Nostalx Speaker

My design principle is to balance the emotional and functional value of a product. During the research phase, I studied the history of music storage and playback products and found that the emotional value of music storage products—especially vinyl records—has far exceeded their functional value in users’ minds. This led me to explore how music playback products could enhance their emotional appeal.

NostalX draws heavily from retro aesthetics, striving to convey a nostalgic atmosphere through its form, color palette, materials, and interaction style. I wanted it to be a product that blends aesthetics with functionality—an expression of personal taste and identity. Simply put, I wanted it to be the kind of object that catches your friends' attention the moment they visit your home, making them say, “Wow, this is so cool—I want one too!”

We conducted extensive user research in the early stages of design and gathered consumer feedback after the concept was completed. The design has been well-received and highly anticipated. I sincerely hope to bring it to music lovers someday in the future.

Before diving into concept development, we conducted in-depth research on the internal circuitry and user interface of Bluetooth speakers to define the design boundaries of the project: What could be changed, and what couldn’t be compromised?In parallel, we explored a wide range of retro-inspired industrial designs through museum visits and online archives. We also studied trend reports to better understand the cultural and psychological reasons behind the resurgence of vintage aesthetics. This research laid a solid foundation for our later form exploration.Following this fast yet thorough research process, we moved into the concept design phase. We sketched extensively, then gradually filtered out options that were incompatible with the engineering requirements, focusing on refining the most promising directions. For us, appearance and engineering are not treated separately—they must be developed in tandem from day one. A good product is where design and function meet seamlessly.

As part of our early research, we studied the evolution of music storage and playback technologies—from phonograph cylinders to lossless digital formats like WAV, and from gramophones to modern streaming platforms. The trajectory of innovation had long favored smaller, faster, and more accessible formats. Convenience was king.But in recent years, an unexpected shift has emerged: the resurgence of vinyl records. Despite being bulky, fragile, and acoustically imperfect, vinyl has regained popularity. This reversal fascinated us. It revealed that users are no longer solely prioritizing efficiency—instead, they are seeking emotional resonance and the tactile comfort that only physical objects can offer.This insight sparked a key question for our team: could a similar shift happen in music playback devices? Could we bring emotional value back to audio hardware?NostalX was born from this line of thinking. We wanted to explore how interaction itself could become part of the emotional experience. That’s why we deliberately chose to design with tactile controls—not just as a nod to the past, but as a way to invite users to slow down, reconnect, and enjoy music with intention.

The visual design of NostalX was heavily inspired by one of the most iconic music storage formats in history: the cassette tape. Its introduction marked a major shift—people could finally access high-quality music anytime, anywhere. That era also gave birth to some of the most beloved industrial designs of all time. I mean, who didn’t love the Walkman? (laughs)By incorporating instantly recognizable visual cues from that period, NostalX taps into a shared sense of nostalgia and emotional safety. At the same time, its unique interactive interface offers something fresh and unexpected. That’s the experience we aimed to create—a product that feels both familiar and exciting, grounded in memory but designed for the present.