Recycling Drumming Circle App
Drum Circle
My Role
UX, UI, Visuals, User Research, Personas, User flow, Journey maps, Protoyping, Testing
Timeframe
July 26, 2025 - August 21, 2026
Tools
Figma, Miro, Zoom, Google forms
Drumming Circle Project Overview
Drum Circle is a digital platform designed to give used drumsticks a second life while creating a stronger, more connected community for drummers.
The app connects drummers with participating music shops, venues and collection points where used drumsticks can be deposited. These sticks are then collected, processed and transformed into new music-related products such as keyrings, jewellery, small artworks, symbols and other accessories.
At the same time, Drum Circle extends beyond sustainability by helping drummers develop their careers through jam sessions, musician connections, professional opportunities, venue bookings, sponsorships and interactions with established drummers.
The concept therefore brings together circular design, music culture and professional networking within one digital ecosystem.
The Challenge
Drummers regularly replace worn or damaged drumsticks, but there is often no clear and convenient pathway for giving those sticks a second life. Once they are no longer suitable for playing, their journey usually ends without the drummer knowing whether the material could be reused.
At the same time, musicians can struggle to find new people to play with, discover jam opportunities, connect with professional drummers and access career opportunities.
The challenge is therefore to create one platform that makes reusing drumsticks simple and transparent, while also giving drummers meaningful ways to connect, collaborate and grow professionally.
The Goal
The goal of Drum Circle is to create a circular ecosystem where drummers can easily return their used drumsticks, follow their journey through the reuse process and see what those materials become.
Alongside this sustainability journey, the platform aims to create a stronger drummer community by helping users discover musicians, jam venues, professional connections, sponsorship opportunities and potential work.
The ultimate goal is to turn an old drumstick into both a new product and a new opportunity.
The Design Process
Goal & Objective
The goal of this project is to design a Healthy Drinks Personalised App that helps users to create and maintain a more effective and easy way to meet their expectations, with out limits when choosing or adding. The app aim to educate the user in terms of what is best for them through personalised guidance and recommendations. The application aims to simplify the process of discovering healthy drinks that align with individual wellness goals, dietary preferences, and also and why not, simply because of the healthy way it taste, beetroot with apple that goes perfect for the blood pressure.
By combining tailored detox plans, progress tracking, hydration monitoring, and educational content, the app seeks to support users in making informed decisions and building sustainable healthy routines. Ultimately, the objective is to provide an engaging and user-centred platform with a friendly touch, that encourages long-term wellbeing while making the detox journey more accessible, motivating, and personalised.
Competitive Market Analysis Research
The competitive landscape shows that existing platforms generally focus on either sustainability, music commerce or musician networking, rather than combining all three.
The main opportunity is to combine:
Recycling + Music Community + Career Development + Physical Collection Points
This creates a distinctive proposition that is difficult to find in existing platforms.
Reverb
Reverb focuses on buying and selling new, used and vintage musical equipment, while also promoting reuse and upcycled music gear.
STRENGTHS
Large music-focused marketplace
Strong musician community
Encourages second-life use of equipment
Established digital ecosystem
WEAKNESSES
Primarily focused on buying and selling
Does not provide a dedicated drumstick recovery system
Recycling is not the central user journey
OPPORTUNITY FOR DRUM CIRCLE
Focus specifically on circular reuse
Create products from returned drumsticks
Connect sustainability directly with drummer identity
BandMix
BandMix helps musicians find other musicians and bands using location, instruments, genres and other filters.
STRENGTHS
Musician discovery
Location-based searching
Band and collaboration opportunities
Strong focus on finding other musicians
WEAKNESSES
No sustainability component
Limited connection to physical music venues and recycling
Primarily focused on musician classifieds
OPPORTUNITY FOR DRUM CIRCLE
Build musician discovery around the drummer community
Connect musicians with local jam venues
Combine community participation with environmental impact
Vampr
Vampr is a musician networking platform designed to help creatives discover collaborators, find work and build professional relationships.
STRENGTHS
Large music network
Collaboration opportunities
Professional networking
Job and career opportunities
WEAKNESSES
Sustainability is not a central proposition
Broad music audience rather than drummer-specific
No physical circular-material journey
OPPORTUNITY FOR DRUM CIRCLE
Combine professional networking with environmental action
Create a dedicated drummer ecosystem
Link community participation with real-world venues and brands
User Interviews
User interviews would focus on understanding how drummers currently dispose of used sticks, what would motivate them to return them, and how they discover opportunities within the music community.
The research would also explore how musicians find jam sessions, venues, professional contacts and sponsorship opportunities.
Key interview questions:
What types of products would you like to see created from reused drumsticks?
How important is sustainability when choosing music equipment?
How do you currently discover new musicians to play with?
How do you find jam sessions and new music venues?
Would you use an app to connect with professional drummers?
Would you be interested in getting hired by venues through the platform?
Would sponsorship opportunities from music brands be valuable to you?
What would make you return to the app regularly?
What information would you want to see on your drummer profile?
What would make you trust a drumstick recycling and reuse service?
What do you normally do with your drumsticks when they are no longer usable?
Would you return used drumsticks if there were convenient collection points near you?
What would motivate you to participate in a drumstick reuse programme?
Would you like to know what happens to your drumsticks after you return them?
Would seeing the final product created from your drumsticks make you more likely to participate?
Other Important Key Interview Questions:
What types of products would you like to see created from reused drumsticks?
How important is sustainability when choosing music equipment?
