Cobble Bluetooth-Lautsprecher by Eric Wu

Cobble Bluetooth-Lautsprecher by Eric Wu is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 A' Design Award an Eisen in Digital an Elektronesch Apparater Design Competition Category.

EisenKonsumentenelektronik· 2025

Cobble Bluetooth-Lautsprecher

by Eric Wu

Client: EW Design

A' Design Award an Eisen Winner in Konsumentenelektronik Category

40,651

Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #167221

View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Cobble Bluetooth-Lautsprecher

Cobble ass e Bluetooth-Regallautsprecher mat engem interaktive Interface op der ieweschter Fläch. Véier magnetesch Stëft kënnen an verschiddene Musteren op engem Réischter placéiert ginn. Wann e virdefinéierten Muster fäerdeg ass, spillt de Lautsprecher e gespäichert Sound-Profil of, wéi zum Beispill eng Natur- oder Wäiss-Rauschen-Schleef. Cobble funktionéiert och als normale Bluetooth-Lautsprecher fir Audio vun engem verbonnenen Gerät. D'Placéieren vun de Stëft erënnert un d'Brietspill Go a lued zu engem kuerze Moment vu roueger Konzentratioun an. De Prototyp benotzt e Holzgehäus, sandgestrahl Acrylpanneelen a LED-Liichtstreifen.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award an Eisen

Cobble Bluetooth-Lautsprecher ass e Gewënner vum A' Design Award an Eisen, enger prestigiéiser Unerkennung, déi un gutt Designe vergi gëtt, déi déi professionell an industriell Ufuerderunge erfëllen, déi vu gutt gestaltene Kreatioune erwaart ginn. Eisen-Gewënner weisen déi grouss Fäegkeet, déi héich Spezialiséierung, dat Expertewëssen an d'kreativ Kapazitéit vun hire Schëpfer. Et gëtt erwaart, datt Cobble Bluetooth-Lautsprecher eng héich geschätzt, bewonnert a beléifte Kreatioun ass, déi praktesch an innovativ ass. Dëst mam Eisen ausgezeechent Design integréiert déi beschte Praktike vun der Industrie a huet kompetent technesch Eegeschaften, déi mat Know-how an Talent verbonne sinn. Cobble Bluetooth-Lautsprecher gëtt fir seng Grëndlechkeet respektéiert a ass gestalt, d'Liewensqualitéit ze verbesseren an ze hëllefen, d'Welt zu enger besserer Plaz ze maachen.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties: Cobble is a speaker with an interactive interface at the top. The user has access to 4 pegs that they can place in various patterns. When preset patterns connect, the speaker plays a saved tone. The speaker is made with the concept of "inadvertent mindfulness." Studies have found that the simple action of concentrating on one's actions offer moments of respite. By placing pegs, much like how one places stones in a Go game, the user enjoys a moment of peace.
Dimensions & Packaging: 7 1/2" (width) * 7 5/16" (depth) * 2" (height)
Tags: Speaker, Office, Mindfulness, Audio, Music
Production Technology: The prototype was constructed with a wooden casing with a four-panel construction. Sand-blasted acrylic panels are used to diffuse the lighting from LED light strips. The prototype control panel was made from an Arduino nano and will be replaced with more efficient chips in mass production. We experimented with various sensing methods and settled on magnetic sensing with Hall effect sensors as they appeared to be the most reliable.
Design Challenge: The hardest part was figuring out the sweet spot of a big enough surface area and a compact enough footprint, the product being a shelf speaker after all. People wanted to engage with the interface but too much of it offered diminishing returns and research participants had more complaints of space constraints.
Research: User research was conducted in collaboration with co-working spaces. We tested hypotheses like the following:
- How much spacing and how big do people prefer the pegs to be
- How many rows and columns work the best, offering novelty and comfort without overloading the user
- What footprint works the best without sacrificing too much room for interaction
Inspiration: The design originated in a desire to question the prevalence of active mindfulness practices today. We have meditation apps, mindfulness sessions offered by corporations, and many more. While mindfulness is great, there are alternative activities that humans go to for similar purposes, without bearing the label of "mindfulness." Go, the Asian board game using stones, was a primary inspiration. What if we could have something built in that stimulates a sense of mindfulness, just like Go?
Project Duration: Duration: 6 months
Location: Rhode Island, United States
Operation Flow: The product behaves like a normal bluetooth speaker, so the user can connect to it with an end device and play whatever they want.

The unique interaction is that it can save and activate various sound profiles, which can be activated via placement of the magnetic pegs. The user would have to download a mobile app to change the default profiles, which are nature and white noise sound loops.
Team Members: Eric Wu
Image Credits: Photos: Eric Wu