects, and foster a more connected and informed team at Amazon Music.
tl;dr
Developed a web-based platform designed to centralize creative work, showcase projects, and foster a more connected and informed team at Amazon Music.
Background
Amazon Music is full of creativity with talented individuals and teams constantly producing amazing work. But there was a problem: our internal systems weren't keeping pace. Projects were hidden in silos, individual contributions were lost in the noise, and celebrating our collective achievements was a challenge. But it went deeper than that.
Some problems we faced were:
Lack of visibility into ongoing projects across teams, leading to duplication of efforts and missed collaboration opportunities
Difficulty tracking individual contributions, impacting recognition and performance reviews
Scattered internal news and resources across multiple platforms (email, Slack, internal sites), making it hard to stay informed
Inaccessible and underutilized research findings, often buried in lengthy documents
No centralized repository for project files and case studies, resulting in time wasted searching for information
Inefficient onboarding process for new hires due to fragmented knowledge base
Limited leadership visibility into the breadth of ongoing initiatives
Challenges in fostering a culture of celebration and recognition for completed work
These issues led to inefficiencies, reduced collaboration, and a fragmented organizational knowledge base, ultimately impacting Amazon Music's ability to innovate and operate cohesively.
Observations
Real world pain-points I observed during the day-to-day operations of design at Amazon Music, which prompted me to create Project Rhythm.
Who did this?
Both colleagues and leadership could see creative in the wild without knowing who created it.
Where's this file!?
Designers were regularly looking for either a source file or figma link (whether it be recent, or archived).
Post-vacation overload
After vacay, it's always a treasure hunt to find "whats been happening".
Onboarding blues
As a curious new hire, you want to be proactive to get up to speed, but there's no central hub — everything is everywhere all at once.
I want to learn more..
But, there was no way to proactively be fed Amazon Music-specific research or recordings without knowing what you were looking for.
A culture of design
There was no place to get a birds-eye view of the design organizations efforts to celebrate what we've accomplished as a whole.
Who did this?
Both colleagues and leadership could see creative in the wild without knowing who created it.
Where's this file!?
Designers were regularly looking for either a source file or figma link (whether it be recent, or archived).
Post-vacation overload
After vacay, it's always a treasure hunt to find "whats been happening".
Onboarding blues
As a curious new hire, you want to be proactive to get up to speed, but there's no central hub — everything is everywhere all at once.
I want to learn more..
But, there was no way to proactively be fed Amazon Music-specific research or recordings without knowing what you were looking for.
A culture of design
There was no place to get a birds-eye view of the design organizations efforts to celebrate what we've accomplished as a whole.
Who did this?
Both colleagues and leadership could see creative in the wild without knowing who created it.
Where's this file!?
Designers were regularly looking for either a source file or figma link (whether it be recent, or archived).
Post-vacation overload
After vacay, it's always a treasure hunt to find "whats been happening".
Onboarding blues
As a curious new hire, you want to be proactive to get up to speed, but there's no central hub — everything is everywhere all at once.
I want to learn more..
But, there was no way to proactively be fed Amazon Music-specific research or recordings without knowing what you were looking for.
A culture of design
There was no place to get a birds-eye view of the design organizations efforts to celebrate what we've accomplished as a whole.
Who did this?
Both colleagues and leadership could see creative in the wild without knowing who created it.
Where's this file!?
Designers were regularly looking for either a source file or figma link (whether it be recent, or archived).
Post-vacation overload
After vacay, it's always a treasure hunt to find "whats been happening".
Onboarding blues
As a curious new hire, you want to be proactive to get up to speed, but there's no central hub — everything is everywhere all at once.
I want to learn more..
But, there was no way to proactively be fed Amazon Music-specific research or recordings without knowing what you were looking for.
A culture of design
There was no place to get a birds-eye view of the design organizations efforts to celebrate what we've accomplished as a whole.
Who did this?
Both colleagues and leadership could see creative in the wild without knowing who created it.
Where's this file!?
Designers were regularly looking for either a source file or figma link (whether it be recent, or archived).
Post-vacation overload
After vacay, it's always a treasure hunt to find "whats been happening".
