A solo UX/UI project born from my deep love of design, vinyl culture, and the art of archiving. The Art of Vinyl transforms my personal record collection into an interactive, visual-first database that merges the tactile pleasure of crate digging with the convenience of a searchable interface. From research to prototype, it celebrates not only the physical artistry of vinyl records but also the joy of categorization, taxonomy, and the preservation of cultural artifacts through design.

 

The Challenge
Most vinyl cataloging tools reduce collections to bare lists and metadata, stripping away the tactile, visual, and cultural richness that makes record collecting unique. Without design-forward browsing, nuanced filters, or context, these platforms turn a sensory ritual into a flat database.

 

The Solution
The Art of Vinyl restores the artistry to archiving. It merges tactile nostalgia with digital convenience, letting users explore a collection through high-resolution visuals, rich metadata, and intuitive multi-criteria filters. The system’s taxonomy is drawn directly from my own collector’s mindset, using precise genre tags, pressing details, and visual cues to create a browsing experience that feels curated rather than generic. From color and pressing year to label and genre, the interface mirrors the joy of crate digging. It is searchable, customizable, and designed to celebrate vinyl as both sound and artifact.

 

My Role
• Researched collector behaviors and existing cataloging tools
• Created a comprehensive Google Sheets database of my own vinyl collection, including artist, genre, subgenre, pressing year, vinyl color, gatefold status, label, and detailed descriptive notes
• Researched genre tag systems, pressing color terminology, and industry formatting standards for data consistency
• Designed information architecture and filtering systems directly informed by my spreadsheet data
• Sketched wireframes and layout ideas in a physical sketchbook before digitizing
• Created high-fidelity UI and prototypes in Figma
• Photographed my own vinyl collection, including album covers and vinyl variants
• Directed and edited all photography and integrated it into the interface
• Developed cohesive typography, color palette, and layout

 

Core Features
• Tag-based and multi-criteria search filters
• Modular album detail pages with spinning vinyl animations
• Visual-first grid layouts emphasizing album art and packaging
• Accessibility-conscious typography and interaction patterns

 

Tools
Figma, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, iPhone 14 Pro Camera, Adobe Lightroom, Adobe Express, Google Sheets, Affinity Mapping, Sketchbook

 

Focus
Human-centered design, visual archiving, interaction design, music UX/UI

 

Tagline
Where analog rituals meet digital design