Design Challenge:
As MP3 players become smaller and more versatile, with much higher memory, it is possible to create new products based on niche digital lifestyles and sub cultures. The smaller these products become, more emphasis must focus on creating products which are highly wearable, fashionable and physically flexible and which fit into their context of use. At the same time emphasis must also concentrate on balancing the right amount of functions, should these products have hybrid capabilities.
The challenge here was to develop a highly fashionable mp3 player which doubles as a digital storage device, for a young and fashionable urban market.
Design Solution:
As a wearable device this products takes the shape of a cross, which is worn by many in the western world. This idea here is to emphasise how new digital products can merge with our lifestyles and not simply just fit in. The product plays music as any mp3 player does but has cordless earphones and a necklace which doubles as a firewire system. This allows the transfer of digital data from the device to a computer and vice versa. As this is essentially a memory device which plays music this product would in practice be used not just for music, but for transferring digital lifestyles. As an example a user might take the device to a credentials pitch. As he travels to the destination he uses the device to listen to music. When he gets to the meeting he simply plugs the device into a computer and presents a company side show. This is therefore more than just another MP3 player.
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