Onboarding blues
As a curious new hire, you want to be proactive to get up to speed, but there's no central hub — everything is everywhere all at once.
I want to learn more..
But, there was no way to proactively be fed Amazon Music-specific research or recordings without knowing what you were looking for.
A culture of design
There was no place to get a birds-eye view of the design organizations efforts to celebrate what we've accomplished as a whole.
Who did this?
Both colleagues and leadership could see creative in the wild without knowing who created it.
Where's this file!?
Designers were regularly looking for either a source file or figma link (whether it be recent, or archived).
Post-vacation overload
After vacay, it's always a treasure hunt to find "whats been happening".
Onboarding blues
As a curious new hire, you want to be proactive to get up to speed, but there's no central hub — everything is everywhere all at once.
I want to learn more..
But, there was no way to proactively be fed Amazon Music-specific research or recordings without knowing what you were looking for.
A culture of design
There was no place to get a birds-eye view of the design organizations efforts to celebrate what we've accomplished as a whole.
Who did this?
Both colleagues and leadership could see creative in the wild without knowing who created it.
Where's this file!?
Designers were regularly looking for either a source file or figma link (whether it be recent, or archived).
Post-vacation overload
After vacay, it's always a treasure hunt to find "whats been happening".
Onboarding blues
As a curious new hire, you want to be proactive to get up to speed, but there's no central hub — everything is everywhere all at once.
I want to learn more..
But, there was no way to proactively be fed Amazon Music-specific research or recordings without knowing what you were looking for.
A culture of design
There was no place to get a birds-eye view of the design organizations efforts to celebrate what we've accomplished as a whole.
Who did this?
Both colleagues and leadership could see creative in the wild without knowing who created it.
Where's this file!?
Designers were regularly looking for either a source file or figma link (whether it be recent, or archived).
Post-vacation overload
After vacay, it's always a treasure hunt to find "whats been happening".
Onboarding blues
As a curious new hire, you want to be proactive to get up to speed, but there's no central hub — everything is everywhere all at once.
I want to learn more..
But, there was no way to proactively be fed Amazon Music-specific research or recordings without knowing what you were looking for.
A culture of design
There was no place to get a birds-eye view of the design organizations efforts to celebrate what we've accomplished as a whole.
Who did this?
Both colleagues and leadership could see creative in the wild without knowing who created it.
Where's this file!?
Designers were regularly looking for either a source file or figma link (whether it be recent, or archived).
Post-vacation overload
After vacay, it's always a treasure hunt to find "whats been happening".
Onboarding blues
As a curious new hire, you want to be proactive to get up to speed, but there's no central hub — everything is everywhere all at once.
I want to learn more..
But, there was no way to proactively be fed Amazon Music-specific research or recordings without knowing what you were looking for.
A culture of design
There was no place to get a birds-eye view of the design organizations efforts to celebrate what we've accomplished as a whole.
Who did this?
Both colleagues and leadership could see creative in the wild without knowing who created it.
Where's this file!?
Designers were regularly looking for either a source file or figma link (whether it be recent, or archived).
Post-vacation overload
After vacay, it's always a treasure hunt to find "whats been happening".
Onboarding blues
As a curious new hire, you want to be proactive to get up to speed, but there's no central hub — everything is everywhere all at once.
I want to learn more..
But, there was no way to proactively be fed Amazon Music-specific research or recordings without knowing what you were looking for.
A culture of design
There was no place to get a birds-eye view of the design organizations efforts to celebrate what we've accomplished as a whole.
Who did this?
Both colleagues and leadership could see creative in the wild without knowing who created it.
Where's this file!?
Designers were regularly looking for either a source file or figma link (whether it be recent, or archived).
Post-vacation overload
After vacay, it's always a treasure hunt to find "whats been happening".
Onboarding blues
As a curious new hire, you want to be proactive to get up to speed, but there's no central hub — everything is everywhere all at once.
I want to learn more..
But, there was no way to proactively be fed Amazon Music-specific research or recordings without knowing what you were looking for.
A culture of design
There was no place to get a birds-eye view of the design organizations efforts to celebrate what we've accomplished as a whole.
