Digital Diggin'

The way we consume music has transformed dramatically over time, from live performances and physical records to instant, on-demand streaming from the palm of our hand. Platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube have become deeply embedded in modern life, offering unprecedented access to millions of songs at any moment. Yet, this convenience comes at a cost.
The way we consume music has transformed dramatically over time, from live performances and physical records to instant, on-demand streaming from the palm of our hand. Platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube have become deeply embedded in modern life, offering unprecedented access to millions of songs at any moment. Yet, this convenience comes at a cost.
The way we consume music has transformed dramatically over time, from live performances and physical records to instant, on-demand streaming from the palm of our hand. Platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube have become deeply embedded in modern life, offering unprecedented access to millions of songs at any moment. Yet, this convenience comes at a cost.

While we listen to more music than ever before, many listeners report a growing sense of dissatisfaction.

Listeners describe skipping endlessly in search of the “perfect” track, struggling to commit to full albums, and feeling a loss of depth in their connection to music:
Listeners describe skipping endlessly in search of the “perfect” track, struggling to commit to full albums, and feeling a loss of depth in their connection to music:
Listeners describe skipping endlessly in search of the “perfect” track, struggling to commit to full albums, and feeling a loss of depth in their connection to music:
“Having access to millions of songs on Spotify led me to excessively skip songs in the pursuit of finding the perfect song, but rarely satisfied with what I picked anyway… I felt I could no longer enjoy a song or an album in its entirety.” [1]
“Having access to millions of songs on Spotify led me to excessively skip songs in the pursuit of finding the perfect song, but rarely satisfied with what I picked anyway… I felt I could no longer enjoy a song or an album in its entirety.” [1]
“Having access to millions of songs on Spotify led me to excessively skip songs in the pursuit of finding the perfect song, but rarely satisfied with what I picked anyway… I felt I could no longer enjoy a song or an album in its entirety.” [1]
“Since joining Spotify, I’ve been on a constant hunt for a song that will move me, skipping a lot, jumping from one thing to another… I feel like I’ve lost the depth in music. In the past, I’d listen to albums back-to-back. Now, I barely listen to albums at all.” [2]
“Since joining Spotify, I’ve been on a constant hunt for a song that will move me, skipping a lot, jumping from one thing to another… I feel like I’ve lost the depth in music. In the past, I’d listen to albums back-to-back. Now, I barely listen to albums at all.” [2]
“Since joining Spotify, I’ve been on a constant hunt for a song that will move me, skipping a lot, jumping from one thing to another… I feel like I’ve lost the depth in music. In the past, I’d listen to albums back-to-back. Now, I barely listen to albums at all.” [2]
“I miss having my own personal collection of music I hand-picked, instead of hundreds of albums I conveniently clicked ‘Add to Library’ on.” [3]
“I miss having my own personal collection of music I hand-picked, instead of hundreds of albums I conveniently clicked ‘Add to Library’ on.” [3]
“I miss having my own personal collection of music I hand-picked, instead of hundreds of albums I conveniently clicked ‘Add to Library’ on.” [3]

Some listeners have turned to older mediums like vinyl, CDs, or tapes to rekindle that sense of connection. But is reverting to analogue formats the only path forward? Digital music remains flexible, affordable, direct, and accessible. Qualities that make it extremely attractive. The key difference between the streaming method of music consumption and older mediums is tangibility. Physical media gives music a form you can hold, store, share, and explore. This project sets out to explore whether introducing a physical representation of digital music could restore a richer, more intentional listening experience, without abandoning the advantages of the digital world.

Some listeners have turned to older mediums like vinyl, CDs, or tapes to rekindle that sense of connection. But is reverting to analogue formats the only path forward? Digital music remains flexible, affordable, direct, and accessible. Qualities that make it extremely attractive. The key difference between the streaming method of music consumption and older mediums is tangibility. Physical media gives music a form you can hold, store, share, and explore. This project sets out to explore whether introducing a physical representation of digital music could restore a richer, more intentional listening experience, without abandoning the advantages of the digital world.
Some listeners have turned to older mediums like vinyl, CDs, or tapes to rekindle that sense of connection. But is reverting to analogue formats the only path forward? Digital music remains flexible, affordable, direct, and accessible. Qualities that make it extremely attractive. The key difference between the streaming method of music consumption and older mediums is tangibility. Physical media gives music a form you can hold, store, share, and explore. This project sets out to explore whether introducing a physical representation of digital music could restore a richer, more intentional listening experience, without abandoning the advantages of the digital world.

The Concept

The core idea was to create a Spotify player that allows the user to play music by inserting a physical object into a device.

At this stage, the focus was on testing the core assumption, could a tangible interaction enhance the digital listening experience? To be able to test this core assumption, the design was intentionally simple, avoiding advanced features or elaborate aesthetics. The priority was functionality and reliability, ensuring the prototype could be tested in a realistic, everyday context. The resulting prototype focused on a small but essential set of features:

  • Start/stop playback, skip to the next track, or return to the previous track

  • Adjust volume up or down

  • Insert a physical music slab (approximately A4-sized and square) to select music

Each slab carried an RFID sticker, scanned by an integrated RFID reader to identify the corresponding musical piece. While the original intent was to play full albums, slabs could also be linked to playlists or other types of media available on a streaming platform. The final build was neatly housed in a custom 3D-printed casing, integrating all components into a compact, reliable device, ready for real-world use and long-term testing.

Next steps

As testing progresses, the concept will evolve into a appealing design that resonates with its intended users.

As the project is still in its testing phase, the focus remains on exploring conceptual directions rather than finalizing a design. Several ideas have been developed, such as creating an object that can function both as a standalone piece and as one that can be mounted on a wall. Another potential direction includes integrating a detachable speaker module at the bottom, transforming it into an all-in-one solution. The upcoming testing period will be crucial in identifying the concept’s strengths and weaknesses and in providing insights that can guide the refinement of its design, usability, and overall appeal to the target audience.

My Role

This is a personal project born from my own reflections on digital music consumption and my growing interest in vinyl. I found myself questioning whether the tactile engagement of older formats could be brought into the digital space, and from that curiosity this project took shape. The work primarily involved hardware and software development: designing a custom 3D-printed enclosure in SolidWorks, integrating the necessary electronics, and programming the entire system on a Raspberry Pi.

3D Modeling

User Experience Design

I created a multipart 3D design in SolidWorks to ensure every component fit together seamlessly. Each piece was printed individually on a 3D printer, allowing me to fine-tune dimensions and layout for a precise fit.

Electronics & Software

Speech Processing

At the heart of the device was a Raspberry Pi, serving as the system’s central controller. All components were wired into the Pi, which ran custom software capable of connecting to the Spotify API to manage playback from a Spotify library.