Transforming the conventional loudspeaker for a design-oriented target audience
Huemen was asked to design a new Harman Kardon Citation series that would stand out in the market, convey a consistent design story and deliver a seamless user experience to contemporary audio lovers. To make it a success, we needed to transform conventional loudspeaker technology into something unique that would appeal to the design-oriented target audience.
Research
Seeking inspiration, we took a deep dive into Nordic culture. We visited Stockholm, Amsterdam and Copenhagen to conduct design research and collect user insights. What caught our eye was the visual simplicity of Nordic interiors and furniture pieces, especially the blending of natural materials into contemporary design.
Creativity
We imagined Citation as a range of simple yet elegant forms that would easily blend in with the user’s living space, a scalable range of beautiful vases that are unobtrusive and dressed in lifestyle fabrics from top to bottom. The design complements the warm feel of Nordic houses and addresses all the senses through rich materials and an intuitive interface.
Material
The use of real wool was a unique choice and was a first for Harman Kardon. Inspired by Danish culture, we worked with fabric developer Kvadrat — a world leader in fabrics for furniture, interiors and art installations — to bring that same material craftsmanship to Citation. The resulting material conveys real warmth and allows for a seamless product integration with modern interiors.
User Interface, Experience & Technology
Simple, intuitive and versatile. A user interface featuring an LCD touchscreen embedded in the metal surface with capacitive buttons makes the Citation incredibly easy to use. A proximity sensor wakes the screen when a user approaches. The integrated Google Assistant lets the user easily access recorded presets, control their music, set up the speakers and get instant answers to daily questions.
