Oblique bluetooth speakers

Designing Oblique - Bluetooth speakers

The curiosity to begin this project started with a quick search on asymmetrical designs specifically titlted forms. There aren’t many of these in consumer electronics. I did however find much inspiration in fashion and architecture.

Oblique is a bluetooth speaker designed to be slightly titled. The slight tilt doesn’t create a distinct effect but demurely challenges perception.

Year of completion : 2018 Self initiated project

Form exploration

Finding the right inclination as well as the width. Making the form as smooth as possible blending in all the surfaces together. Also smoothening the curve using control points to ensure no kinks. Contours often reflect emotional qualities of the form. Keeping a slight bulge of the front faces so that it creates a slight grip.

Exploded view

I choose Ultraviolet as the base colour and explored different shades of it. This colour isn’t too common in consumer electronics and was a good opportunity to explore its application in this field.

Ultraviolet and purple spectrum has a neutrality to it as it is neither masculine nor feminine, neither young nor old.

COLOUR STRATEGY

WHAT’S YOUR SHADE?

Most of the products are offered in a selection of hues. Hue is the emotional dimension and most of people have a preference for certain hues relating it to either as a personal choice like a childhood favourite or a choice that is dictated by what is trending.

What if though Hue remains constant and what is played with are the saturation and tonal values as choices ?

How would this affect the users decision making ?

Would this restrict their variety or would it open up a more thoughtful dialogue ?

Would this be more helpful in discerning their individuality ?

mindful now

Found in the dusk sky and in crystals like the rainbow opal. This shade of pastel violet has a tendency to radiate while it recedes due to its short wavelength. The colour brings forth calmness and sets a mood for wonder. This theme is spatial and is a reminder of utopian bliss that we crave for intrinsically. The design includes calm patterns and muted ethereal tones to please anxious nerves. The theme calls for a uniform body colour such that there are no edges that constrict, adding to the smoothness of the form. The desired finish for the form would be that of slip glazed porcelain.

The pattern is designed to enhance the playful quality and to complement the radiating quality of colour.

mindful now

futurustic

In the last century, the aesthetic of the future was painted with metallic accents and inorganic materials with the anticipation of robots and aliens. Today however in times when we have more news of the going ons of the galaxy at the touch of our fingertips, we are increasingly being fascinated by the wisdom of the ancient past. This shade of Japanese violet was a traditional shade used to dye kimonos. The grille pattern resembles perforated paper. The pattern creates an interesting optical illusion on the sides where the dots change direction The investigation of the future calls for sustainable design solutions. The proposed material is inspired by a textile board made from waste textiles developed by Kvadrat. Matt anodised aluminium is used to compliment the texture.

futurustic

eccentric pass

Electric purple is the colour of the highest chakra, indicating high intensity. It is paired with a grille pattern that compliments it. The theme is powered by inclusivity movements powered by social media, encouraging sharing and coming out on subjects that were previously considered taboo. This enlightening phenomenon is honoured by this theme with bright colours Translucent material

Translucent milky plastic is teamed with a soft to touch hard rubber to complete the look and feel of the theme

The pattern is generated through a series of operations around the outline form resulting in a wave like effect. The central lighting panel has a strong stance which animates when the form is lit.

eccentric pass

WHAT’S YOUR SHADE?