PROJECT
Spotify Proximity Play
ABOUT
Proximity Play is a speculative Spotify feature exploring how music can foster ambient community in public spaces.
Instead of focusing solely on personalization and algorithms, it imagines a way for listeners on the same bus, train, or in the same neighborhood to connect through shared listening.
The concept builds on Spotify’s recent push into social features (Blends, Jams, Wrapped), while asking: what if music could make strangers feel just a little less alone?
TYPE
Design Sprint / Case Study
LENGTH
2 weeks
TOOLS
Figma · Auto Layout, Variables, Component Libraries
WORK
UX Research · UX Strategy · Interaction Design · Wireframing & UI Design · Brand Integration & Visual Design
Context
Algorithm vs Community
Spotify
has become the dominant platform for personalized listening, powered by sophisticated algorithms that surface new artists, songs, and podcasts tailored to each individual.
But while personalization has made music discovery effortless, it can also feel isolating.
In recent years, Spotify has begun leaning more deliberately into community-oriented features that counter this isolation.
From Blend playlists that merge friends’ tastes, to Jams that enable group listening, to Wrapped, which transforms private habits into a shared cultural event, Spotify is signaling an interest in building more social touchpoints around music.
What if Spotify extended it's community focus into physical space?
Instead of only connecting friends and online networks, what if listening could foster ambient connection with the strangers we share our daily environments with—
on the train, in a café, or in a neighborhood?
Designed with 3 main principles.
1
Community Through Ambient Awareness
Connection should feel lightweight and non-intrusive.
The goal isn’t direct conversation, but the subtle comfort of sharing common ground with others around you.
2
Privacy & Control
Participation is opt-in only.
Identities are minimal, and listeners can toggle visibility at any time.
Safe, not surveillant.
3
Brand Cohesion
This feature must integrate seamlessly into the look and feel of Spotify.
Visuals follow Spotify’s dark UI, vibrant color accents, and familiar interaction patterns, so it feels like a natural extension of the app, not a separate experiment.
Feature Overview
Proximity Play is built around three lightweight but complementary experiences.
Each one creates opportunities for community in everyday listening without intruding on personal choice.
Nearby Listening
A real-time list of what others around you are playing.
Users can toggle visibility with a simple switch and, if enabled, allow others to “listen along” with them.
This creates a low-friction way to share music without direct interaction.
Local Jam
With a single tap, users can “listen along” with someone nearby in real time.
Hosts keep control of playback, while participants can request to add songs to the queue.
This balances spontaneity with privacy and ensures the experience feels safe and communal.
Neighborhood Trends
A map-based view that highlights the most popular tracks and podcasts across different areas.
By surfacing local charts, neighborhoods take on their own unique sonic identity.
Use Cases
Commuting
On the bus or train, riders can see what others are playing and even “listen along,” creating an unspoken sense of togetherness during solo commutes.
Travel & Tourism
Visitors can explore a neighborhood’s cultural identity by checking its most-played songs and podcasts — discovering what locals are actually listening to.
Local Businesses
Shop owners and cafés can tap into Neighborhood Trends to curate playlists that reflect the sound of their community, blending personal taste with local culture.
Everyday Exploration
Students in a library, people at the gym, or groups in a park can discover new music in the moment, without needing to actively search or share links.
Lessons Learned
1
Speculation Can Still Be Strategic!
Designing a feature that doesn’t exist in the real world challenged me to balance imagination with feasibility. While Proximity Play is speculative, rooting it in Spotify’s actual product trends and user psychology helped make it feel grounded and credible.
2
Community Needs Boundaries..
It’s easy to assume that shared experiences are always positive.
But this project taught me that designing for community means also designing for boundaries , like visibility controls, anonymous participation, and host permissions. Emotional connection shouldn’t come at the cost of comfort.
3
Brand Integration Is More Than UI
Making the screens “look like Spotify” wasn’t just about color and layout.
I had to ask: Would Spotify actually do this? Would it fit their tone, philosophy, and product trajectory? Designing with brand DNA in mind pushed me to go beyond visual polish and think at the systems level for cohesiveness with their brand identity and ideology.
4
Small Interactions Create Big Moments
The most meaningful part of the experience was also the subtlest: that single tap to “Listen Along.”
It reinforced how a tiny, low-friction gesture can carry emotional weight when timed right, especially in transitional spaces like public transit or walking between places.