Who did this?
Both colleagues and leadership could see creative in the wild without knowing who created it.
Where's this file!?
Designers were regularly looking for either a source file or figma link (whether it be recent, or archived).
Post-vacation overload
After vacay, it's always a treasure hunt to find "whats been happening".
Onboarding blues
As a curious new hire, you want to be proactive to get up to speed, but there's no central hub — everything is everywhere all at once.
I want to learn more..
But, there was no way to proactively be fed Amazon Music-specific research or recordings without knowing what you were looking for.
A culture of design
There was no place to get a birds-eye view of the design organizations efforts to celebrate what we've accomplished as a whole.
Where's this file!?
Designers were regularly looking for either a source file or figma link (whether it be recent, or archived).
Who did this?
Both colleagues and leadership could see creative in the wild without knowing who created it.
Post-vacation overload
After vacay, it's always a treasure hunt to find "whats been happening".
I want to learn more..
There was no way to proactively be fed Amazon Music-specific research or recordings without knowing what you were looking for.
Onboarding blues
As a curious new hire, you want to be proactive to get up to speed, but there's no central hub — everything is everywhere all at once.
A culture of design
There was no place to get a birds-eye view of the design organizations efforts to celebrate what we've accomplished as a whole.
Solution: A "Blue Sky Idea" to an MVP
What if there was a single platform that addressed all these issues?
The challenges I previously mentioned were holding us back. They hindered our ability to innovate, collaborate effectively, and foster a strong creative culture. It was time for a change — a way to bring all the amazing work at Amazon Music into the spotlight.
That's why Project Rhythm was created.
Design Approach
There wasn't a blueprint for something like this at Amazon. I was starting from scratch, navigating an ambiguous landscape of creative work.
I needed to zoom out and think about all of the moving parts when it came to creative work at Amazon Music. There were several data types, stakeholder roles, project categories, and varying team needs. I sought to map out the day-to-day challenges and create a prototype that stakeholders could tangibly experience.
Problem Organization
I created a mind map to take inventory, visualize pain points, and potential solutions — ensuring a full understanding of the problem
Problem Organization
I created a mind map to take inventory, visualize pain points, and potential solutions — ensuring a full understanding of the problem
Problem Organization
I created a mind map to take inventory, visualize pain points, and potential solutions — ensuring a full understanding of the problem
Planning Data Relationships
Developed a content structure diagram to map data relationships to understand the complex CMS connections between different types of information.
Planning Data Relationships
Developed a content structure diagram to map data relationships to understand the complex CMS connections between different types of information.
Planning Data Relationships
Developed a content structure diagram to map data relationships to understand the complex CMS connections between different types of information.
Design and Prototyping
Created high-fidelity mockups using Figma, allowing for rapid iteration and visual feedback Then built a living prototype with Framer.com to demonstrate interactivity and flow, crucial for stakeholder buy-in.
Design and Prototyping
Created high-fidelity mockups using Figma, allowing for rapid iteration and visual feedback Then built a living prototype with Framer.com to demonstrate interactivity and flow, crucial for stakeholder buy-in.
Design and Prototyping
Created high-fidelity mockups using Figma, allowing for rapid iteration and visual feedback Then built a living prototype with Framer.com to demonstrate interactivity and flow, crucial for stakeholder buy-in.
Key Product Features
Centralized Dashboard
A birds-eye view of recent projects, research, collections, and team news organized in clear sections, providing a centralized hub for staying informed and inspired.
Project Showcase
Detailed case studies that celebrate individual contributions and provide valuable context. Rich media integration (versus a static pdf), related collections, and customizable CTAs.
Contributor Profiles
To tackle the 'who did what?' dilemma and ensure everyone gets credit for their contributions, I created Contributor Profiles. These personalized portfolios act as a showcase for individual work, highlighting each person's skills and projects.
Research Hub
A dedicated space for insights and data, envisioned to promote data-driven decision-making and continuous learning. This transforms text-heavy documents into engaging, browsable content
Collections
Customizable groupings of related content that can be organized by project theme, quarter, or team — or really whatever you want. Collections can contain any type of Rhythm content; projects, research, or recordings.
