Cobble

Bluetooth Speaker for EW Design

Cobble is a bookshelf speaker created with mindfulness in mind. It features a unique grid pattern at the top interface as a surface to immerse the users. Studies have found that mindfulness benefits do not have to come from intentional activities such as meditation but can also come from simple concentration of one's action. Cobble's grid interface allows the user to store or access music profiles with placements of peg. The activation of profiles itself offers a moment of playfulness, mindfulness, respite from one's daily routine.

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Cobble by Eric Wu

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Bluetooth Speaker by Eric Wu

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Eric Wu Cobble

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Eric Wu Bluetooth Speaker

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Unique Properties

Cobble is a speaker with an interactive interface at the top. The user has access to 4 pegs that they can place in various patterns. When preset patterns connect, the speaker plays a saved tone. The speaker is made with the concept of "inadvertent mindfulness." Studies have found that the simple action of concentrating on one's actions offer moments of respite. By placing pegs, much like how one places stones in a Go game, the user enjoys a moment of peace.

Tags

Speaker, Office, Mindfulness, Audio, Music

Production Technology

The prototype was constructed with a wooden casing with a four-panel construction. Sand-blasted acrylic panels are used to diffuse the lighting from LED light strips. The prototype control panel was made from an Arduino nano and will be replaced with more efficient chips in mass production. We experimented with various sensing methods and settled on magnetic sensing with Hall effect sensors as they appeared to be the most reliable.

Design Challenge

The hardest part was figuring out the sweet spot of a big enough surface area and a compact enough footprint, the product being a shelf speaker after all. People wanted to engage with the interface but too much of it offered diminishing returns and research participants had more complaints of space constraints.

Project Duration

Duration: 6 months Location: Rhode Island, United States

Operation Flow

The product behaves like a normal bluetooth speaker, so the user can connect to it with an end device and play whatever they want. The unique interaction is that it can save and activate various sound profiles, which can be activated via placement of the magnetic pegs. The user would have to download a mobile app to change the default profiles, which are nature and white noise sound loops.

Research

User research was conducted in collaboration with co-working spaces. We tested hypotheses like the following: - How much spacing and how big do people prefer the pegs to be - How many rows and columns work the best, offering novelty and comfort without overloading the user - What footprint works the best without sacrificing too much room for interaction

Inspiration

The design originated in a desire to question the prevalence of active mindfulness practices today. We have meditation apps, mindfulness sessions offered by corporations, and many more. While mindfulness is great, there are alternative activities that humans go to for similar purposes, without bearing the label of "mindfulness." Go, the Asian board game using stones, was a primary inspiration. What if we could have something built in that stimulates a sense of mindfulness, just like Go?

Image Credits

Photos: Eric Wu

Project Overview

Cobble Bluetooth Speaker has been a Iron winner in the Digital and Electronic Device Design award category in the year 2024 organized by the prestigious A' Design Award & Competition. The Iron A' Design Award is awarded to good designs that meet the rigorous professional and industrial standards set by the A' Design Awards. This recognition is reserved for works that demonstrate a solid understanding of design principles and show creativity within their execution. Recipients of the Iron A' Design Award are acknowledged for their practical innovations and contributions to their respective fields, providing solutions that improve quality of life and foster positive change. These designs are a testament to the skill and dedication of their creators, showcasing their ability to address real-world challenges through thoughtful design.

Iron Recognition

Eric Wu was recognized with the coveted Iron A' Design Award in 2025, a testament to excellence of their work Cobble Bluetooth Speaker.

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