Here is the first in what will hopefully be a small project I am undertaking to improve some android app layouts and keep up on my graphics chops while I search for a new design gig. If people like this I will do some others and continue to post them here. Enjoy.

-Travis

The Issue:

This concept UI assumes that most Pandora users run the program in the background while they browse the web and take care of other business, which may or may not be true. I personally use Pandora often in the car and while commuting (or used to, haha awww). One thing that struck me about the app was it was not friendly to the user on the go who may only have a few seconds to interact with the program.

One of the most confusing things about the stock layout is the controls are small and hard to see at a glance, and could possibly be mistaken for the actual built in virtual keys on the N1 and other new phones. I also am somewhat concerned by the placement of the album artwork as the most prominent design element, which I doubt anyone really looks at for more than 3 – 4 seconds.

Generally I thought the usability could be cranked up about 1000% by simple things like making buttons larger, and placing them far more strategically in the middle of the screen, replacing the less important artwork. In this version, artwork is in the background, blurred to give a more interesting texture than the normal black and adding a layer of depth to the UI.

Most of the button functions stay the same, with the addition of the bookmark song button. Action buttons (Play & Next) are larger, and set on opposite sides of the screen for muscle memory.

Song title and artist title have been changed to a larger size to be more legible at a glance. Hopefully this facilitates finding the song title you are listening to quickly, then with the other improved elements, just as quickly being able to rate it, play the next track, change stations, or bookmark the song.

In general I think this would be a good starting point for a redesign for the app, or at least the addition of something similar for car use, much like the built in Google dock adds easier functionality to other programs.

Full Screen "Battery Saver" edition

Improved Notification Bar Controls