Recordings Repository
A centralized repository for capturing and sharing Amazon Music-specific knowledge and insights. Addresses scattered resources, inefficient onboarding, loss of institutional knowledge, research findings, and underutilization of valuable insights
Centralized Dashboard
A birds-eye view of recent projects, research, collections, and team news organized in clear sections, providing a centralized hub for staying informed and inspired.
Project Showcase
Detailed case studies that celebrate individual contributions and provide valuable context. Rich media integration (versus a static pdf), related collections, and customizable CTAs.
Contributor Profiles
To tackle the 'who did what?' dilemma and ensure everyone gets credit for their contributions, I created Contributor Profiles. These personalized portfolios act as a showcase for individual work, highlighting each person's skills and projects.
Research Hub
A dedicated space for insights and data, envisioned to promote data-driven decision-making and continuous learning. This transforms text-heavy documents into engaging, browsable content
Collections
Customizable groupings of related content that can be organized by project theme, quarter, or team — or really whatever you want. Collections can contain any type of Rhythm content; projects, research, or recordings.
Recordings Repository
A centralized repository for capturing and sharing Amazon Music-specific knowledge and insights. Addresses scattered resources, inefficient onboarding, loss of institutional knowledge, research findings, and underutilization of valuable insights
Centralized Dashboard
A birds-eye view of recent projects, research, collections, and team news organized in clear sections, providing a centralized hub for staying informed and inspired.
Project Showcase
Detailed case studies that celebrate individual contributions and provide valuable context. Rich media integration (versus a static pdf), related collections, and customizable CTAs.
Contributor Profiles
To tackle the 'who did what?' dilemma and ensure everyone gets credit for their contributions, I created Contributor Profiles. These personalized portfolios act as a showcase for individual work, highlighting each person's skills and projects.
Research Hub
A dedicated space for insights and data, envisioned to promote data-driven decision-making and continuous learning. This transforms text-heavy documents into engaging, browsable content
Collections
Customizable groupings of related content that can be organized by project theme, quarter, or team — or really whatever you want. Collections can contain any type of Rhythm content; projects, research, or recordings.
Recordings Repository
A centralized repository for capturing and sharing Amazon Music-specific knowledge and insights. Addresses scattered resources, inefficient onboarding, loss of institutional knowledge, research findings, and underutilization of valuable insights
Centralized Dashboard
A birds-eye view of recent projects, research, collections, and team news organized in clear sections, providing a centralized hub for staying informed and inspired.
Project Showcase
Detailed case studies that celebrate individual contributions and provide valuable context. Rich media integration (versus a static pdf), related collections, and customizable CTAs.
Contributor Profiles
To tackle the 'who did what?' dilemma and ensure everyone gets credit for their contributions, I created Contributor Profiles. These personalized portfolios act as a showcase for individual work, highlighting each person's skills and projects.
Research Hub
A dedicated space for insights and data, envisioned to promote data-driven decision-making and continuous learning. This transforms text-heavy documents into engaging, browsable content
Collections
Customizable groupings of related content that can be organized by project theme, quarter, or team — or really whatever you want. Collections can contain any type of Rhythm content; projects, research, or recordings.
Recordings Repository
A centralized repository for capturing and sharing Amazon Music-specific knowledge and insights. Addresses scattered resources, inefficient onboarding, loss of institutional knowledge, research findings, and underutilization of valuable insights
Centralized Dashboard
A birds-eye view of recent projects, research, collections, and team news organized in clear sections, providing a centralized hub for staying informed and inspired.
Project Showcase
Detailed case studies that celebrate individual contributions and provide valuable context. Rich media integration (versus a static pdf), related collections, and customizable CTAs.
Contributor Profiles
To tackle the 'who did what?' dilemma and ensure everyone gets credit for their contributions, I created Contributor Profiles. These personalized portfolios act as a showcase for individual work, highlighting each person's skills and projects.
Research Hub
A dedicated space for insights and data, envisioned to promote data-driven decision-making and continuous learning. This transforms text-heavy documents into engaging, browsable content
Collections
Customizable groupings of related content that can be organized by project theme, quarter, or team — or really whatever you want. Collections can contain any type of Rhythm content; projects, research, or recordings.
