Creating a Mobile Appto Control Your Music
The Challenge | Strengthen a Brand with Human Centered Digital Design
Parts Express was refreshing its acclaimed Dayton Audio brand with a new high-output, multi-zone amplifier – which provides sonic freedom and unrivaled multi-room audio for restaurants, conference centers, offices, gaming and amusement centers, as well as private homes. The worldwide leader in audio components was looking for a digital partner with expertise in human-centered design to help launch its Matrio™ Control Mobile App for this best-in-class music system.
Parts Express is a worldwide leader in the development and distribution of audio components. The company aimed to refresh its acclaimed Dayton Audio brand known for best-in-class speakers and electronics at an affordable price. With that in mind, the product development team went to work on its most ambitious music solution yet – a multi-zone amplifier with a mobile app controller.
The new amplifier provides the ultimate customizable, multi-zone audio experience engineered with an emphasis on simplicity, flexibility, and wireless control – and with higher output power than other amps on the market. The amplifier provides complete sonic freedom and unrivaled multi-room audio for restaurants, conference centers, offices, gaming, and amusement centers, as well as private homes
To deliver on its promise of best-in-class, Parts Express needed a consumer-facing mobile app for the amplifier that would provide a user-friendly interface for music lovers to control where and how music is played. Parts Express was looking for a digital partner with expertise in human-centered digital design to strategize and build the software solution.
CEO Jeff Stahl knew the company needed a reliable partner to help develop the perfect mobile app for music lovers with a user-friendly and intuitive interface. “We’re selling the user experience, so we needed to avoid the errors and missteps that other companies make. We turned to CoStrategix for their deep technical expertise in software engineering, and their ability to infuse stellar user experience and design,” Stahl said.
Our Solution/Approach
CoStrategix started with a discovery workshop and a digital design session with the key stakeholders. Together, the team gathered design and technical requirements and uncovered potential challenges to a prototype. With a people-centered design approach to simplify system complexity, CoStrategix returned with a software engineering roadmap for the new Matrio Control App.
The development process included clickable wireframe prototype designs that were tested by Parts Express employees and customers before they were approved. Timing was a challenge, as the components of the application had to be tested both on the app as well as on the amp itself. That meant coordinating demos around the manufacturing schedule.
The new mobile Matrio™ Control App:
- Allows the user to play music in up to six stereo-amplified zones and two stereo pre-amp zones
- Accommodates a wide array of analog and digital inputs, including wi-fi (for AirPlay, Spotify Connect, DLNA, etc.) and streaming options (for Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Pandora, TIDAL, etc.)
- Allows the user to program up to eight different audio sources
- Integrates with LinkPlay to configure volume control
- Enables a group to control settings for multiple zones at the same time.
Results
The Matrio Control App provides a streamlined and easy-to-use experience that makes it simple to harness the power of the music system. The app is attractive and powerful, yet elegantly designed.
But perhaps the best measures of success are sales and reviews. Parts Express made the music system available for presale in January, ahead of a formal launch on Independence Day. The amplifier and Matrio App have received rave reviews. It’s a powerful start for the music system – and a brand-builder for Parts Express.
“We have been so impressed by CoStrategix, not only because of the elegance of their solution, but especially because of their strategic approach to discovery and design. It’s such a pleasure to work with a team that truly understands both digital design and technology, and also provides a responsive customer experience.”
Jeff Stahl
Chief Operating Officer at Parts Express
