Inside Artlist: Meet Dan Jackson

Inside Artlist 

Welcome to Inside Artlist — our series that gives you a behind-the-scenes look at the expert team that powers Artlist. Get to know our team, their skills, and experience, and discover how they can help you and your business achieve your goals.

We sat down with Dan Jackson, an Artlist front-end developer, for this installment. 

Let’s start with a couple of warm-up questions:

Q: What are your top 3 songs on Artlist right now?

Q: Who is your all-time favorite artist or band?

Probably Radiohead. I love the combination of ambient, rock, and electronic elements. They are one of those bands that don’t have a bad album.

Interview

Q: Can you tell us about yourself and your journey to Artlist?

I live in Norwich with my lovely partner Francesca in our little terraced house near the city center. I moved to Norwich from Huntingdon in 2015 for university. After graduating in 2019, I worked for a couple of small start-ups, a fast-paced web agency, and an AI chatbot company. Then, in 2022, I joined Artlist as a front-end developer. 

Q: What inspired you to become a front-end developer, and what do you love most about your role at Artlist?

I’ve always been interested in tech, but the aspect of creating something visual with code really got me hooked. I love working at Artlist because it’s a unique product within the creative industry. The product is made by creators for creators, so there’s an artistic spirit built into everything we do.

Q: Are there any projects or features you’ve worked on at Artlist that you’re particularly proud of?

Most recently, I worked on migrating the music page. It’s our highest traffic page, so a lot of work was done to ensure it runs smoothly and gives our users the best possible experience. The updates included new sections to highlight collections and improve the discoverability of content. 

Q: How does dev help provide a smooth user experience?

Frequent communication with Quality Assurance and Product Designers is key throughout the development process. We also ensure that all the usual web browser measurements are in check, such as the initial load time, time to interactivity, and other vital measurements. 

Q: Is user feedback part of the development process?

We’re a data-driven company, so all of our decisions are based on insights and interactions we get from or about our users. There’s a genuine spirit of learning and constant improvement. We want our users to interact with the platform, get the most out of Artlist, and have a good experience. So, we’re constantly releasing new features, monitoring their impact, and repeating the cycle. 

The team regularly conducts user interviews, and we also get a lot of feedback and data from our Business customers. Every Business customer gets a dedicated Account Manager, so through that personalized service, we can learn a lot about what our users like about Artlist and even get inspiration for new features. 

Q: How does the front-end design and development align with the overall brand and vision of Artlist?

It’s very important to us that the overall quality of the user experience matches the high quality of Artlist’s royalty-free assets. To achieve this, we have a good practice of open two-way communication between design and development so that each team can work closely together and provide feedback along the way. We are encouraged to suggest improvements and make the whole process collaborative. 

Q: For Business clients or larger organizations that use Artlist, are there features or customizations you’ve developed to cater to their unique needs?

Yes, as I mentioned above, our dedicated Account Managers are in constant contact with their Artlist Business clients, so we are able to really understand their needs and develop the product with them in mind. 

For example, we developed Collections as a way to create featured playlists for all of our users. The content team might create a collection of Pop Hits or Corporate Soundtracks.  

However, after working with our Business customers, we realized that this feature could become even more specialized and useful for their needs. For example, if a client needs music for an upcoming ad campaign, they can work with their Account Manager, who can create a dedicated playlist to suit their needs. The tech base is the same. However, Business customers can use the feature in a different way from our other subscribers. 

We also have other features like searching for music by BPM, genre, etc.. these filters are handy for all users. These time-saving features can be especially useful for brands as they speed up workflows, and campaigns can go to market faster. 

I am not an AI Wizard. However, I’ve also helped integrate some of our AI features like AI-powered search and suggested SFX, which also helps clients find the perfect assets for their projects faster than ever. 

Q:  How do you incorporate user feedback and analytics into your development decisions?

We have a constant and robust feedback loop, and our customer care team helps a lot. We monitor analytics and reports that help us understand how our users interact with the platform. We ensure we use this data to make informed and appropriately prioritized development decisions. 

Q: How does Artlist plan to stay ahead in the constantly evolving digital media landscape from a front-end perspective?

Artlist has an amazing catalog of assets that is constantly growing, and we are always looking for new ways to present these as part of a streamlined user experience. Regardless of their within the company, people are encouraged to voice their ideas, which allows us to incorporate fresh perspectives into our end product.

Wrapping up 

Want to work with Dan and the team to find the right assets for your brand? Read more about Artlist Business and speak to the team. 

You can also read our interview with Stephanie Halberstam, an Artist Business Account Manager, and don’t forget to keep your eyes peeled for our next installment of Inside Artlist.