Designing a Bluetooth Speaker: A Collaboration with Orlo AB

Abstract: This report details the collaborative project between the Author, Zenit Design AB which is performed on behalf of the bluetooth speaker manufacturer, Orlo AB. The Project is divided in two parts, where the first aims to identify a new market where Orlo’s technical expertise will benefit the user in a unique way and the secondary part is about designing a speaker for the said market. Several potential markets are identified through analysis and among all candidates, Hotel Rooms are chosen as the definite field of work. Hotels in Lund and Malmö are visited to learn more about the needs of hotels and their guests. The findings from these visits are used as foundation in a brainstorming session that results in wide range of potential concepts. These concepts are visualized and evaluated through sketches and quick mock-ups. Ultimately, it’s decided to proceed with a wall mounted speaker concept. The Design phase is set up by Orlo providing the necessary technical specifications requirements and combining these with thoughts on how to protect the speaker from being stolen and preventing mis-usage and disturbance amongst the guests. Competitor speakers are then studied from an aesthetic point of view, with the intention to learn what has already been done and not. Finally, several inspiration boards are used to frame the different visual aspects of the project, such as how to work with forms, materials and color e.g. The Actual design phase is initiated by experimenting with different forms with the set volume of one liter. One of these shapes are chosen for further work and developed through several stages to the final design. Parallel to the overall design process, smaller topics such as in-depth thoughts on wood and coating processes, working with meshes, branding the product and incorporating visual feedback through lighting are discussed too. Lastly, the concept is finalized through the development of the inner components such as the orifice and manifolds.