Kit Generator
for Arcade

The Approach

Starting with a proof of concept

We started with a proof-of-concept prototype that a previous designer had built which demonstrated the core idea of utilizing user audio samples and converting them into playable kits within Arcade. With the proof of concept in place and proven (at least internally), our team was tasked with building out the final experience that would go to market.

At a high level the flow involved a user uploading an audio file, having Kit Generator slice up the audio and assigning the slices to various keys of Arcade’s sampler so that a user could play it like any other kit in Arcade.

Positioning Kit Generator as an "intermediate step" and narrowing down our feature set accordingly

We had multiple rounds of internal discussions as well as stakeholder discussions where we explored what we thought we needed to ship with first. We ultimately arrived at the conclusion that Kit Generator, as a feature, would be treated as more of an "intermediate state" and that tweaking and editing should occur after the kit was saved by the user. This was a BIG assumption that we made in retrospect, but based on that principle, we prioritized our MVP set of features based on technical feasibility and the amount of time required to develop features.

Some features that didn't quite make the initial cut

There were a lot of interesting directions that we could take Kit Generator in, all coming with varying degrees of complexity in terms of technical implementation and product strategy. Some of the features that didn't make the cut:

Using FX Presets to help personalize the results

One of the key features established for Kit Generator was the ability for a user to choose from a list of audio effect presets (labeled FX) that would color the audio of sounds produced by Kit Generator. This would allow you to make your kit sound uniquely different based on your selection, from spacey and washed in reverb to aggressive and distorted. And if you wanted a more “dry”, non-effected sound, you could simply disengage the FX. I explored a few different interactions and patterns that users could use for choosing audio effects for their kit.

Drawing inspiration from real life

A big part of Output’s audience included people new to making music on a computer. In an attempt to make a simple UI for choosing an FX preset, I turned to real life everyday objects for inspiration. What’s a device that was easy enough for a child to understand how to use? The See ‘n Say! This classic childhood toy served as a great analogy for visualizing a collection of different options that produced different effects. I would display the FX presets in a similar way, with each section of the “wheel” representing a different FX preset combination.

Choosing an audio sample slicing algorithm

While we de-prioritized fine tune placement of audio sample slices, one feature that did make it to the top was the ability for Kit Generator to slice the audio in interesting ways. This ranged from more experimental and warped slicing to more rhythmic or straightforward slicing for more “traditional” purposes.

Testing concepts with real people

At the time, Output didn't have any formal research resources to aid the team in conducting usability testing or customer interviews. In order to get some initial reactions to Kit Generator's user flow I spun up some quick usability testing using a product called Maze which allowed us to send out prototype links directly to friends of people on the team. Overall, we heard that there was a little bit of confusion initially around what "Generate Kit" might mean, but as they went through the prototype they were able to get a better understanding of what was intended. The team felt like this gave us enough confidence to move forward with cutting a Beta version for internal and Beta testing.

Internal dogfooding: Output's first "Beat Cypher"

To help gather additional insights into how our solution was working and stress test Kit Generator, we sent an open invitation to the entire company to participate in what our team referred to as a “Beat Cypher”. This was a 1 hour session where participants would be required to create a beat using Kit Generator and Arcade in their DAW of choice, the intended use case for our customers, and document any bugs, usability issues, or any other observations related to using Kit Generator that surfaced. After the hour was up, we would gather back online and listen to the results of our beat creations and share our documented findings with the product team. In this way, we were able to squash major bugs and address any usability or feature requests that came out of the session.