OPNR – Music Platform

The live music industry remains highly fragmented. Independent musicians often rely on personal networks, social media, and word of mouth to find performance opportunities, while venues and event organisers struggle to discover reliable talent. Professional presentation also varies wildly, making it difficult for emerging artists to showcase themselves consistently.

OPNR was conceived as a platform to bridge this gap: a trusted marketplace where musicians and organisers could discover each other, manage opportunities, and present professional digital profiles.

As Co-Founder, Creative Director, and UX/Product Lead, I was responsible for product strategy, brand direction, user experience, and the overall creative vision from concept through to launch.

I worked with Phase_1 on branding, logo and identity design, user and persona research, concept development, user flows, information architecture, web and app design, UX prototyping, and UI design patterns and style guides.

From the outset, the objective was to design more than a booking platform. We wanted to build a digital ecosystem that supported musicians throughout their professional journey.

The platform was designed around two distinct user groups, musicians and organisers, each with different goals, workflows, and decision-making processes. This informed both the information architecture and user experience.

Key product features included:

Digital Electronic Press Kit (EPK) Generator allowing musicians to build a professional online profile without requiring design or technical skills.

Opportunity Board connecting artists with live performance opportunities, festivals, and events.

Two-sided Marketplace enabling organisers to search, evaluate, and contact musicians based on genre, location, availability, and profile quality.

Artist Profiles combining biography, media, music, technical requirements, and performance history into a single professional destination.

Throughout the project the focus remained on reducing friction, improving trust between both audiences, and making professional presentation accessible to every musician.

The visual identity positioned OPNR as a contemporary music platform rather than a traditional booking agency. The brand language balanced technology with creativity, using a clean interface, bold typography, and editorial-inspired layouts to appeal to both independent musicians and professional organisers.

OPNR successfully launched as a functioning platform and established the foundations for a scalable marketplace connecting musicians and event organisers. The MVP has been live since 2019, with over 10,000 artists signed up across the US, around 1,000 venues and concert organisers using the platform, and approximately 20,000 fans connected.

The project navigated significant headwinds during COVID, given its focus on live music, but the core product and community remained intact.

Beyond the platform itself, the project demonstrated how thoughtful UX, branding, and product strategy could simplify complex interactions within the live music ecosystem while helping independent musicians present themselves more professionally.