Spotify needed a more efficient way for users to find answers, resolve issues and connect with other users — without overwhelming support teams.

Challenges

Spotify had 150 million users and was scaling fast. Without change, customer service would become unsustainable, requiring 7000+ advisors.

Research showed that users trusted support content more when it matched Spotify’s brand identity, especially with rising scam risks. Meanwhile, Spotify had just launched a major brand refresh and the Help site and Community needed to reflect this shift.

With just five weeks per platform, we took an agile, data-driven approach to balance business goals and user needs.

My role
Senior Product Designer

My amazing team
In close collaboration with my creative partner Eddy Salzmann, product owners Elisabet Nystedt, Rorey Jones and the amazing developers.

Thoughtful Execution Tree method

Optimising the
Account closure flow

Most users visited spotify.com to sign up or close their accounts. If designed purely on user data, the homepage would only focus on these actions — but making account closure too easy also had risks. The existing process required users to answer multiple questions and often contact Customer Service, which was costly in both time and emotional effort.

Good UX for the user, but not really for Spotify.

Different types of users

Our data showed that users closing their accounts fell into different groups. They could be: 

Freemium or Premium (regular, student, Duo, Family Plan)
Accounts linked to Facebook or an email they no longer had access to

Each scenario had its own challenges, especially with account verification and support needs. The goal was to make leaving Spotify as smooth as possible, increasing the chance of users returning. At the same time, those struggling with the service needed better support to stay instead of leaving out of frustration.

The most common case was free users registered with an email. We aimed to make account closure smooth for low-activity users while also creating opportunities to re-engage those who might return, ensuring they left on a positive note. 😊

By visually indicating the five-step process, we created a safe, self-managed account closure flow. The user identified their account, received an email, clicked the confirmation link, and their account was closed and deleted in compliance with GDPR regulations.

For Premium users wanting to leave, we designed an easy flow that also offered the option to stay as a Freemium user.

Redesigning the Contact form

Research showed that users preferred self-service, and neither they nor Spotify wanted to contact support unnecessarily. We structured content into logical clusters and created a guided flow of articles, ensuring that for cognitive accessibility, users only saw relevant information when needed.

Our smarter self-service support experience was implemented in two ways:

Simplifying the contact form
We reduced the number of topics, surfaced relevant help articles, and optimised the mobile experience to guide users to solutions faster.

Creating a chatbot
The taxonomy and content clustering work done for the contact form provided a structured foundation for the chatbot. This allowed us to automate support while ensuring human support was only shown when self-service wasn’t possible.

Redesigning the
Help site + Community

This is my favourite type of project – where I get to "heal" an existing product and make it magical. ✨

Information about a product is the same content users search for when they need help. But it’s better for both the user and the brand to provide this information proactively —before it becomes a problem.

The previous Help page displayed most information multiple times, making it difficult (impossible) to navigate.

Hard to navigate 
The overwhelming layout relied too much on text links and blocks, making it difficult to scan quickly.

Lack of immediate answers
The search bar wasn’t prominent enough, forcing users to click through multiple pages instead of being guided directly to relevant articles. 

Unclear hierarchy and branding
The page lacked visual cohesion with Spotify’s playful, modern branding. Important support topics blended in, making them hard to find at a glance. 

Limited mobile optimisation
The layout wasn’t fully optimised for smaller screens, making it difficult for users to navigate support options efficiently.

85% of users came directly from Google to an article page on the Help site or Community.

Beyond just support, the Spotify Community became a hub for passionate users—many spending hours daily helping others. Through the Rock Star Program, these dedicated superfans were recognised and rewarded, fostering engagement and making peer-to-peer support a core part of the experience.

Beyond solving issues, we also identified key user needs, such as sharing Spotify ideas and discussing music, ensuring the Community was not just about help but about connection.

The new Community platform

The new Help pages

Ways of working

User research & analytics – We analysed Google Analytics, customer service insights, and behavioural data to uncover pain points and prioritise improvements based on real user behaviour.
Thoughtful Execution Tree method – To break down complex challenges, we structured our work using this method. By mapping opportunities, hypotheses and validated learnings, we ensured that every decision was data-driven and strategically aligned with both user needs and business goals. (See top of the page)
Deep interviews with experts – I conducted in-depth interviews with Customer Service managers in Manchester and Rock Stars around the globe. Their insights helped shape a solution that not only improved the user experience but also made it easier for advisors to share knowledge efficiently.
Hands-on collaboration with the team – With just five weeks per product, working closely with experts was crucial. Through sketching, whiteboarding and rapid prototyping, we tackled challenges together— ensuring fast decision-making, cross-team alignment, and an efficient design process.
Iterative testing with the research team – Our design and UX was validated through user testing and iterative design improvements. Collaborating closely with Spotify’s research team meant we could refine our solutions based on real user feedback before launch.