Recordings Repository
A centralized repository for capturing and sharing Amazon Music-specific knowledge and insights. Addresses scattered resources, inefficient onboarding, loss of institutional knowledge, research findings, and underutilization of valuable insights
Centralized Dashboard
A birds-eye view of recent projects, research, collections, and team news organized in clear sections, providing a centralized hub for staying informed and inspired.
Project Showcase
Detailed case studies that celebrate individual contributions and provide valuable context. Rich media integration (versus a static pdf), related collections, and customizable CTAs.
Contributor Profiles
To tackle the 'who did what?' dilemma and ensure everyone gets credit for their contributions, I created Contributor Profiles. These personalized portfolios act as a showcase for individual work, highlighting each person's skills and projects.
Research Hub
A dedicated space for insights and data, envisioned to promote data-driven decision-making and continuous learning. This transforms text-heavy documents into engaging, browsable content
Collections
Customizable groupings of related content that can be organized by project theme, quarter, or team — or really whatever you want. Collections can contain any type of Rhythm content; projects, research, or recordings.
Recordings Repository
A centralized repository for capturing and sharing Amazon Music-specific knowledge and insights. Addresses scattered resources, inefficient onboarding, loss of institutional knowledge, research findings, and underutilization of valuable insights
Centralized Dashboard
A birds-eye view of recent projects, research, collections, and team news organized in clear sections, providing a centralized hub for staying informed and inspired.
Project Showcase
Detailed case studies that celebrate individual contributions and provide valuable context. Rich media integration (versus a static pdf), related collections, and customizable CTAs.
Contributor Profiles
To tackle the 'who did what?' dilemma and ensure everyone gets credit for their contributions, I created Contributor Profiles. These personalized portfolios act as a showcase for individual work, highlighting each person's skills and projects.
Research Hub
A dedicated space for insights and data, envisioned to promote data-driven decision-making and continuous learning. This transforms text-heavy documents into engaging, browsable content
Collections
Customizable groupings of related content that can be organized by project theme, quarter, or team — or really whatever you want. Collections can contain any type of Rhythm content; projects, research, or recordings.
Recordings Repository
A centralized repository for capturing and sharing Amazon Music-specific knowledge and insights. Addresses scattered resources, inefficient onboarding, loss of institutional knowledge, research findings, and underutilization of valuable insights
Centralized Dashboard
A birds-eye view of recent projects, research, collections, and team news organized in clear sections, providing a centralized hub for staying informed and inspired.
Project Showcase
Detailed case studies that celebrate individual contributions and provide valuable context. Rich media integration (versus a static pdf), related collections, and customizable CTAs.
Contributor Profiles
To tackle the 'who did what?' dilemma and ensure everyone gets credit for their contributions, I created Contributor Profiles. These personalized portfolios act as a showcase for individual work, highlighting each person's skills and projects.
Research Hub
A dedicated space for insights and data, envisioned to promote data-driven decision-making and continuous learning. This transforms text-heavy documents into engaging, browsable content
Collections
Customizable groupings of related content that can be organized by project theme, quarter, or team — or really whatever you want. Collections can contain any type of Rhythm content; projects, research, or recordings.
Recordings Repository
A centralized repository for capturing and sharing Amazon Music-specific knowledge and insights. Addresses scattered resources, inefficient onboarding, loss of institutional knowledge, research findings, and underutilization of valuable insights
Centralized Dashboard
A birds-eye view of recent projects, research, collections, and team news organized in clear sections, providing a centralized hub for staying informed and inspired.
Project Showcase
Detailed case studies that celebrate individual contributions and provide valuable context. Rich media integration (versus a static pdf), related collections, and customizable CTAs.
Contributor Profiles
To tackle the 'who did what?' dilemma and ensure everyone gets credit for their contributions, I created Contributor Profiles. These personalized portfolios act as a showcase for individual work, highlighting each person's skills and projects.
