Project Xylo Midi Yanapana by Kevin Yang is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 A' Design Award Quri Premiu in Pukllana Kamay Competition Category.
QuriPukllana· 2025
Project Xylo Midi Yanapana
by Kevin Yang
Client: Royal College of Art
A' Design Award Quri Premiu Winner in Pukllana Category
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- Verified Award Winner
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The Design
About Project Xylo Midi Yanapana
Proyecto Xylo midi tinkuyta musuqmanta qhawarin pukllay nisqa, huñunakuy plataforma takikunata ruranapaq. Tukuy yachay patakunapaq, ritmo rurayta pisiyachin armonía chaymanta tempo sinchronizacionwan. T'ikranapaq cartuchokuna hinaspa hukllanapaq aparatokuna yanapanakuyta yanapan, ñawpa pacha hina, t'aqasqa diseño allin llamk'ayta hinaspa estilota kallpachan. Proyecto Xylo huk serie apay atiy midi aparatokunam sapa p'unchay takiy ruranapaq, kimsa hatunninpi: muestra, bolsillo, hinaspa midi.
The Recognition
About the A' Design Award Quri Premiu
Project Xylo Midi Yanapana A' Design Award Quri Premiu mishak kan, ancha jatun yupaychay, kayta ñawpak kallari, sumak shinallatak mancharina diseñukunaman kun. Quri mishak kashkakunaka mushuk yuyay achka, ñawpakta rikuk shinallatak achikyaska rurashkakunami, paykunata rurakkunapak yachayta, yuyayta shinallatak ushayta rikuchinku. Project Xylo Midi Yanapana ashtawan alabashka, mushuk ñankunata churak shinallatak hatun valorta kuk yuyay kanata munanku. Kay Quri Premiu japishka diseñuka hanak, yupaychashka rurashka kan, arti, siensia, diseñu shinallatak tekinolojía ñawpak ñankunata kichuk. Project Xylo Midi Yanapana munayta kallarichin, yuyayta kallarichin, ruraytapash kallarichin shinallatak kuyaychin.
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.
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