Nostalx Mea Hoʻolono Leo by Yuqing Xiao, Menghai Xia and Siyu Zang

Nostalx Mea Hoʻolono Leo by Yuqing Xiao, Menghai Xia and Siyu Zang is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 A' Design Award Keleawe in Hoʻolālā Mea Uila Kikohoʻe Competition Category.

KeleaweMea Uila· 2025

Nostalx Mea Hoʻolono Leo

by Yuqing Xiao, Menghai Xia and Siyu Zang

Client: Functional Form Flock Allies

A' Design Award Keleawe Winner in Mea Uila Category

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Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #164819

View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Nostalx Mea Hoʻolono Leo

ʻO Nostalx he mea hoʻolono leo Bluetooth ma ke ʻano kahiko e hoʻohui ana i ka hoʻokani mele me ka loaʻa ʻana o nā lekiō lālani lehulehu. Aia i loko o ka ʻōnaehana hoʻomalu ʻelua nā ʻami, ʻekolu pihi, a me hoʻokahi paepae hoʻololi kūlana lehulehu. Koho ke ʻami hema i nā ala lekiō, a hoʻoponopono naʻe ke ʻami ʻākau i ka nui leo a hoʻopau i ka mea hoʻolono leo ke hoʻonoho ʻia ma ke kūlana haʻahaʻa loa. Neʻe ka paepae hoʻololi kūlana lehulehu ma waena o nā ʻano Bluetooth, FM, AM, a me SW. Hiki ke hana ʻia ka pōkā mai ka palasetika kala, ka lāʻau, a i ʻole ka ʻakelika hunahuna. Hoʻololi ʻo Nostalx i nā hōʻike helu me nā mea hoʻomalu i hoʻopili ʻia e ka lima, e hana ana i kahi hoʻokolohua hoʻolono i piha me nā manaʻo ʻike a pau.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Keleawe

Ua lanakila ka hoʻolālā Nostalx Mea Hoʻolono Leo i ka A' Design Award Keleawe, he ʻike hoʻohanohano nui loa i hāʻawi ʻia i nā hoʻolālā kūʻokoʻa i ʻike ʻia ma o ka hana noʻeau, ka akamai a me ka makakoho. He mau hana mākaukau a hana noʻeau kupaianaha nā lanakila Keleawe e hōʻoia ana i ka ʻike nui, ka noʻonoʻo a me ka maʻalea o kā lākou poʻe hoʻolālā. Manaʻo ʻia ʻo ka hoʻolālā Nostalx Mea Hoʻolono Leo he mea i mahalo nui ʻia, hoʻohiwahiwa ʻia a aloha ʻia, he ʻoihana a hou loa. ʻO kēia hoʻolālā i lanakila i ka A' Design Award Keleawe e hoʻohui ana i nā hana maikaʻi loa o ka hana noʻeau, ka ʻepekema, ka hoʻolālā a me ka ʻenehana, a maikaʻi no kona nānā ʻana i nā kikoʻī. Hoʻokō maikaʻi ka hoʻolālā Nostalx Mea Hoʻolono Leo i nā pono, hoʻopā i ka makemake, hoʻohiwahiwa i nā manaʻo a huki i ka makemake e ʻike.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties: Nostalx is a retro-style Bluetooth speaker that combines music playback with multi-band radio functionality, offering a sensory-rich experience through its tactile interface. Unlike typical digital devices, NostalX engages touch, sound, and sight, providing a more immersive and interactive listening experience. Its design encourages ritualistic physical interactions, allowing users to express their musical tastes and lifestyle in a world dominated by digital interfaces, making it truly stand out.
Dimensions & Packaging: Weight: 537g
Length 200mm x Height 130mm x Thickness 53mm
Tags: Speaker, Multi-band radio, Sensory interaction, Tactile design, Retro-style, Vintage aesthetics, User experience, Lifestyle product
Production Technology: Nostalx is a retro-style Bluetooth speaker with music playback and multi band radio functions. It features a radio component, audio speaker, rechargeable battery, and main circuit board. The control elements include two knobs, three buttons, and a multi-position push switch. The knobs are mechanically linked to the dashboard for synchronized rotation. Shell materials vary by design style, including colored plastic, wood, or frosted acrylic for a customizable appearance.
Design Challenge: The design of Nostalx faced challenges in integrating an interactive interface into its retro aesthetic, avoiding digital displays to enhance multi-sensory stimulation. Balancing visual appeal with technical feasibility required iterative redesigns, particularly in incorporating existing circuitry. The team worked closely with engineers to refine controls, ensuring both functionality and design cohesion. The result is an immersive, intuitive product that blends form, function, and user engagement seamlessly.
Research: In recent years, sales of physical music formats like vinyl and cds have surged, valued for their permanence and nostalgic appeal in a digital world. Our research shows over 45% of consumers are dissatisfied with streaming's lack of physical interaction, craving high quality sound and a multi sensory experience. Many now view music as an expression of personal taste, favoring retro designs that blend nostalgia with modernity. This shift highlights a growing demand for music players as lifestyle products, enhancing the music experience.
Inspiration: For music enthusiasts, streaming has diminished music's perceived value. Physical formats like vinyl are resurging due to nostalgia. Consumers now desire tangible experiences, valuing the permanence of physical objects that evoke safety in a digital world. They crave high-quality sound and sensory-rich products that reflect their tastes and lifestyles. This project transforms the music player from a functional tool to a lifestyle product, blending vintage sensory appeal with modern convenience.
Project Duration: The project commenced in Savannah, Georgia in September 2023, the model was completed in Savannah by November 2023.
Operation Flow: Nostalx features a radio assembly, audio speaker, rechargeable battery, and a main circuit board. Its control system includes two knobs, three buttons, and a multi-position push switch for seamless use. The left knob adjusts radio channels, while the right controls volume, with a power off function at minimum. The buttons handle play/pause, fast forward, and rewind. The multi position switch toggles between Bluetooth, FM, AM, and SW, blending modern technology with a nostalgic user experience.
Team Members: Designer: Yuqing Xiao
Designer: Siyu Zang
Designer: Menghai Xia
Designer: Weijing Zhao
Designer: Qijun Nie
Image Credits: Pic 1 Designer Yuqing Xiao, NostalX model rendering, 2023
Pic 2 Designer Yuqing Xiao, NostalX interface introduction and model photography, 2023
Pic 3 Designer Yuqing Xiao, Explode view image of NostalX and model photography, 2023
Pic 4 Designer Yuqing Xiao, NostalX prototype model photography, 2023
Pic 5 Designer Yuqing Xiao, Multiple CMF choices of NostalX, 2023