FIIL is a Chinese medium sized company that focuses on music devices. By the end of April 2019, I was asked to support the team working on a concept for a pair of Earbuds for them. The following is the concept of the charging case that eventually got manufactured. The direction for the earbuds was already clear so the focus was to design something that would complement them.
WHY
This concept started from a consideration on the User Experience of the Apple airpods. The case, like most of the wireless earbuds, comes with a lid, which increases the number of operations required to use them and in order to access the earbuds you need to use two hands. Both of the earbuds are hard to pull out so the though was: “what if there is no lid and you could pull them out with one finger?”
EVOLUTION
Throughout the process the case changed its size multiple times, these here are the main milestones. Overall it became shorter and the inner casing more refined in order to pull out the earbuds. Corners turned smooth and more comfortable to hold.
DETAILING
The concept moved then forward to incorporate bluetooth 5.2 and an accelerometer, which would allow for a more stable connection and lower power consumption. Case Charging time less than 30 minutes. Up to 5 hours playback time plus 15 with the case. The FIIL engineering team was very supportive and managed to bring the product to market in less than 6 months.
FINAL PRODUCT
The packaging concept took inspiration from musical annotations, recalling the shape and rhythm of a musical note. This reference added a layer of depth to the design, reinforcing the connection between sound and emotion. The exceptional build quality and carefully considered finish elevated the overall experience, delivering a distinctly premium and memorable tactile impression.