Portfolio
In addition to developing Photophore and other iOS apps, I am also available for UI and UX design projects. Please contact me at info [at] taikasystems.com for more information. This page includes some recent examples of my design work.
Photophore
Flock Synthesizer for iPad
Taika Systems, 2014
Photophore is a unique synthesizer for iPad which creates sound by simulating animal behavior. Photophore was recently named one of the 10 Best Synths for iPad by FACT Magazine (they also used Photophore as the cover image for this story). I developed Photophore from a concept to a finished app, and was responsible for all UX/UI design as well as programming. In designing the user interface, I created a minimal and moody look that compliments the instrument's ambient, mysterious sounds. While not a strictly "flat" interface, I tried to pare down the detail as much as possible while still keeping a sense of three dimensional depth. I avoided introducing borders and extraneous dividing lines, instead opting to show small sets of well-grouped controls that appear as overlays above the "flock".
Blocks
Time Management for Apple Watch
Taika Systems, 2015 (Work in Progress)
Blocks is a simple time management app I'm developing for the iPhone and Apple Watch. Blocks will allow you to set weekly work goals and help keep you focused throughout the day. At the end of the week, you can review your progress toward your goals. You can also easily generate reports of time spent on particular projects, which will also make it a great time tracking solution for creative contractors.
Currently the above images show the Watch app concepts I'm working on. The next step will be designing the iPhone app, which will be where users set up their projects and goals as well as view more detailed reports.
3D Modeling
In addition to more flat and minimal interfaces, I also have experience with 3D modeling and rendering. Here are a few examples of models which I've created from scratch.
Ozone 5 Meter Bridge
iZotope, 2011
While at iZotope, I led a total redesign of the company's flagship product, Ozone. Ozone is an industry-standard tool used by professional audio mastering engineers for adding final polish to music before distribution. One of the most important features for version 5 was a new audio metering suite, the Meter Bridge, which included a range of essential visual tools for audio mixing and mastering. As part of this project, we created a new type of realtime 3D spectrogram (plot of audio frequency over time) which allows engineers to visually overlay different instruments to see how their spectrums interact. For example, the blue and white plot above shows a vocal (blue) overlaid on a drum kit (white).
Below is an example of one of the prototype renderings I did while experimenting with ways to overlay spectrograms.
Ozone for Reason
iZotope, 2012
Propellerhead Reason is one of the most popular music production applications of all time. In 2012 Propellerhead opened their hardware-inspired "rack" up to third-party developers. iZotope was considering developing for the platform, and I created a set of product ideas based on iZotope's flagship Ozone mastering software. Only one of these devices, the Maximizer, actually went into production.
This was a challenging and fun project. Ozone is a deep and complex product, so the essence of my job was to isolate the important parts of a complex software system and reimagine them as a simpler "hardware" product for a particular user persona. For example, the Multiband Dynamics section in Ozone at the time had about 120 controls. The redesigned version had only 35.