Equilibrio Speaker
by Ondine Hudson
The Equilibrio Speaker encourages a collaborative effort to limit phone use in the presence of others
Project Description
While our phones offer us an unprecedented level of connectivity, features like social media appeal to our innate human desire for connection enough to get us addicted and distracted, while failing to deliver the same quality of connection that face-to-face conversation does. Equilibrio is a Bluetooth speaker designed to curb phone use in the presence of others and facilitate conversation and connection. In order for the music to play, Equilibrio requires a phone to be slotted into each side of the speaker. Removing a phone from one side causes the speaker to tilt, cutting the music and disrupting the mood. Acting like a set of scales, the metaphorical significance of a physical balance reflects the more symbolic reciprocity of both parties agreeing to put their phone away, aiming to spark conversation and increase mindfulness around the users’ phone habits in social situations.
Loosely inspired by a record needle, the play/pause controls provide an engaging tactile experience that is often missing in our highly digitised world of touchscreens
When one phone is removed, an orientation sensor detects the tilt and stops the music.
The phone is paired with the speaker via Bluetooth
Felt-lined slots keep phones safe and muffle any vibrations from notifications
Bio
Ondine is a final year Product Design student who strives to combine learned design practices with an inherent passion to create objects that engage the people that use them. She finds enjoyment in the creative process of combining iterative thinking with hands-on processes like sketching and prototyping to result in the realisation of a polished product. Always seeking to broaden her horizons and increase her skillset, Ondine is enthusiastic about learning new technologies and processes to develop ideas and bring them to life
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