Samuel Jones

The sales of headphones have been increasing year on year and are set to break $6bn globally in 2014. In this already saturated market, the challenge was to design an integrated set of headphones which not only provided an excellent sound quality, but also allowed the user to re-charge their mobile devices on the go.

Design commenced by investigating the current market trends alongside insight gathered from extensive user research, establishing a clear design strategy for the product. Concepts focused on ensuring the user understood the purpose of the solar-cell whilst having a strong aesthetic design appeal. The chosen headphone concept was developed through three generations of prototypes to refine the product and result in a balanced, comfortable pair of headphones ideal for everyday use. The concept of on the go charging adds an enormous amount of value to a product which has already turned into an everyday necessity for many. The clearly visible solar panel educates users and on-lookers, whilst adding a unique design presence to make the product stand out from its competition.