Apple Music Concept, UI/UX
Summer 2026
Open Up the Playlist
Overview
“Can I queue a song?”
“Can you unlock your phone?”
These are questions I’ve heard—and asked—too many times in the car and while hanging out with friends. Music is inherently social, but the way we interact with it often isn’t. One person ends up being in control while everyone else has to ask them to unlock their phone, search for a song, and add it to the queue.
What if you didn’t have to?
Problem
Currently, Apple Music is designed around individual control. When music is playing from one person’s phone, everyone else is dependent on that person to make changes.
Sharing control requires access to someone else’s device.
Solution
This concept allows others to search, add, and control music without requiring the host to unlock their phone.
Friends can contribute to the queue directly, while the host maintains control over their private device and personal information. It transforms Apple Music from a one-person-controlled experience into a shared, collaborative listening experience.
Process
To start, I researched gaps within the current Apple Music experience and identified features I wished were available, particularly around shared listening and music control.
From there, I explored different ways users could access this concept as quickly and effortlessly as possible. I experimented with swipe-based interactions, clickable elements, and other gesture-driven solutions, focusing on minimizing interruption to the user’s existing experience.
I found that a simple press-and-hold interaction was the most intuitive and efficient solution. It required minimal explanation, could be accessed without unlocking the phone, and felt consistent with the simplicity of Apple’s existing interactions.
Once I established the interaction, I closely studied Apple’s design language to ensure the feature felt native to the ecosystem rather than added on. The final design builds on familiar Apple patterns while introducing a new interaction that feels natural, lightweight, and intentional.
Design
Simple Interaction
The interaction is intentionally simple and familiar. Press and hold the music player on the lock screen.
Music Without the Unlock
Search and discover music seamlessly while the phone stays locked.
Play & Queue Music
Give everyone the freedom to contribute to what plays next, keeping the music and vibes flowing.
Reflection
This quick sprint has taught me the value of cohesion and the importance of working within an existing design system. Working within a strict and highly recognizable system like Apple’s challenged me to approach design differently.
Rather than seeing these constraints as limitations, I began to view them as an extension of my creative workflow. Instead of asking, “What do I want this to look like?” I found myself constantly asking, “How can I creatively fit this idea into an existing language while still making it feel new?”
I’m ending this project excited to carry this realization into future work. I’ve learned that creativity doesn’t always come from creating something entirely new, but from finding thoughtful ways to push, solve, and adapt.