Research Hub
A dedicated space for insights and data, envisioned to promote data-driven decision-making and continuous learning. This transforms text-heavy documents into engaging, browsable content
Collections
Customizable groupings of related content that can be organized by project theme, quarter, or team — or really whatever you want. Collections can contain any type of Rhythm content; projects, research, or recordings.
Recordings Repository
A centralized repository for capturing and sharing Amazon Music-specific knowledge and insights. Addresses scattered resources, inefficient onboarding, loss of institutional knowledge, research findings, and underutilization of valuable insights
Centralized Dashboard
A birds-eye view of recent projects, research, collections, and team news organized in clear sections, providing a centralized hub for staying informed and inspired.
Project Showcase
Detailed case studies that celebrate individual contributions and provide valuable context. Rich media integration (versus a static pdf), related collections, and customizable CTAs.
Contributor Profiles
To tackle the 'who did what?' dilemma and ensure everyone gets credit for their contributions, I created Contributor Profiles. These personalized portfolios act as a showcase for individual work, highlighting each person's skills and projects.
Research Hub
A dedicated space for insights and data, envisioned to promote data-driven decision-making and continuous learning. This transforms text-heavy documents into engaging, browsable content
Collections
Customizable groupings of related content that can be organized by project theme, quarter, or team — or really whatever you want. Collections can contain any type of Rhythm content; projects, research, or recordings.
Recordings Repository
A centralized repository for capturing and sharing Amazon Music-specific knowledge and insights. Addresses scattered resources, inefficient onboarding, loss of institutional knowledge, research findings, and underutilization of valuable insights
Centralized Dashboard
A birds-eye view of recent projects, research, collections, and team news organized in clear sections, providing a centralized hub for staying informed and inspired.
Project Showcase
Detailed case studies that celebrate individual contributions and provide valuable context. Rich media integration (versus a static pdf), related collections, and customizable CTAs.
Contributor Profiles
To tackle the 'who did what?' dilemma and ensure everyone gets credit for their contributions, I created Contributor Profiles. These personalized portfolios act as a showcase for individual work, highlighting each person's skills and projects.
Research Hub
A dedicated space for insights and data, envisioned to promote data-driven decision-making and continuous learning. This transforms text-heavy documents into engaging, browsable content
Collections
Customizable groupings of related content that can be organized by project theme, quarter, or team — or really whatever you want. Collections can contain any type of Rhythm content; projects, research, or recordings.
Recordings Repository
A centralized repository for capturing and sharing Amazon Music-specific knowledge and insights. Addresses scattered resources, inefficient onboarding, loss of institutional knowledge, research findings, and underutilization of valuable insights
Centralized Dashboard
A birds-eye view of recent projects, research, collections, and team news organized in clear sections, providing a centralized hub for staying informed and inspired.
Project Showcase
Detailed case studies that celebrate individual contributions and provide valuable context. Rich media integration (versus a static pdf), related collections, and customizable CTAs.
Contributor Profiles
To tackle the 'who did what?' dilemma and ensure everyone gets credit for their contributions, I created Contributor Profiles. These personalized portfolios act as a showcase for individual work, highlighting each person's skills and projects.
Research Hub
A dedicated space for insights and data, envisioned to promote data-driven decision-making and continuous learning. This transforms text-heavy documents into engaging, browsable content
Collections
Customizable groupings of related content that can be organized by project theme, quarter, or team — or really whatever you want. Collections can contain any type of Rhythm content; projects, research, or recordings.
Recordings Repository
A centralized repository for capturing and sharing Amazon Music-specific knowledge and insights. Addresses scattered resources, inefficient onboarding, loss of institutional knowledge, research findings, and underutilization of valuable insights
Centralized Dashboard
A birds-eye view of recent projects, research, collections, and team news organized in clear sections, providing a centralized hub for staying informed and inspired.
Project Showcase
Detailed case studies that celebrate individual contributions and provide valuable context. Rich media integration (versus a static pdf), related collections, and customizable CTAs.
Contributor Profiles
To tackle the 'who did what?' dilemma and ensure everyone gets credit for their contributions, I created Contributor Profiles. These personalized portfolios act as a showcase for individual work, highlighting each person's skills and projects.
