Beat/with

Beat/with is an MVP concept for emerging DJs to discover relevant peers, understand whether the fit feels right, and turn a connection into a real-world encounter.

The MVP is focusing on the core journey from discovering someone relevant to actually meeting and playing together.

  • Product concept
  • UX/UI
  • 1 month
  • TEAMClélia Pavanetto — product designClélia Pavanetto — product design
  • Beat/with DJ profile for Marcosh with music, availability, and a Say hi action.
  • Beat/with filters for intention, availability, music genre, location, experience, and gear.
  • Beat/with first-message screen for starting a conversation with RozaRozie.
  • Beat/with session planner with activity, date, and meeting-place choices.
  • Beat/with conversation showing a pending session request and messages.
  • Beat/with confirmation screen showing a planned session and You're in sync message.
  • Beat/with sessions list showing completed, upcoming, and past sessions.
01 — REFRAMING

Emerging DJs need meaningful opportunities to connect and play 

Feeling stuck rather than lonely

We assumed learning DJing alone caused isolation. It didn't: progress was the real pain point.

25/32

DJS HAD EXPERIENCED PERIODS WITHOUT PROGRESS

Access wasn't the problem. Fit was

Most DJs already had ways to meet others. Finding the right person to play with was harder.

22/32

WOULD TURN TO FRIENDS-OF-FRIENDS

Compatibility isn't similarity

A good practice partner did not mean same genre, same level and nearby. Fit means value, comfort.

3/32

PREFERRED A DJ AT A SIMILAR EXPERIENCE LEVEL

That shifted the opportunity away from “solving isolation” to "completing solo practice when it's not enough"

Research quote on a black note: “Many DJs might not have a big circle when they are starting”
Research quote: “This could be an alternative for people who are not so much into this social game, which ends up being exhausting”
Research quote on a black taped note with a lime star: “It’s hard to find DJs with similar taste and tracks library with whom you can play”
Research quote on a purple note: “Interesting to find your DJ ‘soulmates’”
Research quote on a purple note with a lime star: “Experience level isn’t a big deal. No gatekeeping in music!”
Research quote on a black note: “DJs need to discover music and the love for music before approaching the decks. Then collaborations can be fruitful”
Research quote: “I don’t see DJing as a shared learning activity: instead of mixing, DJs could get together to discuss music, taste, playlists…”
Research quote on a lime taped note: “This tool could be useful to create real connections between DJs”

We designed an MVP around the path to meeting and playing together

DISCOVER > UNDERSTAND > CONNECT > MEET

Beat/with Discover screen with Marcosh and Papaya, alongside notes about planning a session with RozaRozie
02 — DIRECTION

Social without feeling like dating

Beat/with helps people meet, but it is not a matching app. It supports learning, but it is not a course.

Peer-to-peer. Warm. Inclusive. Music-first. Low-pressure.

The visual identity follows the same principle: expressive and playful without becoming overly technical or competitive.

Beat/with visual identity with wordmark, Marcosh profile, session prompts, shared-day badges, typography and colour palette

Low-pressure by design

Trust wasn't a barrier for everyone, but it could stop a potential relevant connection from happening.

Beat/with leans on depth over volume in profiles, easy communication, FLINTA+ preferences and safety options, The app also treats how and where the first interaction happens as part of trust: 24/32 DJs said they would feel comfortable playing with an unknown DJ in a professional studio.

The professional studio is our proposed primary meeting option.

Research quote on a purple note: “As Flinta, meeting other flintas would feel more safe :)”
Research quote on a lime note: “Never did a b2b with another girlie, we should push this more: girls support girls :)”
03 — PRODUCT LOGIC

Three decisions shaped the experience

01

Let users judge fit

Research showed that compatibility depends on several things at once, so we avoided a fixed compatibility score.

The goal is to help users narrow the field while leaving the final decision to them.

ONBOARDING

Area, availability, music and what the user wants to do.

PROFILE

Music, experience, gear, languages and personal cues.

CURRENT SEARCH / FILTERING

The context that matters today, for this particular search.

02

Build profiles that communicate a person

A technically relevant DJ can still be the wrong person to play with.

Profiles therefore combine musical context with intentions, experience, gear and more personal cues instead of ranking DJs by ability.

“First connect with your mindset, personality, philosophy of life: then everything comes naturally.”

03

Support DJs after connecting

Finding someone interesting is only useful if the interaction moves beyond the screen.

Beat/with therefore supports the next steps with conversation prompts, lightweight session planning, pending and confirmed states, and ways to reconnect after playing together.