Project Xylo Dispositif Midi by Kevin Yang

Or Jouet · 2025

Project Xylo Dispositif Midi

by Kevin Yang

A' Design Award d'Or 2025 in Jouet
CLIENT: Royal College of Art
Estimated Number of Design Views: 119,603
Verification code EABB9A7B67 · Verify this award

View at A' Design Award Press Release

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About Project Xylo Dispositif Midi

Project Xylo réinvente l'interaction MIDI à travers une plateforme gamifiée et sociale pour la création musicale. Accessible à tous les niveaux de compétence, il simplifie la création de beats grâce à la synchronisation harmonique et de tempo. Les cartouches interchangeables et les dispositifs emboîtables favorisent la collaboration, tandis qu'un design rétro et modulaire améliore la facilité d'utilisation et le style. Project Xylo est une série de dispositifs MIDI portables conçus pour la création musicale quotidienne, proposés en trois formats : sample, pocket et midi.

About the A' Design Award d'Or

Project Xylo Dispositif Midi est lauréat de l'A' Design Award d'Or, une reconnaissance immensément prestigieuse décernée à des designs de premier ordre, merveilleux et remarquables. Les lauréats Or sont des créations extrêmement innovantes, visionnaires et d'un éclat glamour éblouissant, qui reflètent le génie, la sagesse et la maîtrise de leurs concepteurs. Project Xylo Dispositif Midi est censé être une invention très louée, avant-gardiste et monumentale, qui apporte une valeur sans précédent. Ce design lauréat de l'A' Design Award d'Or est un projet spectaculaire et respecté qui sert grandement l'art, la science, le design et la technologie et en repousse les limites. Project Xylo Dispositif Midi crée de vifs sentiments de désir, éveille la passion, encourage la créativité et nous fascine.

Press Kit

Unique Properties: Project xylo is a series of portable midi devices designed for everyday music creation, offered in three sizes: sample, pocket, and midi. The goal is to gamify music composition, making it a social and accessible experience.

Design targeted to simplify beat-making with harmonic and tempo consonance, bridging knowledge gaps. Its nostalgic trading cartridges let users share custom sounds and compositions; devices sync to create collaborative music, turning users into part of a band's performance.
Dimensions & Packaging: XYLO Midi (Large Size): 195mm W x 92mm L x 20mm H
XYLO Pocket (Medium Size): 60mm W x 92mm L x 20mm H
XYLO Sample (Mini Size): 30mm W x 92mm L x 20mm H
Tags: Midi Device, Game, Nostalgic
Production Technology: Project XYLO undergoes prototyping using FDM printing to refine form, button layout, component placement, and device co-collab precision. The final SLA-printed model was sandblasted for a semi-transparent, Game Boy-like CMF, it went through multiple resin transparency tests to balance component visibility while maintaining the surface texture. Transitioning all electronics into the compact housing was challenging. The prototyping program, built via GODOT and run on Raspberry Pi Zero (ARM64), it faced limitations but was tested for basic functions and graphic capability.
Design Challenge: First, achieving the nostalgic semi-transparent shell required multiple CMF testing to balance resin transparency and sandblasting.

Second, developing the program and structuring the BOM to fit components was difficult due to housing size.

Third, balancing appearance with performance was tough—ESP32 lacked graphics power, leading to a switch to Raspberry Pi Zero.

XYLO underwent rapid iterations to address these, though production remains uncertain due to design complexity.
Research: XYLO’s research simplified music composition by categorizing sound into SFX, beats, chords, and melodies. The goal was to create an intuitive tool that ensures harmonic and tempo consonance for easy beat-making and collaboration. Through sound collection, prototyping, and applied to cohort surveys, insights showed that structured tempo enhances harmony and rhythm accessibility, forming the foundation for XYLO.
Inspiration: Project XYLO was conceived to democratize music creation by transforming MIDI operations into an engaging, portable, and social experience. Inspired by the desire to lower barriers in music composition, XYLO aimed to gamify the process, making it accessible to enthusiasts of all skill levels. Design focused on integrating harmonic and tempo consonance to facilitate intuitive beat-making. Additionally, nostalgic trading cartridges reference classic game consoles, making it fun and easy to share.
Project Duration: The project started in March 2024 and prototyped in May 2024, it is a student project at Royal College of Art, London, UK.
Operation Flow: XYLO makes music creation fun and accessible by transforming complex MIDI operations into an intuitive, hands-on experience. Users record, mix, and shape beats using simple button and slider controls, with harmonic and tempo frameworks ensuring accessible music-making. Swappable cartridges add a nostalgic touch for easy sound sharing. Devices snap together for instant sync, turning solo play into a collaborative jam—like forming a digital band anywhere.
Image Credits: Image #1: Photographer Yunmu Bai and Yan Qing, XYLO, 2024.
Image #2: Photographer Yunmu Bai and Yan Qing, XYLO, 2024.
Image #3: Photographer Yunmu Bai and Yan Qing, XYLO, 2024.
Image #4: Photographer Yunmu Bai and Yan Qing, XYLO, 2024.