Fairlight
Operating system
Design thinking at scale
In an arena where technical prowess often overshadows user experience, the Fairlight OS project aimed to shake things up. Taking on the challenge of revolutionizing Blackmagic Design's operating system used across numerous hardware products, the team set out to reimagine how complex, data-heavy interfaces could be not only more intuitive but also visually compelling.
The journey involved navigating vast complexities, synthesizing high-level technical information into digestible design elements, and building a comprehensive design system that scales across a myriad of products. This project is a testament to the belief that even in the most technical of domains, a human-centric design ethos can and should be at the core.
Function mapping
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Prototyping
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User testing
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UI Design
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User centric
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Icon design
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Interaction design
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Data visualisation
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Human driven
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Function mapping + Prototyping + User testing + UI Design + User centric + Icon design + Interaction design + Data visualisation + Human driven +
Shared behaviors for granular components
In the BMD OS project, shared behaviors for granular components play an integral role in maintaining consistency and usability across the system. By defining common interaction patterns and functionalities, we can ensure that our components behave predictably and cohesively, regardless of their context or configuration.
This approach doesn't just foster a unified user experience; it also streamlines the development process, eliminating the need for duplicate code and facilitating component reusability. For instance, consider a set of button components. Although they might vary in style or size, they share certain core behaviors: they can be clicked, they provide visual feedback on hover or click, and they might trigger a specific action or event. By abstracting these shared behaviors into a common base component, we can easily extend this base to create diverse yet consistent button variants.
This way, we ensure that all our buttons adhere to the same interaction principles, reinforcing user intuition and reducing cognitive load. Shared behaviors also encompass broader design considerations, such as accessibility and responsiveness.
Ensuring that our granular components adhere to accessible design practices (like keyboard navigation or contrast ratios) and respond appropriately to different screen sizes or orientations is crucial in delivering an inclusive and versatile user experience. In essence, shared behaviors for granular components form the backbone of our design system in the BMD OS project. They promote consistency, reusability, and adaptability, paving the way for a robust, user-centered interface.
Key take aways
Overview
When it comes to operating a vast array of advanced hardware products, creating a unified, intuitive user experience is no small feat. BMD OS is the proprietary operating system that powers an impressive range of Blackmagic Design's hardware products - from audio mixing panels and video editing consoles, to cameras, recorders, and screens.
The objective of this project was to design and manage a comprehensive design system on a large scale, capable of handling complex, technical information in a user-friendly way.
Execution and impact
To execute this ambitious project, rigorous documentation of research findings, design decisions, and lessons learned along the way was crucial. An iterative approach to design allowed for continuous improvements and adaptability, thereby ensuring the design system's relevance and usability. The result was a robust, scalable design system that seamlessly integrates with a variety of hardware interfaces.
The unified OS not only provides a consistent user experience but also enhances product usability by presenting complex information in an intuitive, easily digestible format. This project has undoubtedly showcased the power of well-planned and well-executed design in managing complexity at scale.
Challenges & Problem solving
The main challenge was to develop a design system that could efficiently streamline diverse functionalities across the different hardware products. This required extensive planning and mapping to comprehend the broad scope of the project.
The team embarked on a journey of exploring and understanding the unique needs of each hardware interface, all the while maintaining a cohesive visual language that would unite the products under the BMD OS umbrella. An essential part of the process was distilling highly technical information and figuring out how to present it in a digestible way for the end user. This required close collaboration with the engineers to understand the technical nuances and potential constraints, while always keeping the user needs front and center.
Reflections
Working on the BMD OS project was an enlightening journey through the intricacies of creating a design system for a broad spectrum of hardware products.
It underscored the importance of maintaining a user-centric approach, even when dealing with complex technical systems, and showcased the impact of meticulous planning and thorough documentation in tackling a project of this magnitude.
