Jukester
How do you let cruise passengers take turns playing DJ in a controlled environment without reliable internet service?
The Challenge
Without an internal product team, they felt stranded at sea (well, theoretically). They had tested their product in small B2C markets, but wanted an enterprise solution for a fleet of cruise ships that had many user demands.
Coalesce jumped onboard to augment their design team, develop the expanded product for the new targeted demographic, and provide a reliable go-to-launch strategy that let them implement the app even sooner than expected.
Scalable and Lightweight Platform
We built the entire Jukester system to operate with off-the-shelf consumer-grade hardware so they could deploy installations quickly with interfaces their users would recognize and understand.
By creating an intelligent jukebox platform that operates in iOS, we could circumvent the need for the popular (but pricey) proprietary commercial hardware. This resulted in a faster launch but also means Jukester components can be easily replaced or upgraded if damaged or lost.
Retro Aesthetic with a Thoughtful UI
Our intuitive jukebox-inspired design was created specifically to accomodate the needs of a variety of passengers, especially the 55+ crowd.
We relied on best practices and created large, easy-to-scan interface layouts, and unique feedback elements like animation and lighting to convey a lo-fi jukebox aesthetic while offering limited, but engaging options for the user. Then we baked in fun features like customized playlists for theme nights, time of day, or location on the ship (different decks, different jams!).
Smart Remote Control for Admins
Our networked devices allowed moderators to control dozens of jukeboxes throughout the ship simultaneously.
This pad-to-pad design meant entertainment directors and staff could easily add and remove songs in the queue in real time, freeze a music selection to a certain genre or location, and schedule playlists as needed.
RDM and Offline Capabilities
We engineered the platform to leverage local storage while at sea, but gave it the capability to update seamlessly once connected in port.
Remote device management (RDM) was crucial to the flexibility of the platform and understanding the limits of web connectivity at sea helped inform how to integrate offline options. We designed curated playlists to be stored locally on the devices, but once in port and connected to a reliable network, the system and settings could be managed and updated remotely from Jukester’s Miami-based HQ.
Thanks to our intuitive design, cost-effective hardware, and robust admin functionality, Jukester can now replace most complicated enterprise-grade music delivery systems with an overnight install. This “instant party” plugin means more customers, happier cruisers, and a lot more music for us all.
NCL cruise ships using Jukester
Daily happy customers
Custom playlists created
"Coalesce nailed the first UI right away. I was very impressed with the final product as well, especially in the tight time frame. They were very responsive, and were able to deliver under tough conditions.”
