BRANDED HEADPHONES
This school studio project was a four-week project adapted for online learning at the onset of the pandemic. It was partly a group project - the initial research and background phase was collaborative - but each individual came up with a unique design on their own. The assigned group consisted of two people.
The aim of this assignment was to create a product as an extension of a real brand in an area in which they did not currently have any products. The task was to design either headphones or a face mask. The brand was chosen from a provided list. The group chose the kitchenware brand Oxo, and headphones as the product.
To design a new product into Oxo's line, research was done to profile the company's philosophy. The findings showed that Oxo designs to improve the experience of using everyday objects. They are proponents of universal design, focusing on accommodating as many people as possible.
Behind what drives Oxo as a brand are its brand values. Oxo designs products to be functional, minimal, and universal. Some common Oxo characteristics were outlined as well to aid in a cohesive brand identity of the new product.
Oxo Brand Values and Characteristics Research
The brand research was used to develop concepts that fit under the umbrella of Oxo products while being an extension into a new area. Concepts featured literal and figurative interpretations of Oxo's brand identity. The interface was determined by implementing the minimum number of buttons required to make the everyday use of the wireless headphones easy and fun. This meant minimizing the amount of functions per button, so each button would communicate clearly its one use, and simple tasks would not require too many extra clicks and holds.
Final Concept Work
The final headphone design is an extension of Oxo's SteeL line: a family of products with a brushed stainless steel finish that are geared towards higher durability and give off a cleaner look. The headphones are wireless and sturdy to uphold the SteeL line's higher quality. Two more literal influences of form are also seen in the design: a wine bottle stopper and a vegetable peeler. The power button mimics the stopper, and the hinge on the earpiece is a nod to the Y-shaped peeler.
Overall, the headphones are simple, clean, yet durable-looking, and easy to use.
Final Design - Oxo SteeL Headphones
As part of a separate class, the product is shown in context in this Keyshot render (left). The render was brought into context using Photoshop.
A vector render was also created of the front and side views using Keyshot renders as the reference. The drawings were made with Illustrator. See if you can spot the differences!
Orthographic Illustrator Render
