88RISING
88rising is a hybrid media label showcasing Asian talent globally (Joji, Rich Brian, NIKI). Over 7 weeks, I led strategy, visual direction, and interaction design within a team of 5 to create a centralized fan platform focused on artist discovery and fan retention.
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We kicked off the project with a case study on a Starbucks pop-up, analyzing how deliberate customer touchpoints build brand perception, elevate loyalty, and differentiate a brand.
01: Research
We spent four weeks researching 60+ companies to pinpoint a brand with a compelling experience gap. We selected 88rising to address key gaps in their fan journey.
“Asians, Asian Americans and just Asian youth globally have no real home on the Internet”
— Sean Miyashiro, Founder of 88rising
3 billion views
2016-2019
0.43 billion views
2020-2023
SETTING
88rising redefined Asian representation in mainstream media, launching breakout stars like Joji, Rich Brian, and NIKI into a cultural phenomenon that gained 3 billion YouTube views in just three years.
However, artist discoverability has stalled. Since 2020, YouTube views dropped to 0.43 billion as the label struggled to replicate that initial reach for their newer roster.
To better understand 88rising’s audience, the team conducted
to an online survey asking casual And die-hard fans about their music-sharing habits, perception of 88rising’s brand, and any interactions they have with 88rising’s artist roster.
62%
of respondents
Were not aware of 88rising's new weekly releases
93%
of user interviewees
Were not aware of the majority Of Artists signed to 88rising
75%
of respondents
believe that 88rising is declining in popularity
41%
of respondents
attributed their decline to a lack of brand engagement
CURRENT TOUCHPOINTS
YOUTUBE
YouTube is 88rising’s primary media outlet, but music videos, behind-the-scenes clips, and interviews are scattered across multiple channels, making artist discovery frustrating for fans.
88RISING WEBSITE
The label’s website functions solely as a merch shop, completely neglecting their roster, brand story, and artist personalities.
Thus, how might we create an engaging platform for 88rising fans to discover new & old artists while showcasing original content in one place?
01.
collaborative
promotion
Leverage collab videos and BTS content with established talent to introduce casual fans to lesser-known roster artists.
02.
Personifying Artists
Lead with 88rising’s Asian American identity by highlighting artist personalities on the site, making musicians relatable and driving deeper fan connections.
WEBSITE
WALKTHROUGH
languages
To engage casual listeners immediately, the homepage uses language as a strategic hook. The word “Rising” cycles through multiple languages, drawing fans toward familiar cultural connections. Hover-triggered music videos encourage exploration across the global roster.
artist listing
Selecting a region opens a localized artist roster, connecting fans through shared cultural roots. On the right, highlighted collaborations surface new talent next to established artists to boost roster-wide discovery.
breaking
the
grid
Dedicated song pages pair track releases with behind-the-scenes media, breaking standard grid layouts for a dynamic visual style. As users scroll, the opposing motion subtly reflect 88rising's clash of Eastern and Western cultures.
breaking
grid
the
Dedicated song pages pair track releases with behind-the-scenes media, breaking standard grid layouts for a dynamic visual style. As users scroll, the opposing motion subtly reflect 88rising's clash of Eastern and Western cultures.
Adaptable individuality
Dedicated artist pages create an immersive space for fans to explore talent in depth. Fans can explore a interactive collection of photos and media on one screen, while background music videos help expose fans to the artist.
Research showed most fans were unaware of 88rising’s latest music. A linear, waveform-inspired calendar gives fans an effortless way to discover new releases, while short music video teasers generate hype for upcoming music.
future scalability
To reach fans where they are, the next phase focuses on bringing the desktop experience to mobile. We’ll adapt our hover-heavy interactions into intuitive touch controls and translate the experimental layout seamlessly to smaller screens.
reflections
This was one of the most rewarding and visually fun projects I've gotten a chance to work on, especially since the entire visual direction, interaction design, and prototyping came together in just seven days. As the lead visual & interaction designer, I handled the desktop experience while the rest of the team spearheaded mobile designs, endless research, and early design experiments that inspired our final direction.
We definitely fumbled early on, spending 5 of our 7 weeks evaluating 60+ clients to find the right problem. But those long days of user interviews, design sprints, and constantly questioning our assumptions taught me how to turn messy research into actionable solutions. Our team learned so much from this capstone project, helping reshape how I approach design today.
Thank you to my team for suffering along with me.
Thank you to Professor Russell Taylor, an amazing mentor I'll deeply miss, and our TA Jenny Nguyen, our best friend. We're forever grateful.
And thank you for taking the time to go through this journey with us.
😇😇😇
