Companion App for Children
UI/UX
2022
Spotify
Character Designer: Geri
Illustrator: Geri
Interface Designer: Jing Wen & Geri
Scriptwriter & Animator: Jing Wen
By age 7, 65% of children will have had an imaginary friend.
Spotify Your Little Friend introduces four companion characters designed for children to express themselves through mini games and activities. A chat feature with a frog character enables kids to share emotions and prevent emotional suppression.
UX Research
The AEIOU framework structured parent interviews to uncover their children's behavioural patterns around app usage. Activities showed screen time embedded in daily routines; Environments were shared family spaces; Interactions revealed self-regulated content choices around family; Objects highlighted reliance on a shared parent device rather than personal ownership; and Users context shaped access patterns.
As parents return to office work post-pandemic, children may experience heightened anxiety from increased separation during the day.
Mobile devices are frequently used by parents as a way to keep children occupied, allowing parents time to rest without interruption.
One in four parents report feeling tired or preoccupied with work-related stress even during leisure activities with their children.
Early ideation explored different concepts for how music could become a meaningful, everyday companion for children. Spotify Your Best Friend was chosen as the final concept. This makes Spotify feel less like a media player and more like a relatable companion, approachable and warm enough for a child, while still spotlighting what makes Spotify unique.
A fun, interactive companion for children across their favourite activities, including singing, reading, and expressing their thoughts.
We mapped out our product features and user flow to align the team on how the app would serve users across different touchpoints.
UI Design
The interface features cute character designs, vibrant colour palettes, multiple interactive buttons, and easy navigation. All sharp corners are eliminated for a child-friendly appearance.
Digital Media Advertising
The same visual language was extended across digital touchpoints to market the product. From social media carousels to EDM, web banners, and YouTube assets, each format carries the same playful character and vibrant palette, keeping the campaign cohesive wherever children and parents encounter it.