Research Hub
A dedicated space for insights and data, envisioned to promote data-driven decision-making and continuous learning. This transforms text-heavy documents into engaging, browsable content
Collections
Customizable groupings of related content that can be organized by project theme, quarter, or team — or really whatever you want. Collections can contain any type of Rhythm content; projects, research, or recordings.
Recordings Repository
A centralized repository for capturing and sharing Amazon Music-specific knowledge and insights. Addresses scattered resources, inefficient onboarding, loss of institutional knowledge, research findings, and underutilization of valuable insights
Centralized Dashboard
A birds-eye view of recent projects, research, collections, and team news organized in clear sections, providing a centralized hub for staying informed and inspired.
Project Showcase
Detailed case studies that celebrate individual contributions and provide valuable context. Rich media integration (versus a static pdf), related collections, and customizable CTAs.
Contributor Profiles
To tackle the 'who did what?' dilemma and ensure everyone gets credit for their contributions, I created Contributor Profiles. These personalized portfolios act as a showcase for individual work, highlighting each person's skills and projects.
Research Hub
A dedicated space for insights and data, envisioned to promote data-driven decision-making and continuous learning. This transforms text-heavy documents into engaging, browsable content
Collections
Customizable groupings of related content that can be organized by project theme, quarter, or team — or really whatever you want. Collections can contain any type of Rhythm content; projects, research, or recordings.
Recordings Repository
A centralized repository for capturing and sharing Amazon Music-specific knowledge and insights. Addresses scattered resources, inefficient onboarding, loss of institutional knowledge, research findings, and underutilization of valuable insights
Centralized Dashboard
A birds-eye view of recent projects, research, collections, and team news organized in clear sections, providing a centralized hub for staying informed and inspired.
Project Showcase
Detailed case studies that celebrate individual contributions and provide valuable context. Rich media integration (versus a static pdf), related collections, and customizable CTAs.
Contributor Profiles
To tackle the 'who did what?' dilemma and ensure everyone gets credit for their contributions, I created Contributor Profiles. These personalized portfolios act as a showcase for individual work, highlighting each person's skills and projects.
Research Hub
A dedicated space for insights and data, envisioned to promote data-driven decision-making and continuous learning. This transforms text-heavy documents into engaging, browsable content
Collections
Customizable groupings of related content that can be organized by project theme, quarter, or team — or really whatever you want. Collections can contain any type of Rhythm content; projects, research, or recordings.
Recordings Repository
A centralized repository for capturing and sharing Amazon Music-specific knowledge and insights. Addresses scattered resources, inefficient onboarding, loss of institutional knowledge, research findings, and underutilization of valuable insights
Centralized Dashboard
A birds-eye view of recent projects, research, collections, and team news organized in clear sections, providing a centralized hub for staying informed and inspired.
Project Showcase
Detailed case studies that celebrate individual contributions and provide valuable context. Rich media integration (versus a static pdf), related collections, and customizable CTAs.
Contributor Profiles
To tackle the 'who did what?' dilemma and ensure everyone gets credit for their contributions, I created Contributor Profiles. These personalized portfolios act as a showcase for individual work, highlighting each person's skills and projects.
Research Hub
A dedicated space for insights and data, envisioned to promote data-driven decision-making and continuous learning. This transforms text-heavy documents into engaging, browsable content
Collections
Customizable groupings of related content that can be organized by project theme, quarter, or team — or really whatever you want. Collections can contain any type of Rhythm content; projects, research, or recordings.
Recordings Repository
A centralized repository for capturing and sharing Amazon Music-specific knowledge and insights. Addresses scattered resources, inefficient onboarding, loss of institutional knowledge, research findings, and underutilization of valuable insights
Stakeholder Feedback
I conducted in-depth discussions with representatives from various verticals within Amazon Music, including:
Individual Contributors (ICs): Art directors, motion designers, copywriters
Product Leadership
Project Managers (both marketing/brand and app/product sides)
Researchers and Research Leadership
Program Manager overseeing the entire Amazon Music operation
Head of Brand Design
Head of Motion Design team
Head of Amazon Music Live Design
During these interviews, I sought to:
Identify any potential gaps in the proposed solution
Gather insights on how Project Rhythm could benefit their specific roles
Understand any concerns or additional requirements
Based on the feedback received, I made iterative improvements to the prototype, ensuring that Project Rhythm addressed the needs of all stakeholders.
