Music Experience Inspired by
Low Hearing.
Why is Music important?
Music is deeply incorporated in our live as these days we hear music all the time. It wakes us up, motivates our workouts and keeps us company when commuting to work or school. People with low hearing are neglected by the wonderful experience of music.
Most importantly, Assal Habibi, researcher of Psychology at USC, found out that perceiving, playing and making music generate creativity, better cognitive skills, and decision making.
How do low hearing enjoy music?
However, people with low hearing lack with this wonderful experience. The only way they experience is through senses such as watching the emotion of people in music in a music video or feeling the vibration of a stage when watching a performance or playing instruments.
What if we combine those senses to create new music experience?
Conceptual Framework
Through conceptual framework, Muse has to enhance the music experience in a emotional manner that brings creativity and enjoyment to low hearing while promising them to achieve immersive music sensation for creative expression.
Design Process
After the conceptual framework and research, the new music experience, Muse, was aimed to be a music experience combined with furniture such as desk, mirror or lamp as it was focus to be placed at home and used as a visual and music therapy that could me fun while it brings creativity.
However, the focus changed to be more of personal device that could be portable while creating a therapeutic mood to it's environment as observations and interviews with musicians, people with low hearing and music therapists suggested the limitation of furniture-like music experience limits the interaction between users and the device.
Muse is a music experience designed to unconsciously and consciously bring creativity and playfulness in an immersive musical sensation for music lovers, especially people with hearing loss, through all auditory, haptic and visual senses with intuitive interaction and ergonomic design.
Design Inspiration
Muse's design is inspired by string instruments such as guitar, cello and violin.
They are one of the most loved music instruments that created many beautiful, creative and emotional songs. With the combination of form of string instruments and modern design aesthetics, Muse is design to have immersive sound system while being portable to enjoy music anywhere.
Design and Technology
Curved Form
Stainless Steel Frame
Wireless Charging Coil
Handle
Bluetooth Connectivity
High-fidelity Audio
Vibration Feedback
High-fidelity audio produces direct and ambient audio experience to have all-encompassing sense if space.
Vibration Feedback through vibration modules brings fun interaction between user and the device for immersive sound sensation.
Curved form compliments the ergonomics and portability when in use
Base Stand
Bass and Woofers
Portability
Magnetic Wireless
Charging Base
Detachable from Base
Auditory Sense
Muse can be used similar to how normal speakers are used. Simply connect your phone via Bluetooth and enjoy listening to your favorite music. The user can also control the music through Muse as the visualizer also act as touch screen.
Visual Sense
The wide curved visualizer delivers colorful patterned shapes that matches the music beats and vocals. Depending on the genre of the music, the color, patterns and the mood changes.
Fun Music - Poppy colors, Vibrant, Exciting pattern, Fun
Therapeutic Music - Warm colors, Relaxed patterns, Comfortable
Haptic Sense
The visualizer also communicates haptic feedback. The notes, melody and vocals are translated to vibration so that music listeners, people with hearing loss, can feel the music with the touch of their hands.
CMF
Classic Mahogany
Matte White
Piano Black
© 2023 by Seungkeun Kim.