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HL.

Music Performance

Launchpad Simulation

Expanding Amanote’s hypercasual music game portfolio by enriching interactive experiences with music.

My role

I established and led a new business unit (a startup within a startup) to carry out that mission. Our team developed apps that simulated playing musical instruments, such as a launchpad and a piano.

Music (5).png

While I oversaw product, marketing and growth, I took on the Product Owner role for Magic Pad due to resource constraints. 

Challenge

Magic Pad is a mobile game where users tap a virtual launchpad in response to rhythmic and color-based cues while listening to their chosen song. The concept originated from an internal incubation program, which had previously demonstrated strong product-market fit in its first launch. Our challenge was to revive and scale the app across different markets. However, limited knowledge collected and transferred from the original team meant we had few insights to build on. It had been an early-stage success that lacked documented lessons and success formulas. When we relaunched, it didn’t perform as expected. We then redesigned, rebuilt and optimized the app from the ground up. 

Impact

  • 300,000+ downloads in the US within 10 months

  • Rated 4.3/5 in the App Store

Our most impactful changes included the revamped UI with better color contrast, a streamlined onboarding flow, and improved sound effects, leading to:

  • 2x increase in average playtime

  • 2x improvement in R1 (first-day user retention rate)

​Testing & Iteration​

  • Conducted both moderated and unmoderated usability tests to refine new product updates before launch.

  • Applied A/B testing for significant updates and changes.

  • Tracked and analyzed in-app data to measure test results and impacts of each iteration.

​Design & Prototyping​

  • Revamped UI with engaging visual effects and stronger color contrast.

  • Fine-tuned visual cue speed and tap response time, ensuring they synced perfectly with rewards and audio feedback.

Music (4).png

  • Optimized first-time user experience, making onboarding more intuitive and rewarding.

  • Refined level progression mechanics by devising a formula for difficulty levels.

  • Enhanced musical experiences by reordering songs, improving sound effect quality, and incorporating professional remixes.

  • Introduced new features allowing users to remix their favorite songs.

Final Thoughts

Despite significant optimizations and notable impacts, Magic Pad had a long way to go to reach its fullest potential. While it was built on a proven concept, it lacked a deep understanding of users, detailed app design and lessons learnt. The former validates an idea, but the latter lays the foundation for long-term product success.

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Approach

We conducted over 20 iterations to refine and enhance the game, ensuring it delivered:

  • Fun & engaging gameplay (it’s a game!)

  • Authentic launchpad interactions

  • Enjoyable music experiences

  • A seamless mobile user journey

Research​

  • Researched popular rhythm and launchpad games to refine interaction patterns and game mechanics.

  • Conducted unmoderated testing with potential users to understand their perception of the app.

  • Consulted with musical experts, game designers and the original development team to gather insights on gameplay, progression level, and musical experiences.

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