The response was overwhelmingly positive, with all interviewed stakeholders finding Project Rhythm extremely useful for their respective roles and teams:
"We've been wanting to make research look more approachable and cool. This does that!"
Head of Research
"We've been wanting to make research look more approachable and cool. This does that!"
Head of Research
"We've been wanting to make research look more approachable and cool. This does that!"
Head of Research
"This will be great to show prospective employees when we talk about culture."
Product Design Lead
"This will be great to show prospective employees when we talk about culture."
Product Design Lead
"This will be great to show prospective employees when we talk about culture."
Product Design Lead
"We could be doing a better job to celebrate our wins."
Product Manager
"We could be doing a better job to celebrate our wins."
Product Manager
"We could be doing a better job to celebrate our wins."
Product Manager
"This is going to save me so much time without having to write monthly emails."
Program Manager
"This is going to save me so much time without having to write monthly emails."
Program Manager
"This is going to save me so much time without having to write monthly emails."
Program Manager
"Yay! Now people will know I exist."
Copywriter
"Yay! Now people will know I exist."
Copywriter
"Yay! Now people will know I exist."
Copywriter
"This would have helped me get up to speed so much quicker."
New Hire, Creative Director
"This would have helped me get up to speed so much quicker."
New Hire, Creative Director
"This would have helped me get up to speed so much quicker."
New Hire, Creative Director
Leadership Embraces Rhythm
A few months after this idea hit me, the fully functional MVP of Project Rhythm was presented to senior leadership, including the VP of Design, and was met with enthusiastic support. Stakeholders across various departments recognized its potential to transform Amazon Music's design culture and streamline internal communication — and the VP of Design was equally excited.
Discussions arose about potential pilot programs within Amazon Music and how beneficial it would be to expand the platform across the entire Amazon ecosystem. The positive reception validated Project Rhythm's potential to solve critical challenges and foster a more connected and informed workforce.
Impact
To measure the potential impact of Project Rhythm, I conducted a survey of 150 design team members. The results showed that only 17% were very familiar with the range of projects at Amazon Music, while 42% were not very familiar at all. Many team members (31%) frequently struggled to find information about past projects or colleagues' work.
Despite these challenges, the core features of Project Rhythm were rated highly valuable, with the Project Showcase receiving a 4.7 out of 5 rating. 86% of respondents believed Project Rhythm would improve collaboration and knowledge sharing, and 74% were "very likely" to use it regularly.
These findings show that Project Rhythm addresses a real need within the Amazon Music design team. The platform has the potential to significantly improve communication, collaboration, and knowledge sharing.
A Reflection on Design Values
I'm happy to showcase this project on my portfolio, because Project Rhythm embodies my everyday approach to problem-solving
Proactive Initiative
Identifying and addressing pain points without being prompted
Proactive Initiative
Identifying and addressing pain points without being prompted
Proactive Initiative
Identifying and addressing pain points without being prompted
Holistic Thinking
Generating solutions that benefit multiple stakeholders
Holistic Thinking
Generating solutions that benefit multiple stakeholders
Holistic Thinking
Generating solutions that benefit multiple stakeholders
User Centric Design
Prioritizing clean, intuitive, and engaging user experiences
User Centric Design
Prioritizing clean, intuitive, and engaging user experiences
User Centric Design
Prioritizing clean, intuitive, and engaging user experiences
What's Next
I'm looking forward to collaborating with developers on this build. We'll leverage Amazon's internal APIs to streamline user onboarding and data integration, such as pulling headshots and profile information. We'll also use the Quip API to keep case studies updated with the latest project details.
With my coding experience, I'm comfortable with technical discussions and eager to contribute to the implementation. I'm particularly interested in ensuring a smooth transition from concept to a user-friendly platform. I believe this hands-on experience will be invaluable in seeing the project through its entire lifecycle.