resonant design: the transparent speaker
This project was part of a studio course that I took in grad school at the University of Illinois at Chicago in the Fall of 2017
This clear speaker aims to elevate and highlight all functional aspects aspects of the object.
“A museum case”
Can making the internal part of the speaker that is normally hidden away in the casing more visible and desirable increase the overall value of the object?
Appreciating the small things
The idea came to me as I was taking apart some cheap speakers and noticed that the internal components, albeit technologically very simple, were actually beautiful. This simple technology helps amplify sound electronically, which I felt was a small marvel.
Inspiration
Concept inspiration
I learned from the book Emotionally Durable Design by Jonathan Chapman that 80% of the electronic items in landfills end up there because people couldn’t form an emotional connection with them. Beauty and desirability is essential for the lifeline of the object.
Other clear speakers
Other clear speakers
Several other clear speakers exist in the market which have different design motivations than Hio but which ultimately have a similar effect.
enjoying indoors
Beyond
UIC Image of Research Award
This project was awarded an Honorable Mention at the UIC Image of Research Award in 2018.