Free The Ripple
Andrés Hernandes, Agustina Toderi, Beatrice Feltracco
Tanta Roba Label
A.Y. 2020-2021
Free the Ripple is a service that offers a third option between traditional concerts and streaming. It is provided by a spinoff of Tanta Roba, an independent hip hop label. Foregrounding the sense of community, it offers one main concert, The Source, and its simultaneous replication, The Ripple, in different cities around the country expanding the accessibility. In these cities the service is supported by a network of local stakeholders.
Why
For years Italy has been used to having a strong music industry almost five billion euros’ worth. In March 2020 COVID arrived and paralized the live events. The music industry tried to move forward pushing reality into virtuality, but streamings weren’t enough, because it is the sense of community that makes live shows unique. Live shows were never challenged before. With this Pandemia new opportunities arose and with them the possibility to innovate.
The process
Through desk research, a survey and interviews, we tried to understand the deeper element that contributes to the creation of this “irreplaceable” experience for people. We concluded that the sense of community generated in live events was one of the most important intangible elements that enables memorable experiences for the users. The Co-Design sessions allowed us to choose one of the three concepts and dive deeper into it, analyzing key elements, characteristics, and features of the idea, alongside the most relevant actors
The service
Free the Ripple is composed by a traditional concert, The Source, and a simultaneous replication. The Ripple event is composed of three main moments: pre-concert, concert, and post- concert. Firstly, the local artists that perform in the pre-concert. Secondly, the projection of The Source Concert composed by the video, which is free for everyone, and the audio that is available through the app and personal headphones. In the Ripple Rooms the audience can enjoy the experience without headphones in small groups. Thirdly, The Ripple Path, a series of custom events around the city supported by local businesses. This path reinforces the sense of community among the audience while generating new opportunities for the local economy.
My Role
My role involved active participation in all stages of the project, managing deadlines, team activities and designing presentations. I conducted the interviews and the codesign sessions. I developed all the visuals of the service and the service details. Then I took care of the wireframes of the app and of the final UI.
Pains
One of the biggest challenges was having to interface with a hard-to-reach partner and face coding sessions for the first time and online. It was also difficult to innovate in the field of live shows which has never been challenged. Thanks to a careful analysis of the user’s needs, we were able to design a new experience.
Takeaways from the project
Through the design of Free The Ripple, I have consolidated the ability to develop a service in detail while also considering economic constraints. I implemented my relational skills and learned how to handle a codesign session.