M•CASTER LIVE
content creator audio companion
M-Caster LIVE was initiated to enable the company’s expansion into the emerging content-creator market. While the organization had established credibility in professional audio hardware, its existing products were optimized for expert users and live sound workflows. These products assumed technical fluency and tolerance for flexible configuration complexity, which created a barrier for new creators.
Creators just wanted it to sound great without becoming audio engineers.
External Exploration to Reduce Early Risk
I led the selection and direction of an external design agency, establishing UX clarity and confidence as the primary evaluation criteria rather than aesthetic novelty. Early work focused on mapping creator tasks directly to controls, eliminating unnecessary modes, and ensuring that visual hierarchy mirrored user intent.
The user Journey provided the foundation for conceptual layouts of device inputs and user workflow configurations.
Goals:
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Reduce perceived complexity
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Improve control discoverability
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Reinforce approachability compared to traditional audio mixers
Industrial Design as Execution, Not Exploration
UI Concept 3 was selected for ID concepting based on user flow layout and cognitive simplicity. Additionally, the portrait form factor took a departure from industry cues and subtily echoed the proportions of a smart phone. Content creation was oriented towards a more mobile consumption paradigm. With interaction and orientation decisions locked, industrial design focused on executing the established system intent
Emotional Reassurance and Confidence
After presenting four distinct industrial design directions and conducting user research, Concept 4 emerged as the clear path forward. Its softened forms and thoughtfully delineated control areas felt intuitive and inviting rather than technical or intimidating.
Working closely with our in-house engineering team, I evolved these principles into the final product. The integrated handle and fluid geometry signal mobility and flexibility, freeing the hardware from the rigidity of traditional studio equipment. User-controlled underglow lighting extends this clarity into emotional reassurance, allowing the product to visually adapt to a creator’s space and mood — transforming it from a piece of equipment into an expressive presence within their environment.
The final form was developed by myself and our in-house team of engineers. I utilized the soft forms and handle idea from concept 4 in the development of the final product to communicate mobility and not tie the unit down to a specific setting like a studio. The user controlled underglow lighting allowed the hardware to match a user's set up or mood. Since this device is primarily used with a phone, it was important that it felt that it could go with the user anywhere their phone went.
A platform that scales from Mobility to Studio.
The Analog M-Caster was quickly followed by a more advanced sibling that expanded the platform’s capabilities while preserving its core clarity. The Studio version introduced sample pads, integrated effects, a screen-based interface, Bluetooth connectivity, and full input and output metering — elevating the product without redefining its foundation.
To maintain intuitive use as complexity increased, I implemented a color-coded LED system for input selection. Each illuminated control corresponded directly to its matching rear-panel input, creating a clear visual connection between action and source. This ensured that added functionality never came at the expense of understanding.