How do you currently discover new musicians to play with?
How do you find jam sessions and new music venues?
Would you use an app to connect with professional drummers?
Would you be interested in getting hired by venues through the platform?
Would sponsorship opportunities from music brands be valuable to you?
What would make you return to the app regularly?
What information would you want to see on your drummer profile?
What would make you trust a drumstick recycling and reuse service?
Key Findings from my Research
The research would indicate that drummers need a simple and visible way to dispose of used sticks responsibly, rather than treating them as ordinary waste.
A second major opportunity is community
Drummers are not only looking for products or recycling services; they also want opportunities to play, meet musicians, find venues and progress professionally.
This suggests that Drum Circle should make community and sustainability
Feel like one connected experience rather than two separate features.
Users would also value transparency
Knowing where their drumsticks go, how they are processed and what they eventually become could make the recycling experience more meaningful.
User Personas
The insights were collected through user interviews focused on two main areas: the relationship between drummers and their used equipment, and their experiences within the wider music community. Participants were asked about what they currently do with old drumsticks, their interest in recycling and reuse, and what would encourage them to participate in a collection and transformation programme.
The interviews also explored how users currently discover musicians, jam sessions, venues and professional opportunities. Questions around networking, finding gigs, connecting with professional drummers and potential sponsorships helped identify the career-related needs that Drum Circle could address alongside its sustainability purpose.
The responses were then reviewed to identify recurring themes and patterns across participants. These included the need for convenient collection points, greater transparency around what happens to returned drumsticks, opportunities to discover other musicians, and easier access to local music events and professional connections.
Based on these findings, three primary personas were established: the Emerging Drummer, who is focused on developing their career and network; the Established Drummer, who values sustainability and professional influence; and the Community Drummer, who primarily seeks social connections, jam sessions and local music opportunities. Each persona represents a different relationship with Drum Circle while sharing an interest in music and community.
These personas provided a foundation for making more informed UX decisions throughout the project. By understanding the different motivations and challenges of each user type, the design could balance Drum Circle’s environmental purpose with its community and career-development features, creating an experience that is useful, engaging and relevant to different stages of a drummer’s journey.
Points of View - POV
POV 1
Drummers who regularly replace used sticks need a simple and transparent way to return them, so they can participate in a circular music economy without adding complexity to their routine.
POV 2
Emerging musicians need accessible ways to discover other players, venues and professional opportunities, allowing them to build their careers through meaningful connections within the drummer community.
POV 3
Professional and community-focused drummers need a platform that connects environmental action with music culture, allowing them to give materials a second life while contributing to a stronger and more connected music ecosystem.
How Migth We - HMW
HMW 1
How might we make returning used drumsticks simple, convenient and rewarding for drummers?
HMW 2
How might we show users the journey of their drumsticks from collection point to their new life as a music-related product?
HMW 3
How might we connect drummers with musicians, venues, professionals and brands while creating opportunities for their musical careers?
Business Goals
- Establish Drum Circle as a recognisable circular-economy platform for drummers.
Increase the number of used drumsticks collected through partner locations.
Build partnerships with music shops, venues, manufacturers and brands.
Create revenue through merchandise made from reused materials.
Create sponsorship and partnership opportunities with established music brands.
Grow an active and engaged drummer community.
Generate opportunities for venues and musicians to connect.
User Goals
- Find nearby drumstick collection points.
Register and track submitted drumsticks.
Understand where their materials are in the reuse process.
See the products created from reused materials.
Discover local musicians.
Find jam sessions and venues.
Connect with professional drummers.
Request signatures from favourite professional drummers.
Get discovered by venues looking for musicians.
Find sponsorship and collaboration opportunities.
Technical Considerations
- User account and authentication system.
Location-based collection-point discovery.
Partner-location database.
Drumstick submission and tracking system.
Unique tracking/reference number for submitted materials.
Status updates throughout the reuse process.
Database connecting users, sticks, collection points and processing stages.
Geolocation for musicians, venues and jam sessions.
Messaging or connection functionality.
Musician profiles and portfolios.
Venue opportunity and job-posting system.
Brand sponsorship management.
Secure user data and privacy controls.
Scalable architecture for future expansion into additional music equipment.
Information Architecture
The main navigation could be structured around five core areas:
Home
Personalised overview, manifesto,and technologies.
How it works
Explanation about hoiw it works, step by step from collection until the impact environment
Find Drummers (Community)
Discover drummers, jam sessions, advanced features for drummers such as: Get drumsticks signed by a Pro, top brands opportunities, collaborations, jobs, sponsorships, skill verification and brand partnerships
Recycle
Nearest collection points, all collection points partnerships, information, telephone numbers.
Venues
Closest Jam Venues to you “Live”, Jam venues for next day, learn sessions with top drummers by price, schools, and music organisations that teaches drums and music.
My Impact
Personal graphic with the growth of the user in terms of recycling, carbon footprint, type of user recycler, perks, achievements.
User Area
Type of Membership user, type of drummer, 3 years skilled verified, personal information, contribution history, app settings, Faqs and contact us.
User Flow
The user flow was designed to make the physical recycling process understandable through a simple digital journey, from finding a collection point to seeing what happens to the returned drumsticks. The flow also extends beyond recycling by connecting users with musicians, venues and professional opportunities, reflecting the wider purpose of Drum Circle.
By bringing these experiences together, the app encourages repeat engagement rather than being used only when a drummer has old sticks to dispose of.
