Medium Difficulty

Statement of research topic
I will take an in depth look at how fans judge and view a given bands MySpace page, focusing almost entirely, if not entirely, on independent bands.

Research question:
How can bands optimize their MySpace pages (often referred to here as simply a “page” or a “band page”) to maximize fans? What kind of interface would be best suited to helping those bands? How do fans judge a band’s page? Does a potential fan base his/her opinion entirely on the sound of the music, or do other factors count such as: # of song plays, # of profile views, # of song plays today, nature of comments left on comment board?

Why is this important?
In light of technological developments over the last decade or two, many bands are trying become professional purely by “independent” means, that is without the help of a record label. Many of those bands, while perhaps talented, may have trouble acquiring new fans only due to a lack of marketing knowledge.

This research assumes that MySpace is at the forefront of a band’s potential for marketing success or failure. This assumption was based on conversations with numerous industry professionals and the conclusions of a number of articles that will be used as references. Regardless of the extent of truth the assumption made, it is not debatable that many bands treat MySpace as such, and would benefit from an easy way to optimize their page, and for answers to questions they simply do not have the means to answer themselves.

The results of this qualitative research could be applied to the development of a product that would help bands optimize their MySpace pages, and allow a more effective marketing plan to be shaped. This research is likely to revolve around the L.A. area, in which case I will amend the questions to reflect that limitation, although there is a good chance of conducting research in several other cities.

Research methods for preliminary field research

Ethnographic Research
To answer my research question I will need to conduct immersive ethnographic research on fans. Attending a show is a social event, and so performing research that is social by nature seems more likely to produce authentic results for this aspect. Also, one intended consequence of this product would be to encourage more people to act like the people I am interviewing, and so it seems appropriate to get an idea of what these show-goers are like. To do this I will attend several music shows and talk to fans waiting in line before the show, during the show, and after the show. The goal of the research is to find a way for bands to discover and maintain an active fan base that will attend shows. Thus, this aspect of the research is intended to find people who are interested in live music and see what attracts them to shows.

Another goal will be to see what motivations drive a fan to discover more about a band, and perhaps make merchandise purchases such as stickers, t-shirts, and records, and see if any correlation can be drawn between those actions and the design of a given band’s page.

This aspect of the research will be filmed as much as possible, photographed when filming is prohibitive, or otherwise documented when the former means are unavailable or not allowed.

Group interviews
Bands must also be involved in the research process, as they will be actually interfacing with the product. This method is autochthonous to this aspect of the research because gathering information from the band as a whole will reflect the dynamic that the band follows, and thus will more likely reflect the user-behavior of the band.
I will conduct interviews with several bands across several genres to see if:
a.) any differences exist across genres
b.) if bands would be willing to pay for such a service or
c.) if advertising might be an effective source of revenue from the product, which would lead to the need for finding…
d.)certain types of bands are more interested in optimizing their band page than others.

I will conduct group interviews, filmed when possible. I will also be corresponding with some bands via electronic means such as email and MySpace to follow up on interviews, establish new relationships, and, in the case of MySpace correspondence, see how their opinions are reflected on their band page, if at all. These correspondences will be recorded and included in the research.

Surveys
I will harness the power of  MySpace bulletins, blogs, and the relationships I have forged with certain bands to create and send out a survey to MySpace users asking them how they interact with a band’s page. This method is organic to the MySpace experience, as demonstrated by the very existence of the MySpace bulletin and the blog. Social forums are an effective way to gather information in a social setting, and these methods will allow users to give their opinions in the private anonymousness that MySpace affords, or in the public space that MySpace boasts. The more public blog will allow users to argue or collaborate, giving me a better sense of the dynamics at work. Meanwhile, the bulletin will give users a chance to give intimate details about their opinions without fear of being disagreed with.

The goal of this part of the research process is to get the perspective of another type of fan: the internet user. Since products such as iTunes give bands a direct platform to sell their music online, this user is potentially very meaningful to a band even though they may never attend a show.

Many questions arise when considering the difference between internet-only users and avid show-goers, which could provide for meaningful design problems in the final product. One such question would look at the differences in appeal from show-goers to internet-only users, such as does one prefer a polished look while the other prefer a more raw look? These results will be compared and contrasted to decide if a design solution could attempt to serve both types of users, if bands would have to choose what kind of user they want to emphasize, or perhaps an unknown third option.