Multi-Touch Light Table

As KCAI seniors, we were tasked with identifying a problem and creating a design solution for that issue. I challenged myself to design a digital DJ interface (turntables and a mixer) for a large scale touch screen. If venues had these surfaces at their clubs, DJ’s from all over the world could easily travel to play their sets without worrying about crating around heavy record boxes or turntables. A traveling DJ could carry their entire catalogue on a USB stick, leaving more room in their suitcase for cool sunglasses, pool floaties, lots of black pants, and hair jel.

Project goals:

• Provide a way for traveling DJs to go to clubs and play sets without having to take their equipment with them
• Create a usable DJ interface that functions similar to an older style of playing (turntables and a mixer)
• Design gestures that allow DJ’s to change music parameters without having to look down and turn a tiny knob on a flat surface
• Make features of this device familiar to traditional DJs so they feel comfortable transitioning to this interface
• Allow DJs to carry a huge catalogue of music in their pocket vs toting around heavy records and setups
• Include new digital features for tech-forward DJs

UX & UI:

I kept all of the basic turntable and mixer functions so turntable DJs can feel at ease if they wanted to try the digital decks. I also thought it was important to include new features to appease a younger DJ crowd. I included the ability to interact with an audio wave form to skip through a track, auto match bpm, add cue points, add loops, and ability to record your set.

While sketching solutions, I created a set of rules for hand gestures:

• 1 finger swipe up/down = change the level of hi tones
• 2 finger swipe up/down = change mid tones
• 3 finger swipe up/down = change low end (bass)
• 4 finger swipe up/down = adjust volume of each platter
• 1 finger side to side to adjust cross fader
• Tap platter to change bpm of song, faster you tap, the faster the speed
• Pinch outward starts a loop sequence
• Ability to adjust loop length
• Hold 1 finger down and tap with another to create a Cue point
• Tap waveform to skip through a track or activate cues
• Effects: the further you drag it the stronger the effect is

I sketched out different methods on how people can interact with a screen to effect music, some include a zedgraph radar chart, circle bar graphs, and wave forms.

I also took some time to create paper prototypes. This helped me quickly try layout configurations, test different audio modules, and test the sizing of elements.

To make a digital system feel more personal, I decided to make the platters themselves (‘records’) warp and change based on what hand gestures you use. Every DJ’s style is different when they play, which means everyone’s turntable shape would be unique to them. After playing a set, I translated the gestures of how I DJ into shapes that adhere to my interaction rules.

I created interaction prototype video in order to explain my thought process and show how my decisions look in real time. The video went viral and gained worldwide attention. I receive emails asking where to buy this product and see general interest from all around the DJ community. My design has appeared in commercials, magazines, and is shown in the design documentary Connecting – Trends in UI, Interaction, & Experience Design. In case you’re wondering, yes, I did pass the class.

Here are a few of the interactions I designed