The Client
BMI serves as an advocate for the value of music, representing over 22.4 million musical works created and owned by more than 1.4 million songwriters, composers and music publishers.
BMI serves as an advocate for the value of music, representing over 22.4 million musical works created and owned by more than 1.4 million songwriters, composers and music publishers.
BMI was founded in 1939 by forward-thinkers who wanted to represent songwriters in emerging genres, like jazz, blues and country, and protect the public performances of their music.
BMI was founded in 1939 by forward-thinkers who wanted to represent songwriters in emerging genres, like jazz, blues and country, and protect the public performances of their music.
Outcome
Enterprise web platforms, editorial content, large-scale repertoire database redesign
Approach
UX design, web design and development, information architecture, content production, CMS, long-term product partnership
Focus
Evolving complex, content-heavy systems supporting the music community through multiple eras of the web
The Relationship
From early web to modern platforms
From early web to modern platforms
Our work with BMI spans 20 years. Eric was a full-time designer and editor during the early days of bmi.com (1999–2008), and later as a long-term consultant supporting major redesigns and system evolutions. This continuity created a rare advantage: deep knowledge paired with an external, modern UX perspective.
Our work with BMI spans 20 years. Eric was a full-time designer and editor during the early days of bmi.com (1999–2008), and later as a long-term consultant supporting major redesigns and system evolutions. This continuity created a rare advantage: deep knowledge paired with an external, modern UX perspective.
The Work
Designing for scale and varied audiences
Designing for scale and varied audiences
Across multiple generations of BMI’s digital presence, our role consistently centered on making large, complex systems understandable and usable. This included website redesigns, ongoing evolution of BMI.com, songwriter-focused education platforms, and design for internal and public-facing tools. This work required close collaboration across design, editorial, development, and leadership. While much of the early work predates today’s tooling, the challenges are relevant: enterprise level products, a broad range of audiences, and integrating with a large team across an organization.
Across multiple generations of BMI’s digital presence, our role consistently centered on making large, complex systems understandable and usable. This included website redesigns, ongoing evolution of BMI.com, songwriter-focused education platforms, and design for internal and public-facing tools. This work required close collaboration across design, editorial, development, and leadership. While much of the early work predates today’s tooling, the challenges are relevant: enterprise level products, a broad range of audiences, and integrating with a large team across an organization.
Featured Project
SongView database UX and UI
SongView database UX and UI
BMI’s repertoire database is one of the most heavily used tools in the organization, and our most recent (and still live) work with the organization. This mission-critical system is used by songwriters, publishers, and industry professionals worldwide. Our redesign focused on clarifying complex search and filtering behaviors, modernizing the UI without disrupting established workflows, and ensuring scalability for an ever-growing catalog. The result is a cleaner, more usable interface.
BMI’s repertoire database is one of the most heavily used tools in the organization, and our most recent (and still live) work with the organization. This mission-critical system is used by songwriters, publishers, and industry professionals worldwide. Our redesign focused on clarifying complex search and filtering behaviors, modernizing the UI without disrupting established workflows, and ensuring scalability for an ever-growing catalog. The result is a cleaner, more usable interface.
Beyond Design
Editorial, content, and storytelling
Editorial, content, and storytelling
In addition to UX, design and development, Eric worked across a wide variety of areas: writer, editor, photographer and video production. This blend of design and content experience still informs our studio work today, allowing Eric to advise on all areas of a product and treating content, structure, and interface as a single system.
In addition to UX, design and development, Eric worked across a wide variety of areas: writer, editor, photographer and video production. This blend of design and content experience still informs our studio work today, allowing Eric to advise on all areas of a product and treating content, structure, and interface as a single system.