Design Brief
Choose a ‘brand name’ e.g. Bose, Bang & Olufsen, Roberts, Braun, Sony, Ruark, ext. and produce a design for a small portable radio or media receiver that projects the brand into the future.
Branding and Key Research Insights
Smart Home Hubs:
Most radios today also function as smart home hubs and Bluetooth speakers. Many current Roberts Radios can connect to user’s smartphones and work with Amazon Alexa.
Handbag Origins:
Some of the first Roberts Radios were inspired by handbags. Harry Roberts, the company founder designed the 1956 R66, taking inspiration from a handbag his wife owned.
The Process
Manufacturing
Outcome
The final concept is a retro styled radio that introduces new technologies to the Roberts brand, such as a touch screen and wireless charging. The radio draws on the brands handbag roots and incorporates a detachable carry strap improving upon the device’s portability. The right to repair revolution is becoming more important in our time, therefore this radio possesses a removable internal structure that the components can easily be removed and attatched to. This radio moves the brand in a new direction, incorporating more ethical materials such as bamboo and apple leather as alternatives to MDF and synthetic leathers.
Signature gold accents and a handcrafted bamboo cabinet, upholstered in Apple Leather.
