Press Release
Nostalx Speaker by Yuqing Xiao, Menghai Xia and Siyu Zang Wins the Bronze A' Design Award in Digital and Electronic Device Design
Yuqing Xiao, Menghai Xia and Siyu Zang acknowledged for digital and electronic device design by the international grand jury of the 2024 - 2025 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 18, 2025 /DesignNewswire/ Nostalx Speaker by Yuqing Xiao, Menghai Xia and Siyu Zang, designed for Functional Form Flock Allies, has been granted the Bronze A' Design Award in the Digital and Electronic Device Design category, A' Design Award & Competition has announced. The result belongs to the 2024 - 2025 A' Design Award & Competition and was determined through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who scored anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
The Bronze A' Design Award Explained
The Bronze A' Design Award is given to outstanding designs that showcase a high degree of creativity and practicality. It recognizes the dedication and skill of designers who produce work that stands out for its thoughtful development and innovative use of materials and technology. These designs are acknowledged for their professional execution and potential to influence industry standards positively. Winning this award highlights the designer's ability to blend form and function effectively, offering solutions that enhance people's lives and wellbeing.
Regarding Nostalx Speaker
Nostalx is a retro-style Bluetooth speaker that combines music playback with multi-band radio reception. The control system includes two knobs, three buttons and a multi-position switch. The left knob selects radio channels, while the right knob adjusts volume and turns the speaker off at the minimum setting. The multi-position switch moves between Bluetooth, FM, AM and SW modes. The shell can be made of colored plastic, wood or frosted acrylic. Nostalx replaces digital displays with tactile controls to create a sensory listening experience.
About Yuqing Xiao, Menghai Xia and Siyu Zang
FFBA (Functional Form Block Allies) is an award-winning design collective co-founded by Menghai Xia and Qijun Nie, dedicated to creating inclusive, human-centered innovations in product, service, and system design. With a mission to connect and empower communities, FFBA blends cultural insight, technological precision, and aesthetic clarity to solve real-world problems. The FFBA's work has received international acclaim, including numerous design awards, and is known for pushing boundaries while making design accessible, sustainable, and socially impactful.
Award Record
With this recognition, Yuqing Xiao, Menghai Xia and Siyu Zang is a winner of 4 A' Design Awards. The awards were granted in the 2024 - 2025 edition of the A' Design Award & Competition.
About the A' Digital and Electronic Device Design Award
The A' Consumer Electronics Design Award is an international design competition recognizing good consumer electronics designs by leading brands worldwide. It is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to consumer electronics designers, consumer electronics brands, consumer electronics manufacturers and electronic product manufacturers from all countries. Typical entries include smartphones, laptops, televisions, cameras, headphones and smartwatches. The awarded consumer electronics designs are published at https://dezigners.org/design-category/consumer-electronics
About A' Design Award & Competition
Organized annually since 2008, A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The philanthropic mission of the A' Design Award is to advance society through good design, by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Nominations are peer reviewed and evaluated anonymously by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. Eligible laureates receive the A' Design Prize, which includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, uploading a work and receiving a preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. More information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://dezigners.org/164819
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/164819
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!164819
- Laureate Profile: https://dezigners.org/d/358883
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
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Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- Nostalx Speaker
- Function
- Speaker
- Category
- Digital and Electronic Device Design
- Discipline
- Industrial Design
- Industry
- Electronics & Appliances
- Colors
- Black, Dark Slate Gray, Dark Olive Green and Dim Gray
- Images
- 5
- Client
- Functional Form Flock Allies
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Yuqing Xiao, Menghai Xia and Siyu Zang
- Country
- China
- Recognition
- Bronze A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2024 - 2025
- Design ID
- #164819
Credits
- Team
- Yuqing Xiao, Siyu Zang, Menghai Xia, Weijing Zhao and Qijun Nie
- Image Credits
- Pic 1 Designer Yuqing Xiao, NostalX model rendering, 2023 Pic 2 Designer Yuqing Xiao, NostalX interface introduction and model photography, 2023 Pic 3 Designer Yuqing Xiao, Explode view image of NostalX and model photography, 2023 Pic 4 Designer Yuqing Xiao, NostalX prototype model photography, 2023 Pic 5 Designer Yuqing Xiao, Multiple CMF choices of NostalX, 2023
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- Nostalx is a retro-style Bluetooth speaker that combines music playback with multi-band radio functionality, offering a sensory-rich experience through its tactile interface. Unlike typical digital devices, NostalX engages touch, sound, and sight, providing a more immersive and interactive listening experience. Its design encourages ritualistic physical interactions, allowing users to express their musical tastes and lifestyle in a world dominated by digital interfaces, making it truly stand out.
- Inspiration
- For music enthusiasts, streaming has diminished music's perceived value. Physical formats like vinyl are resurging due to nostalgia. Consumers now desire tangible experiences, valuing the permanence of physical objects that evoke safety in a digital world. They crave high-quality sound and sensory-rich products that reflect their tastes and lifestyles. This project transforms the music player from a functional tool to a lifestyle product, blending vintage sensory appeal with modern convenience.
- Research
- In recent years, sales of physical music formats like vinyl and cds have surged, valued for their permanence and nostalgic appeal in a digital world. Our research shows over 45% of consumers are dissatisfied with streaming's lack of physical interaction, craving high quality sound and a multi sensory experience. Many now view music as an expression of personal taste, favoring retro designs that blend nostalgia with modernity. This shift highlights a growing demand for music players as lifestyle products, enhancing the music experience.
- Challenge
- The design of Nostalx faced challenges in integrating an interactive interface into its retro aesthetic, avoiding digital displays to enhance multi-sensory stimulation. Balancing visual appeal with technical feasibility required iterative redesigns, particularly in incorporating existing circuitry. The team worked closely with engineers to refine controls, ensuring both functionality and design cohesion. The result is an immersive, intuitive product that blends form, function, and user engagement seamlessly.
- Realization and Technology
- Nostalx is a retro-style Bluetooth speaker with music playback and multi band radio functions. It features a radio component, audio speaker, rechargeable battery, and main circuit board. The control elements include two knobs, three buttons, and a multi-position push switch. The knobs are mechanically linked to the dashboard for synchronized rotation. Shell materials vary by design style, including colored plastic, wood, or frosted acrylic for a customizable appearance.
- Operation and Interaction
- Nostalx features a radio assembly, audio speaker, rechargeable battery, and a main circuit board. Its control system includes two knobs, three buttons, and a multi-position push switch for seamless use. The left knob adjusts radio channels, while the right controls volume, with a power off function at minimum. The buttons handle play/pause, fast forward, and rewind. The multi position switch toggles between Bluetooth, FM, AM, and SW, blending modern technology with a nostalgic user experience.
- Project Duration and Location
- The project commenced in Savannah, Georgia in September 2023, the model was completed in Savannah by November 2023.
- Specifications
- Weight: 537g Length 200mm x Height 130mm x Thickness 53mm
- Keywords
- Speaker, Multi-band radio, Sensory interaction, Tactile design, Retro-style, Vintage aesthetics, User experience, Lifestyle product
