Blog 7: User Interface Design

This week I took a step back from building new features and instead dedicated my time to making the existing interface actually feel good to use. The backend logic was mostly stable, but the overall experience still felt clunky; more like a prototype than something you’d want to interact with in a real creative session.

So I spent the bulk of the week refining the UI. Not just visually, but functionally. I tried to approach it like a user would: if I were sitting down to make music, what would confuse me? What would slow me down? What would feel intuitive?

Here are a few of the changes I made (among many):

– Labeled Parameter Displays: I cleaned up a bunch of unnamed sliders and numeric fields, adding clear, readable labels so you actually know what you’re adjusting. “Filter Cutoff” and “Dry/Wet” go a long way compared to, say, “Slider 7.”
– Color-Coded Modes: I implemented distinct color themes for different sections of the interface—synth design, drum sequencing, mix adjustments, etc., to provide quick visual feedback and help users know where they are without needing to read small text. Especially important with the tiny screen I plan to use.
– A Reset Anchor Point: I added a dedicated homescreen, which acts like a safe place to return to when you’re deep in a submenu. It’s subtle, but when you’re moving fast, it’s a lifesaver.

Those are just surface-level examples, but the bulk of my time was spent streamlining workflows: fewer clicks to access core functions, better spacing of interface elements, improved mouse/touch targets. Basically, I stopped thinking like a developer and started thinking like a musician.

There’s still a lot to improve, but this was the first week the UI started feeling like something I’d want to use outside the context of a school project.