Lifestyle Consumer Electronics
Designed for: TDK
Role: Product Design Manager
Concept designs were developed in collaboration with Kaleidoscope’s design team
Product description: These consumer electronic, lifestyle products were developed as concepts for TDK to conduct market testing. At the time, a series of flash-based, portable MP3 players by such companies as Nike-Philips and Rio had dominated the “low to mid” portable audio market and TDK was planning to launch their own music players. The design challenge was to create a distinct brand icon for TDK that implies "high-end" audio, and to successfully link this element to three different MP3 devices for “passive”, “active” and "tech savvy" lifestyle segments.
The featured MP3 player concept on the left is designed for the “passive” consumer who demands less from their electronics and prefers a simpler, less sophisticated means of playing and storing their music. The product concept offers 128 MB of available storage with no expansion, a digital display and houses AAA batteries. It also has a separate cover for the retractable USB connector. Designed to be available in a variety of colors through a molding process that includes graphic inlays, this model features a carbon fiber pattern.
The MP3 player concepts to the right are designed for the “tech savvy” consumer. The product concept offers greater features and interface capabilities including larger storage with expansion capabilities for bigger music libraries, a USB2 connector, FM tuner, rechargeable batteries and digital display. The use of glossy black and silver finishes, along with polished aluminum components, combine to establish a tie to high-end audio aesthetics.
Not featured in this image is the “active” lifestyle solution.