DMX Interface Design
A software designed for controlling the light show during concerts, offering functionalities to program sequences, group lights and managing the show on the fly.
This project was part of the Chalmers course Graphical Interfaces where I designed a software concept and its desktop UI.
I had two weeks to perform underlying domain research, come up with an idea to design and evaluate and complete the final user interface, which was given the highest grade.
The project brief
At most bigger concerts and festivals, you can find advanced lighting rigs to which digital multiplex lighting is attached. The controls for such systems are typically graphical user interfaces on computer screens, used both when preparing the show beforehand and controlling the light rig live. During the concert, the lighting designer starts and stops the prepared light cycles and sequences. The system should both allow a flexible, on-the-fly control, and a more predetermined sequencing, that is adjusted during the concert.
The UI should allow:
• Connecting new lights
• Creating groups
• Programming sequences
• Connecting lights to instrument
• Change intensity and color
• Ajust beam width and tilt
• Setting up before concert
• Controlling the lights live
My concept
The UI builds on two modes: One Set-up mode for setting up the lights and preparing the lighting sequences beforehand, and one Live mode to manage the show during the concert.
Both of modes have two different views to better facilitate different kinds of users: One is more visual and showing the stage at all times, allowing for novices to get an intuitive overview of available options. The other is list-based, displaying all lights and sequences without displaying the lights' location on stage - an experienced user does not need the visual guidance.
Set-up mode
Live mode
The first mode is for setting up the light show in advance: Creating a visual representation of the stage and connecting each light to their digital counterpart, as well as programming sequences and alter settings.
The second mode is for controlling the show live in a free and creative way. Sequences can be looped and queued but the user may also utilize the tool in a more DJ-like manner, altering the light show on the fly.
Set-up mode
Displaying the stage with connected rig and options for programming each light.
Live mode
Showing available lights (Stage view and List view), recent lights, sequence queues and live tools for controlling the show more freely.
