There was a time when Polaroid-style instant cameras made a comeback, riding on the retro and nostalgia wave that was gripping many markets. There are still some of these around that bring joy to the simple act of taking photos and seeing them instantly printed, but some people found the limitations and total cost of ownership a bit too much to ask. At the very least, it required them to carry a camera with them, often bulky and too attention-grabbing, when they already have a perfect camera in the form of their smartphones. That problem led to the birth of instant photo printers, and this fresh batch from the HP Sprocket line put a rather unique twist to that product design by making the printer itself look as stylish and as lively as the photos it prints.
Designer: C+A (HP Licensee)
There are many portable instant photo printers in the market today, but many of them seem to emphasize the “printer” part a bit too much. More often than not, they look like miniature versions of desktop printers, which aren’t exactly the most inspiring designs around. Considering how they’re often used in fun, playful, and whimsical situations, their appearance doesn’t exactly convey the spirit and purpose of the product.
That’s how the HP Sprocket printers differentiate themselves, even if the difference isn’t that earth-shattering. The portable printers sport a textured design that looks almost like terrazzo, giving a bit of a visual flair to the printers. Throw in a splash of pastel color options and you have an accessory that clearly speaks the language of fun.
They’re not all looks, of course, as these are capable ZINK printers. That means you don’t have to worry about messy inks because all the colors are on the special photo paper. Different printer types use different kinds of paper, such as the Sprocket 2×3 printing the smallest photo sizes, while the newer Sprocket Panorama Printer uses a photo paper roll to be able print out panoramic photos, banners, and more. In both cases, HP Sprocket ZINK paper photos have backs you can peel off to reveal a sticky surface for putting on walls, notebooks, boards, and other objects in a more or less permanent manner.
One of the advantages of using portable photo printers over instant cameras is that you can first compose and edit the photos you take with your phone. With the HP Sprocket app, you can easily pick out frames, apply filters, add stickers and icons, and do so much more before finally printing out your masterpiece. And you can print the same photo over and over again, letting you share those fun, once-in-a-lifetime moments with more friends than you could with a single photo.
You don’t need to settle for a home speaker system based on tech specs alone. Plenty of designers are working around the clock to invent entirely new speakers that sound fantastic, come with many quality-of-life features you’d expect in a modern Bose or Sony system, and also look visually compelling in original ways. Inversely, your interior design ethos may call for a specific color scheme or matching style – and you can accidentally throw off the balance of a room by adding something that doesn’t belong.
With the aforementioned problem in mind, I’ve rounded up five of the most interesting speaker designs featured by Yanko Design thus far, each offering a unique aesthetic flavor. Whether you’re looking for an organic wooden speaker set, a futurist speaker right out of a Syd Mead painting, or a speaker shaped like an ancient Roman bust, there’s something here for every interior designer.
1. Pantheone Audio Obsidian (Japandi)
Pantheone Audio’s Obsidian is a portable speaker which balances form with function. Right off the bat, this all-white (or all-black) obsidian-shaped audio unit is packed in with high-quality gear, including a front-firing speaker array containing two 20W tweeters and a 40W woofer – all powered by a rechargeable battery that lasts for around 15 hours before needing a drink. The accompanying Pantheone app lets you remotely control multiple Obsidian speakers via mobile device, but it also works with Amazon Alexa out of the box, meaning, for instance, you can theoretically chain your Obsidian speakers to an existing network of Amazon Echo speakers and play Spotify through your Obsidian and Amazon Echo network in unison. If that isn’t your first choice, don’t fret: it connects to other major streaming services like Apple Music, and can even play lossless audio straight from the source via WiFi, AirPlay 2, Bluetooth, and AUX. Its sculpted, angular design makes it a mainstay in any modern home that appeals to a clean, minimalistic decorative taste.
