Phil Banks





For the last 10 years I’ve been embedded in high performing, consumer product teams as a designer at: 


Peloton WIP
Halter
InMusic
Nura
 Serato




  •   New York, NY            



    My role at InMusic

    • Member of the senior leadership team and involved in the establishment of an office in New Zealand (4 → 80)

    • Contributed to cross functional leadership, collaborating with product, engineering and executives to define strategy and deliver experiences.

    • Facilitated UXR that impacted business decisions, hardware designs and software designs.

    • Designed software for 15+ pieces of hardware with expertise in systems design, interaction design and information architecture.






    Oliver Heldens performing to thousands using Engine DJ




    Engine DJ

    InMusic  |  2022  
    Senior UX Designer
    Embedded OS, desktop, iOS

    Learn more

    A unified ecosystem for performing and preparing DJ sets. Powerful hardware OS with tools like stem separation, streaming, touch FX, and lighting.





    Engine DJ running on various standalone hardware integrations




    Introduction

    InMusic is home to 20 of the world's premier music industry brands including Akai, Alesis, and M-Audio.

    Our team was responsible for Engine DJ, an operating system built to power standalone DJ hardware. It’s a strategically important piece of software for InMusic as it powers three of their DJ hardware brands: Denon DJ, Numark and Rane,

    The code base is also shared with Akai’s standalone products like the MPC so I needed to remain close to both streams of work.
    Opportunities

    • Engine DJ’s wasn’t percieved well in 2018. Users cited poor stability and lack of expected features when compared to competitors.

    • The desktop app was lacking in particular.

    • DJ hardware market share for Denon DJ, Numark and Rane had dipped the year prior.







    Engine DJ powering a Denon DJ SC600 + Akai MPC




    Goals
    • Elevate the perception of Engine DJ within the industry by redefining its value proposition and aligning it with the needs of modern DJs by emphasizing innovation, usability, and performance.

    • Fuel growth in hardware sales by creating a seamless software ecosystem that not only meets but exceeds user expectations.
    The NZ office

    • In 2018, I became the fourth hire at InMusic’s New Zealand office and played a pivotal role in shaping the vision, culture, and operational foundations of the new location.

    • Our presence contributed to the emergence of a vibrant music tech hub in Auckland, situated alongside other industry leaders like Serato and Melodics.

    • I collaborated with executive stakeholders to align the office's objectives with the company's overall mission. I also contributed to recruiting top talent, fostering a creative and collaborative environment, and ensuring the office became a hub for innovation. 








    Engine DJ OS

    Engine DJ is crafted to seamlessly support a wide range of DJ hardware, including 15 different devices. This ensures DJs can rely on robust integration and performance.



    Touch FX
    Unleash powerful effect combinations with ease. Simply swipe in any direction to instantly craft dynamic build-ups, seamless drops, and smooth transitions, putting creative possibilities right at your fingertips.





    Bluetooth

    Enhance your setup with Bluetooth, allowing you to play audio wirelessly. Additionally, keyboard support offers greater flexibility and control, making your experience more intuitive and versatile.











    Day Mode
    Switch to Day Mode for an optimized user interface designed to ensure clear visibility in bright lighting conditions.






    Engine DJ Profile
    Sign in to your Engine DJ Profile to instantly access all your saved settings, ensuring a tailored experience every time you play.

















    Prototyping & UXR

    • I set up multiple DJ booths, a music production studio and hung lighting throughout our office space to create a UXR lab specific to the needs of our users.

    • Extensive testing with clickable prototypes and beta versions. as well as working software. These prototypes allowed us to evaluate user interactions early, gather valuable feedback, and refine the interface for seamless usability. 

    • This iterative approach guaranteed a polished product that met the highest standards of quality and functionality.












    Impact

    • Engine DJ is now considered one of the most innovative brands in the industry, a complete u-turn from when our team took over it’s development. 

    • InMusic has been able to steadily increase hardware sales for all three hardware brands with Engine DJ being the golden thread that ties it all together.

    • Is now depended on to provide rock solid stability when performing live in front of  thousands.