808 Keys
Interactive Piano Edutainment App
According to a Nielson survey, Hip-Hop is now the most listened to genre in the United States taking up a quarter of the market. The goal was to encourage preteen children to play the piano using a nontraditional method. Piano is the best instrument to begin pursuing making music because it is the perfect building block instrument. Once someone learns the basics of piano, they have the ability to apply the knowledge learned on the piano to other instruments.
The solution utilizes the heavy piano use in Hip-Hop production to inspire kids to pursue the piano. 808 Keys allows the user to learn the piano basics by teaching them how to play piano along with their favorite Hip-Hop songs. The presence of the actual notes on the piano keys that the user is playing allows them to subconsciously learn the piano scale. The comic book style color, imagery, and typography give the app an entertaining look and feel that distracts from the fact that they are learning.
Launch Screen
App Icon & Avatar
The 808 Keys mobile app icon is a combination of a three dimensional perspective of piano keys and a comic book style treatment using the typeface Frazzle. The avatar on the right is a default template for the user to customize their producer to give the app a more personal feel.
Play
The play section allows the user to play along with their favorite Hip-Hop tracks on the difficulty level of their choice. The user will preview and select a song to learn. The notes come down the screen and the user must hit the keys when the note is present in the outline before it disappears. Then the user will receive a score and star rating based on the performance.
Create
The create section allows the user to select a synth sound and a drum loop to create beats. The user can save the beats by pressing play and record in the top bar. The saved beats can be accessed in the top right list icon to allow future listening and sharing with friends.
Customize
The customize section allows the user to customize the look of the producer. The user can go through each section and select a look. The user can also hit the shuffle icon to get a pre-designed producer. Once the user is happy with the look, hit save and the designed producer will show on the home screen.
