Speaker (1)
Team: Individual Project
What if Nothing made a speaker? It's the obvious next step for the brand. Before they get there, I wanted to try it myself.
Designing the speaker that carries Nothing's transparent design language from its existing products into something built around how it sounds and how it's made.
(Context)
Nothing has built its identity around visible internals, where the engineering is part of the design. A speaker is a category where that identity hasn't been tested, and where transparency has to work with acoustics, not just around them.
(Research)
I started by studying Nothing itself, not the speaker. Their decisions trace back to the PCB and the tech inside, then outward to form. Transparency isn't a finish, it's a consequence of how they build.
To understand where a Nothing speaker would sit in the market, I studied existing speakers and took one apart to see what was actually inside, and where a transparent design could realistically sit without compromising sound.
(Users)
Nothing's existing customer base: people who choose a product for its visible design philosophy as much as its function
Nothing treats a product's internals, the board, the driver, the screws, as the visual subject rather than something a shell hides. That reads through rounded, geometric forms, finishes that mix frosted, matte, and metallic, and details like the glyph dot pattern that function first and decorate second.
Nothing's decisions trace back to the PCB and outward to form, so I took apart an existing speaker to understand its parts and how it is assembled.
Alongside that, I did market research and a user study to understand users needs and problems, and how that could be solved by design itself.
Started by visualizing how the PCB layout and micro interactions could look like, then designed the speaker's exterior around it. to make sure the design follows nothing language and is handy and provides tactile controls to users.
Introducing NOTHING speaker ( 1 )
Speaker (1) brings sound, controls, and status into one compact portable form. Designed for Nothing, it replaces hidden parts and guesswork with a body that is easy to hold and controls you can find by touch.
Form follows how the speaker works, not how it hides.
The driver stays visible, framed by a ring of light, so you can see what makes the sound. A 5cm thick body sits comfortably in one hand. Tactile buttons on top and a dial on the side let you adjust without looking, and the customisable glyph light adapting to different modes.
Crafted with precision, recycled aluminum and plastic
Manufacturing brings the speaker together in stages. The outer body and the internal decorative panels for CNC machining and die-casting. The transparent cover is injection molded. The PCB and speaker driver is built according to the size. In final assembly, the driver, board, and battery are placed into the housing, sealed, and closed up with screws, before the unit goes through testing.
Based on Intentional aesthetics
Fusing Technical Warmth with striking simplicity. Adding brightness to our technical codes, it comes in four colours: White, Pink, Blue and Black.
