UX Research & UI Design
Product Owner
Phil Jones Bass
Deliverables
High-Fidelity UI Design, Product Collateral: Photography & Video
Skills
UX Research, UX Testing, UI Design, Product Design, Art Direction, Sketching, Illustrating, Photography, Video
Tools
Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Lightroom, Canon EOS 7D
Background
Phil Jones Bass (PJB) is a high-performance bass amplification manufacturer founded by world-renowned speaker designer, Phil Jones.
As the entry point for an even halfway decent bass amp was cost-prohibitive, Phil saw an opening in the mid-sized amp market for an affordable, quality product.
I was tasked with designing the front panel. Simple enough, right? Wrong.
I set out to conduct the necessary user research, which consisted of a multitude of in-person interviews with preeminent bassists and industry-leading retail shop owners around the world. When I synthesized the extensive user research with a competitive landscape deep dive, my UI design direction became clear.
From the blue (a shade we appropriately named “PJB Blue”) faceplate to the ergonomic knobs, I was able to design a panel that was sleek, beautiful, and simple—all while delivering a refreshingly painless user experience.
But as with all good design, my work wasn’t done yet. The product’s eventual successful launch was built on a foundation of further user research: a grueling road trip covering the entire roster of PBJ’s East Coast dealers, thorough Japanese market beta trials, and extensive music pro road testing.
The BP800 sold out before it's first shipment even landed in the US, and the amplifier went on to win a host of awards. To date, it is one of PJB's bestselling amplifiers.
Low-fidelity pencil sketches.
User testing with the Professors of Bass at Berklee School of Music in Boston
User testing at New Canaan Music in New Canaan, CT.
Product photography.
