Project Xylo
Midi Device for Royal College of Art
Project Xylo reimagines midi interaction through a gamified, social platform for music making. Accessible to all skill levels, it simplifies beat creation with harmonic and tempo sync. Swappable cartridges and snap together devices support collaboration, while a retro, modular design enhances usability and style. Project Xylo is a series of portable midi devices designed for everyday music creation, offered in three sizes: sample, pocket, and midi.
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Project XYLO by Kevin Yang
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Midi Device by Kevin Yang
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Kevin Yang Project XYLO
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Kevin Yang Midi Device
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Royal College of ArtBrand Logo
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Unique Properties
Project xylo is a series of portable midi devices designed for everyday music creation, offered in three sizes: sample, pocket, and midi. The goal is to gamify music composition, making it a social and accessible experience. Design targeted to simplify beat-making with harmonic and tempo consonance, bridging knowledge gaps. Its nostalgic trading cartridges let users share custom sounds and compositions; devices sync to create collaborative music, turning users into part of a band's performance.
Tags
Midi Device, Game, Nostalgic
Production Technology
Project XYLO undergoes prototyping using FDM printing to refine form, button layout, component placement, and device co-collab precision. The final SLA-printed model was sandblasted for a semi-transparent, Game Boy-like CMF, it went through multiple resin transparency tests to balance component visibility while maintaining the surface texture. Transitioning all electronics into the compact housing was challenging. The prototyping program, built via GODOT and run on Raspberry Pi Zero (ARM64), it faced limitations but was tested for basic functions and graphic capability.
Design Challenge
First, achieving the nostalgic semi-transparent shell required multiple CMF testing to balance resin transparency and sandblasting. Second, developing the program and structuring the BOM to fit components was difficult due to housing size. Third, balancing appearance with performance was tough—ESP32 lacked graphics power, leading to a switch to Raspberry Pi Zero. XYLO underwent rapid iterations to address these, though production remains uncertain due to design complexity.
Project Duration
The project started in March 2024 and prototyped in May 2024, it is a student project at Royal College of Art, London, UK.
Operation Flow
XYLO makes music creation fun and accessible by transforming complex MIDI operations into an intuitive, hands-on experience. Users record, mix, and shape beats using simple button and slider controls, with harmonic and tempo frameworks ensuring accessible music-making. Swappable cartridges add a nostalgic touch for easy sound sharing. Devices snap together for instant sync, turning solo play into a collaborative jam—like forming a digital band anywhere.
Research
XYLO’s research simplified music composition by categorizing sound into SFX, beats, chords, and melodies. The goal was to create an intuitive tool that ensures harmonic and tempo consonance for easy beat-making and collaboration. Through sound collection, prototyping, and applied to cohort surveys, insights showed that structured tempo enhances harmony and rhythm accessibility, forming the foundation for XYLO.
Inspiration
Project XYLO was conceived to democratize music creation by transforming MIDI operations into an engaging, portable, and social experience. Inspired by the desire to lower barriers in music composition, XYLO aimed to gamify the process, making it accessible to enthusiasts of all skill levels. Design focused on integrating harmonic and tempo consonance to facilitate intuitive beat-making. Additionally, nostalgic trading cartridges reference classic game consoles, making it fun and easy to share.
Image Credits
Image #1: Photographer Yunmu Bai and Yan Qing, XYLO, 2024. Image #2: Photographer Yunmu Bai and Yan Qing, XYLO, 2024. Image #3: Photographer Yunmu Bai and Yan Qing, XYLO, 2024. Image #4: Photographer Yunmu Bai and Yan Qing, XYLO, 2024.
Project Overview
Project Xylo Midi Device has been a Golden winner in the Toys, Games and Hobby Products Design award category in the year 2024 organized by the prestigious A' Design Award & Competition. The Gold A' Design Award is granted to designs that demonstrate a high level of innovation and a significant impact on their intended audience. Recognized as a major achievement by the A' Design Awards, these designs are characterized by their visionary approach and the exceptional skill of their creators. Winners of the Gold A' Design Award are noted for their ability to push the envelope in art, science, design, and technology, delivering solutions that not only meet but exceed expectations. These designs serve as benchmarks for excellence, encouraging further innovation and inspiring future generations of designers.
Golden Recognition
Kevin Yang was recognized with the coveted Golden A' Design Award in 2025, a testament to excellence of their work Project Xylo Midi Device.
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