
Sway — Song of the Day App
Partner:
Swift, Figma, Google Docs
One Liner
A social music app that brings discovery back to your friends — like BeReal, but for songs.


About The Project
Sway is a mobile app for sharing your favorite daily song and discovering music through your social circle. Inspired by BeReal’s “post to unlock” model, users can only access their feed after posting a song, encouraging contribution and community. Designed by and for college students, Sway tackles algorithm fatigue with a frictionless, human-centered music experience. The app is currently available on iOS and integrates directly with Spotify and Apple Music. We’re tackling four core problems: A. Algorithm fatigue – Recommendations feel soulless and repetitive; users don’t feel seen. B. Expression gap – Music is part of our identity, but there’s no simple way to share it with friends. C. Social music void – Streaming platforms are great for listening, terrible for social connection. D. Taste-based connection – There’s no platform to form bonds with people through shared music taste.

MY ROLE
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Leading user research and testing to refine UI/UX
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Designing and iterating on the pitch deck for investors and partners.
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Supporting recruitment and marketing strategy by hiring university brand ambassadors and music curators
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Contributing to product ideation and feature planning in weekly team sprints


CHALLENGES
How We Solve Them?
Making music sharing feel truly social:
Making music sharing feel truly social:
We implemented a BeReal-style unlock system, a minimalist feed, and a trending leaderboard to encourage real-time posting, reward streaks, and highlight tastemakers.
Breaking into Gen Z user habits
We launched with a campus-focused strategy, partnering with DJs and up-and-coming creators, hosting music events, and using QR codes, merch, and streak-based gamification to build traction.

Designing around fast feedback loops
We conducted rapid user testing, iterating on interface design and onboarding to reduce friction and boost engagement.
OUTCOMES & IMPACT
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Over 1,000 downloads and 754 active users
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66% Day 1 retention, placing the app in the top 75th percentile
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Average user session time of more than 25 minutes
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Clear market positioning as the social layer for music with future plans to evolve into a data-driven discovery and artist engagement platform