taptap. communication strategy
taptap is a web service where you can create your own track in a couple of clicks.
Анимация логотипа
Communication Theory in Design. Course insights applied.
Communication theory in design explores how visual, textual, and interactive elements convey meaning and elicit desired reactions from the audience.
Focuses the Creative Process Without theory, the creative process can be chaotic, relying solely on intuition or endless testing.
Describes User Needs Theory gives us precise language and models to move beyond vague assumptions about what users «like.»
Predicts Engagement Theory allows us to model and anticipate how users will interact with a product or piece of music, moving from guesswork to informed hypothesis.
Transforms Access to Music This is the grand outcome. Theory doesn’t just tweak the existing model it provides the conceptual breakthrough to create entirely new of access.
Craig’s concept of «Theory as a Lens» teaches us the art of strategically choosing a tool for a specific task. In music and technology, this means that we do not blindly follow trends, but meaningfully apply theories from psychology, sociology, cultural studies and design in order to better understand the user and create more meaningful products and works.
Craig’s Traditions Applied:
1. Cybernetic: Interface = clear channel Taptap is a cycle of work of different systems connected to each other. Each user can upload their samples to the service, publish a track and attract a new audience. No noise in the channel = simple UI
2. Socio-cultural: Community creates shared sound trends. Community produces «creative culture». Users co-create trends through sample sharing «Co-creation of meaning through interaction»
3. Critical: Democratizes music creation The service solves the problem of breathing into the industry for those who want to quickly master basic knowledge.
BEFORE: Expensive DAWs + pro equipment ❌ AFTER: Browser, 2 clicks ✅
Theory Design Bridge
Craig Cybernetic → Simple UI Socio-cultural → Community focus Critical → Inclusive access How theory shaped design decisions
For a general audience
Taptap is a web service for creative people who need to highlight their project with an original soundtrack, where you can create your own track in a couple of clicks, thanks to a clear interface, a ready-made sample library and accessibility on different platforms.
Problem: making music is still beyond the reach of the majority of people.
Decision: a web service where you can create your own track in a couple of clicks, thanks to a clear interface, a ready-made sample library and accessibility on different platforms.
Audience
The final metaphor Each author is a unique world. We enable users to use a creative space where many authors with their own unique sound intersect.
Identity banner
TOV + The mission
TOV Inspiring — our content and community not only serve a practical purpose, but also inspire creativity.
Functional / Useful — Interesting and relevant information helps users create tracks easily.
The mission is to make music creation accessible and fun.
Identity posters
How it Works
Product Mechanics
Primary functions:
- Intuitive interface - Community of authors - Uploading your samples to the library - Tips/training while working in a workscpace - Trending samples
Interface
Upload your sample and become a trend
Interface
Your finished sample in a couple of clicks using plug-ins and our workspace
Interface
Presentation brand for a professional audience
To create a really clean and intuitive interface, it was necessary to create a functional service spider.
- We have thought through the basic blocks and mechanics of the product. - Workspace and Community functions. - During the creation process, we determined the type of monetization.
Functional spider
Monetization
Premium taptap. The accepted subscription includes: premium samples from the library, more track export options.
Communication Approach
Communication offer for the audience
Сreatives for advertising
How we arrived at taptap strategy: theory → practice
Selection of Theoretical Lenses (from Lecture 1.5 — Craig’s 7 Traditions) Selection Criteria from 7 Traditions:
Selected 3 out of 7 (not all fit the product): ✅ Cybernetic → interface as channel ✅ Socio-cultural → community as culture ✅ Critical → democratization of access ❌ Socio-psychological → too individual ❌ Rhetorical → no public speeches ❌ Phenomenological → no deep experience ❌ Semiotic → not about signs, but sound
1. Strategy Formation Step 1: Problem Analysis through Theory Problem: «Music inaccessible to masses» Theoretical View (Critical Tradition): «Who controls language? Elite with DAWs → now browser» Solution: 2 clicks instead of months of learning Step 2: Combining Traditions into Unified System
Cybernetic (channel) + Socio-cultural (culture) = Simple interface → sample sharing → trends
3: Practical Validation (Social Exchange Theory) Rewards > Costs = retention
User Investment — Reward 2 minutes time — Unique track $9 subscription — Studio samples Own sample — Community fame
How we «combined» theory with practice
Cybernetic feedback — Real-time viewing
Socio-cultural cooperation — Sample exchange
Critical democratization — Browser + free tier
Phatic Connections — Creation Scenarios
The key understanding of the course
«Theory = lens for focusing + structure for forecasting»
The lens: Focused on 3 traditions (no spread) Forecasting: Predicting retention through social sharing Transformation: Changing the paradigm of «complex music → simple»
During the implementation of the communication theory project, practical skills were gained in substantiating each decision, creating 2 different presentations (general / professional)
Course «Communication Theory: Bridging Academia and Practice»
We used all the images from the taptap project (https://hsedesign.ru/project/taptap-veb-servis-dlya-sozdaniya-trekov-531a62cf658b4c68b0b9e3cbde24b123)
