Media

Understanding current music players

Through our research of current media, we determined what aspects were most prominent in current music players. Our research helped us narrow down on what features were necessary in a player, depending on the situation.

The range of players in the market display the diversity of music players. In general, music players fit into three categories: strictly mobile device, strictly stationary device, or a combination of both. In addition, there is variation in sound projection: standard earbuds, headphones, speakers, and directed sound technology.

From these players, we discerned the most important features to consider in a design for an office environment. The most prominent feature of mobile players is its portability. However, these players are limited by battery power. In an office environment, going back to our user interviews, these small players often get lost easily in work on a desk. A stationary player, on the other hand, is not as easily lost. However, it takes up space and often requires speakers. A multi-faceted device such as the Sirius radio players are both portable and stationary. It can be switched from stationary device to stationary devices. Users of these players could take the player from the car stereo to a work stereo. Most importantly, it stores the user's preferences as the faceplate is switched from a base station to base station.

From the media research, we leaned toward a multifaceted player which embodied the best qualities of a mobile player and a stationary player. Our user research pointed out that commuting to work is also a place where people listened to music. In addition, people often moved from workspace to workspace within the same company.