Slice Outdoor Speaker

Press Kit

Unique Properties

This thin outdoor speaker can be carried around easily and used in camping and similar scenarios. It can be freely hung on surrounding branches, and music can be played by pulling the red ball.
When the wind blows, the thin speaker flutters with the wind, as if the music is also flying in the air, scattering in all directions. As the speaker swings and rotates in the wind, music seems to become more ethereal and pleasing to the ear.

Dimensions & Packaging

During the design, we produced product models of different sizes and obtained the optimal product size through testing the sound effect and model weight. After ergonomic testing, the product was selected in the following dimensions: 90mm x 50mm x 200mm.
When the product is of this size, it can have a beautiful auditory effect while being able to flutter lightly in the wind.

Tags

Speaker, Outdoor, Nature, Camping, Sustainable Design

Production Technology

This outdoor speaker is made of biodegradable and recyclable plastic, which can be carried around and hung freely on surrounding branches. When designing, we hope that this product can return to nature in terms of production materials, usage methods, and experience, becoming a truly integrated and harmonious design with nature.

Design Challenge

The challenge we face is how to utilize existing technology to ensure that speaker have high sound quality and a good auditory experience while maintaining its thin and light form.
Meanwhile, due to the close connection between this design and the natural environment, it is necessary to consider the impact of uncertain factors such as wind and sunlight on the product during the research process, which also increases the difficulty of product development.

Research

Through conducting interviews with users and field investigations on people's outdoor behavior, we found that there is a lack of a sound product on the market that is more closely related to outdoor activities and nature.
During the product development process, we tested the music playback performance of different audio accessories in different outdoor environments and wind conditions, and selected audio systems with outstanding anti-interference capabilities.

Inspiration

This design breaks the fixed mind-set that speakers must be placed on the ground, making it more closely integrated with the natural environment, allowing users to enjoy music more easily and comfortably outdoors. Compared to common speakers, the hanging design makes this speaker more convenient and easier to use in outdoor environments.
When hanging on a branch, the speaker occasionally sways and rotates under the gentle breeze, reminiscent of the image of a wind chime.

Project Duration

The project started in July 2022 and finished in April 2023 in Guangzhou, China, and was exhibited in the Art Museum of Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts in June 2023.

Operation Flow

This thin outdoor speaker can be carried around easily and used in camping and similar scenarios. It can be freely hung on surrounding branches, and music can be played by pulling the red ball. As the speaker swings and rotates in the wind, music seems to become more ethereal and pleasing to the ear. After enjoying the music, simply pull the red ball again to turn off the speaker.

Patents

Copyrights belong to Hu Zou, 2023.

Image Credits

Image #1: Photographer Qian Kai, Slice, 2023.
Image #2: Photographer Qian Kai, Slice, 2023.
Image #3: Photographer Qian Kai, Slice, 2023.
Image #4: Photographer Qian Kai, Slice, 2023.
Image #5: Photographer Qian Kai, Slice, 2023.