Hard Wax
Structural and visual overhaul of an online record store
A laptop sitting on a table with the new redesign of the Hard Wax Website open.
The website Hard Wax has gained significant popularity among DJs in the electronic scene due to its carefully curated selection of handpicked music. Our goal was to capture the tactile experience and the unique feeling of exploring and shopping for music in a physical record store by redesigning the website.
Team
Jannes Daur & Jannik Aßfalg

Year
2022

Course
Application Design
Challenge
The website currently suffers in usability because of its unorganized content, difficult navigation and old fashioned aesthetic. Hard Wax has the potential for modernization and could benefit from an enhanced focus on the presentation of its vast music selection.
The old Hard Wax design.
Solution
To intensify the user experience, a complete redesign of the website was necessary. Overall, the goal was to modernize and increase immersion, while staying faithful to the already established design language of Hard Wax. Furthermore, an introduction of a new set of features would enhance the websites "Joy Of Use”.
Artist & Album of the Week
Much like the presentation of vinyl in store, a page dedicated to celebrating hand picked music enables Hard Wax employees to choose and vendor their favorite artists and albums on a weekly basis. On this page, the individual tracks and the album cover are prominently highlighted.
A close up shot of the Artist of the Week Card, featuring a selected artist.The new Album of the Week page, featuring an album selected by the Hard Wax team.
Artist Discography
This page gives the user an overview of an artists discography, aiming to bring the buyer closer to the product they are buying. This feature utilizes micro interactions to simulate how one might browse for music in real life.
A close up picture of a stack of albums made by an artist.A moving image showing how one can navigate through different albums, with an animation similar to how one might browse for albums in store.
Search + Extended Player
The new search page allows for precise searching of tracks, albums, artists, as well as labels. In addition to an enhanced list view, there is now a tile view that  displays tracks in an album through a hover state. With the help of the Extended Player, users can manipulate tracks they are previewing by using the filter and BPM sliders or adjusting the volume even more precisely.
The new search menu.Different buttons allowing people who have opened the extended player to change settings for the song they are previewing.
Design System
Hard Wax’s distinct minimalistic aesthetic, drove our team to develop a digital identity that remains simplistic, using elements like typography, unique icons and the content itself to elevate visual fidelity.
A GIF displaying micro interactions that bring life to the new icons.All of the new icons displayed in a grid. They feature round and hard edges complementing the edgy look of Hard Wax's brand identity.The new logo featuring a cut off slice to represent how vinyls hide behind each other in real life.The new color system featuring shades of gray, black and white.
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