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ConnecTune

MOBILE APP DESIGN FOR A PROFESSIONAL NETWORKING STARTUP

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Introduction

​ConnecTune is a Canadian Professional Networking startup specializing in connecting seasoned music tutors and aspiring students. Music tutors can showcase their portfolios and plan for events and workshops through this platform to attract potential students. Students can explore a diverse group of music tutors and connect with the best match.

My Role

Product Designer. 
Research, design, workshopping, prototyping.

Team

4 Designers, 1 Product Manager

Time Line

7 months

Tools

Figma, UserZoom, FullStory, Survey Monkey, Jira, Google Meet

Problem

No app currently showcases music tutors' expertise while connecting them with students and supporting their freelance growth.

Project Scope

Working with founders defined the project goal of repositioning ConnecTune for better customer alignment.

Business Objectives

  • Enhance tutor-student connections

  • Provide specialized tools for showcasing expertise and managing lessons

  • Improve tutor visibility and career growth 

  • Increase student engagement 

  • Establish a scalable revenue model 

  • Generate new leads / reach-outs

  • Increase service conversion rate​

Customer Goals (Tutors)

  • Showcase expertise and teaching style

  • Connect with students easily

  • Manage bookings, payments, and communication

  • Gain visibility in the music education community

  • Grow a sustainable freelance career​​​​​

How Might We

Create a platform that strengthens tutor-student connections, enhances tutor visibility, drives engagement, and boosts lead generation?

Research Plan

To inform the design of ConnecTune, I conducted a competitive analysis and user interviews with music tutors. The research aimed to identify gaps in existing platforms and gather insights into the needs and challenges faced by tutors in growing their freelance businesses.

Competitive Analysis

Analyzing the market competitors showed a Significant Gap in the Market for Supporting Music Freelancers

During the competitive analysis of popular music community apps, I examined their features and functionality for hiring music tutors. I also assessed their user flows to evaluate usability and overall experience, identifying opportunities to differentiate by enhancing current flows, improving features, and expanding the user experience with more intuitive functionalities.

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Bandlab

Lessonface

Takelessons

Superprof

Musikalesson

User Interviews

Interviews with music tutors revealed their expectations and challenges for our opportunity.

In the user interviews, I asked music tutors about the challenges they face in getting hired, the freelancing apps they currently use, and their needs and expectations from a hiring platform. I also explored how they engage with their professional network, collaborate with others, and showcase their experience and skills.

Research Findings
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Key Insights

Comprehensive Portfolio

Showcasing experience through diverse media.

Easy Communication 

Communicating with students and colleagues, and sending/receiving files. 

Community Building & Collaboration

Connecting with colleagues and students globally and receiving referrals and reviews.

Business Management

Payment processing and tracking student history.

Gain Visibility and Exposure

Finding students at the desired skill level.

Competition

Stand out in the community and attract students, especially for junior tutors with limited reviews.

Diverse Teaching Opportunities

Hosting remote and in-person classes, setting locations, and organizing group workshops and events.

Managing Requests & Availability

Managing contracts, scheduling availability, handling requests.

Defining Target Audiences

The needs of 2 personas informed the direction of ConnecTune’s focus on music tutors network building.

Portrait Man
Alex

Junior Music Tutor

About

Age 22 - Alex is a recent graduate, passionate about teaching guitar to beginners. He's new to the freelancing scene and is working to build a reputation.

Goals

  • Attract new students, particularly beginners.

  • Gain positive reviews and referrals to build credibility.

  • Find an easy-to-use platform to manage his schedule and communicate with students.

Painpoints

  • Difficulty standing out among more experienced tutors with limited reviews.

  • Overwhelmed by administrative tasks like invoicing and scheduling.

  • Needs support in building trust with students.

Tech Usage

  • Regularly uses social media and freelancing platforms but has not yet found a specific app for music tutoring.

Jazz Musician
Sarah

Experienced Music Tutor

About

Age 35 - Has been teaching music for over 10 years, specializing in piano and music theory. She has an established student base.

Goals

  • Find new students, especially adults looking to learn advanced music theory.

  • Showcase her extensive experience and qualifications effectively.

  • Schedule lessons efficiently and manage payments easily.

Painpoints

  • Struggles with visibility on general freelancing platforms where she competes with tutors in various subjects.

  • Needs a more tailored platform for music education that allows for a detailed portfolio display.

  • Wants a reliable referral system for increasing credibility.

Tech Usage

  •  Frequently uses apps for scheduling and communication but struggles with complicated platforms for booking and payments.

Defining Touch Points

Planning out the journey experience directed the app’s purpose in providing context and encouraging engagement

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Design Workshops

Workshopping with other teams to communicate the research insights and decide on core services to form higher engagement.

Product Main Features

Planning the product offerings using main features.

01

Community Networking

03

Music School Management System

02

Robust profile and portfolio showcase

04

Exposure and Visibility Management

User Flows for Major Tasks

Information Architecture

Content layout and hierarchy to timely deliver each key information along a user's journey while on the app.

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Low-Fidelity Prototypes

We wireframed the visual representation of the app layout as a blueprint for the structure and functionality of a product.

Usability Test

We conducted a usability study with 6 participants to get feedback on the wireframes​.

Goal

  • ​Can the music tutors receive teaching requests and manage them? Do they find the student-finding feature useful?

  • Do the music tutors find the community engagement and networking feature effective to get hired?​

Prompt to Test:

  • User onboarding

  • Creating Profile

  • Managing the diverse teaching oportunities

  • Community engagement through the app


 Insights
 

01

Profile Customization

03

Community Engagement Through Smart Search and Filters

02

Informative and Distance-Based Student Suggestion

04

Improving Calendar Usability

Design Iteration

High Fidelity Prototype

We are designing high-fidelity prototypes as suggestions for UI.

What's Next?

UI Design

Collaborating with UI designers to finalize the visual design

 

More Features

Investigating additional usable features for both tutors and students

Web Application

Investigating the necessity of designig a web application for the project


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Let's Connect!

©2025 Portfolio by Elham Sadr

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