An interaction design student from Sweden's Umea Institute of Design did this home music player for Spotify, seen above. Reportedly done in collaboration with that company, it allows you to play music by sticking a magnetic RFID tag linked to one of your playlists onto the volume knob; a reader embedded in the player identifies the tag and the appropriate music comes out of the speaker.
That's all fine and good. What we take exception to is the assertion that this device "looks like a digital lovechild of Jonathan Ive and the brilliant Swedes at Ikea."
Oh, really? Is that what it looks like?
I’m a lapsed industrial designer. I was born in NYC and figured I’d die there, but a few years ago I abandoned New York to live on a farm in the countryside with my wife. We have six dogs.
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Spotify device designer has brains, Braun, and balls
Furthermore, Jordi Parra is an interaction designer (granted with ID background), so I dont think the point of this radio is form development and reinvent the radio package. Rather, it's the interaction that matters. Whether it's anything crazy/inventive is another issue... Personally, I don't think it deserves tech crunch's coverage beyond the blog's obvious attempt to keep the 'spotify comes to the US' buzz alive. Cause you know, it's a successful startup and Sean Parker's hedge fund is backing it.
The guy is a student, an interaction Design student.
What you see there is a Prototype. He is showing how the interaction between the user and the system works.
Most interaction designers I had the chance to meet don't even think about getting their hands dirty making physical prototypes of their concepts. This guy not only did it beautifully but he also put down on his report the direct influences of Dieter Hams' work.
What I see there is a tribute to a genius work mixed with XXI technology.
Journalism is about informing blogging should be too... leave bulling for the narrow minders!
Nice modernisation of a classic form. I wish the holes were smaller though in new one.
It's a shame that anyone who wants to use the silhouette of a soft rectangle is accused of design plagiarism, nowadays.