DESIGN & MANUFACTURE
RETRO
STEREO.
An independently designed and manufactured retro-inspired audio product, developed before university.
01 / THE IDEA
A PRODUCT
BUILT TO
FEEL
DIFFERENT.
The project started as an attempt to design something that felt more like a piece of furniture than a conventional piece of modern electronics.
The aim was to combine the character of older hi-fi equipment with a cleaner, more contemporary product design, while still creating something that could actually be manufactured and assembled.
Every part of the product was designed with the finished physical object in mind, from the overall form and proportions to the individual components and construction.
FIG. 01 — CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT02 / DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT
DESIGNING
THE
PRODUCT.
The design developed around the physical proportions of the stereo, with the enclosure, controls and internal components considered as part of one complete product.
CAD was used to develop the geometry and refine the proportions before committing to the final physical construction.
Particular attention was given to how the different materials, surfaces and components would come together as a finished object.
FIG. 02 — ORTHOGRAPHIC DESIGNFORM
Developing the overall shape, proportions and visual character of the product.
CAD
Translating the concept into detailed geometry and working dimensions.
CONSTRUCTION
Designing the product around the materials, components and manufacturing methods available.
03 / CONSTRUCTION & FABRICATION
FROM
DIGITAL
TO
PHYSICAL.
Once the design had been developed, the focus shifted from the digital model to the physical product.
The different components were fabricated and assembled into the finished enclosure, with the construction process shaping the final product just as much as the original design.
Building the stereo by hand also meant making practical decisions throughout the process, adapting the design where necessary and learning how the materials behaved in reality.
04 / THE FINISHED PRODUCT
BUILT TO
BE
SEEN.
Fig. 03 — FINAL PRODUCTThe finished stereo brought the design, fabrication and aesthetic decisions together into a single physical product.
More than simply functioning as an audio system, the aim was to create something that felt deliberate as an object — something that could sit comfortably in a room and still feel like it belonged there.
05 / REFLECTION
DESIGN IS
MORE THAN
FUNCTION.
This project was completed before university, but it became an important part of how I approach engineering projects today.
It taught me that designing a successful physical product is not only about making something work. The way it looks, feels, is manufactured and comes together as a complete object matters too.