Yamaha Sound Machines

Exhibit to Include Products Designed to "Reinvent the Music Player".

Yamaha Corporation announces that it has collaborated with the world-renowned ECAL/University of Art and Design Lausanne and will present the results together with ECAL at Milan Design Week 2022, the world’s biggest annual design gathering, to be held June 7–12 in Milan, Italy. Titled "Yamaha Sound Machines," the collaborative exhibit will feature six product prototypes that aim to reimagine the music player and its accessories.

The way that we listen to and enjoy music has evolved over time, with more diversity now than ever before. The COVID-19 pandemic has also drastically altered our values and lifestyles, and the rate at which things change is expected to accelerate even further. With this in mind, the Yamaha Design Laboratory conducted a workshop in collaboration with ECAL Master Product Design students to consider how music listening might evolve in coming generations. Under the guidance of Yamaha designers and ECAL Professor Camille Blin, students at the university tackled the issue and finalized a total of six product prototypes.

Most people today listen to music on their smartphones, controlling every aspect of the experience using the screen of the device. This project was a clear departure from such an approach, implementing designs that focus on physical and emotive qualities of objects. Considering new technologies and trends such as AI, live-streamed performances, and ASMR, the students produced six new music player and accessory devices that are not only physically attractive, but also propose a novel music listening experience.