Project Xylo Na'urar Midi by Kevin Yang is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 Kyautar A' Design Award ta Zinariya in Kayan Wasa Competition Category.

ZinariyaKayan Wasa· 2025

Project Xylo Na'urar Midi

by Kevin Yang

Client: Royal College of Art

Kyautar A' Design Award ta Zinariya Winner in Kayan Wasa Category

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View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Project Xylo Na'urar Midi

Aikin Xylo yana sake ƙirƙira hulɗar midi ta hanyar dandamali mai tsarin wasa don ƙirƙirar kiɗa. Kowa zai iya amfani da shi, yana sauƙaƙe ƙirƙirar bugun kiɗa tare da daidaita sauti da saurin kiɗa. Kaset-kaset masu canzawa da na'urori masu haɗuwa suna ba da damar haɗin kai, yayin da ƙirar sashe-sashe mai salon zamani tana ƙara sauƙin amfani da kyan gani. Aikin Xylo jerin na'urori na midi masu ɗaukar kai ne da aka ƙera don ƙirƙirar kiɗa ta yau da kullum, kuma ana ba da su cikin girma uku: Sample, Pocket, da Midi.

The Recognition

About the Kyautar A' Design Award ta Zinariya

Zanen Project Xylo Na'urar Midi ya lashe Kyautar A' Design Award ta Zinariya, wata karramawa mai matuƙar daraja da ake bai wa zane-zane na matakin farko, masu ban mamaki kuma na musamman. Waɗanda suka lashe kyautar Zinariya ƙirƙire-ƙirƙire ne masu sababbin abubuwa sosai, masu hangen nesa kuma masu haske mai ban sha'awa waɗanda ke nuna hazaƙa, hikima da ƙwarewar masu zanensu. Ana sa ran zanen Project Xylo Na'urar Midi ya zama ƙirƙira mai yabo sosai, mai kafa yanayi kuma babba wacce ke kawo ƙima da ba a taɓa ganin irinta ba. Wannan zane da ya lashe Kyautar A' Design Award ta Zinariya aiki ne mai ban mamaki, mai daraja wanda ke amfanar fasaha, kimiyya, zane da fasahar zamani sosai kuma yana kai iyakokinsu gaba. Zanen Project Xylo Na'urar Midi yana haifar da tsananin sha'awa, yana tada soyayya ga aiki, yana ƙarfafa ƙirƙira kuma yana burge mu.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

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.