2. Nebula by Ken Chen (Cybercore futurist)
If you’ve ever played video games like Mass Effect, or if you’ve watched movies like Tron or Blade Runner, you’re probably familiar with the futuristic visual language created by late industrial designer and concept artist Syd Mead. If that’s the case, then you’d probably agree if I said the Nebula tech art speaker by designer Ken Chen looks and feels a lot like if NASA hired Syd Mead to co-design a portable home speaker system which might accompany actual astronauts into space. It’s unlikely you live inside of a spacecraft yourself, but if you’re into futuristic interior design, the Nebula speaker may be the mantelpiece you didn’t know your home needed. It’s a fully-functional 360-degree portable speaker system equipped with Bluetooth 5.3 True Wireless Stereo functionality, an onboard Smart Control panel, and integrated ambient lighting with patented SoundForm “Ferrofluid Music Visualization” visuals that give it a truly alien look. It would look perfect next to the Chronomark Watch and Watch Case from Starfield.
3. Beosystem 72-23 Nordic Dawn (Brutalist/Accent)
Bang & Olufsen are well-known for coming up with mouthwatering luxury speaker designs catered to collectors with a love of Nordic style. The Beosystem 72-23 Nordic Dawn looks straight out of a high-end Scandinavian catalog, and its built-in tech as well as its connectivity with other nearby Bang & Olufsen speakers makes it a truly excellent HiFi audio system showcasing elegant craftsmanship from top to bottom, thanks to high-quality woodwork and premium materials throughout the build. Whether you’re streaming from Spotify or Apple Music, or playing vinyl directly through the integrated turntable, this (nearly $64,700) limited edition system is easy to control thanks to direct integration with the Bang & Olufsen app.
4. Torso speaker by Yang Dong Wook (Art Deco or Contemporary)
Nothing would bring a room full of sculptures and avant-garde artwork together like a portable speaker shaped like a Roman bust, and that’s the exact niche the Torso speaker is meant to fill. This concept speaker is directly inspired by marble sculptures like Michelangelo’s statue of David, and it was designed by creator Yang Dong Wook as part of Samsung’s Design Membership Program. This one is more conceptual than practical, and you won’t find it for sale anywhere, but it looks like it makes for a delightful mantelpiece item for an artist who loves getting creative with interior decor. The most interesting feature is the neck, which is filled with… nothing. It’s intentionally designed as a place to put items, like flowers or other artwork.
5. Nothing Speakers by Ivan Llaneza (Sci-fi minimalism)
The Nothing Speakers aren’t nothing. In fact, they’d fit right in a modern home, especially in an office room filled with high-end tech. Coming in black or white, this portable speaker system is well-equipped with high-quality internal components, allowing Bluetooth connectivity for easy integration into streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music. There’s an integrated LED system that syncs to the music playing through it, making for an interesting audiovisual experience at house parties and social gatherings. Not to mention – in kitschy 2000’s fashion – these speakers also feature an array of buttons and toggles on the bottom front cover of the chassis, which immediately reminds me of a boombox layout, albeit much more futuristic looking thanks to its glass design. The lettering, which displays a large digital LED-lit “Nothing” logo accompanied by “Volume” and “Bass 1” on the side and front, give it an especially cool look.
It feels almost like destiny that Apple launches great products, but leaves the onus of designing great accessories to third parties. Sandmarc is one such company that’s benefitted greatly from this arrangement, rising to prominence for their pro-quality photography and videography accessories for the iPhone… but the company isn’t stopping there. After designing some of the best-in-class camera lenses and filming rigs for the iPhone, Sandmarc is giving the Watch Ultra something it truly deserves – a great complementary strap/band.
Not everyone who owns the Watch Ultra buys it because of its high-endurance sports and training features… so the idea of having a watch strap designed for trekking or deep-sea diving doesn’t really appeal to the average consumer who just wants to be able to flaunt their high-end smartwatch. In comes Sandmarc’s Apple Watch Ultra Band, an Oyster-style band made from grade-2 titanium with just the right color and finish to match the Watch Ultra perfectly. Slip the band on and it honestly looks like it was designed by Apple, and turns your extreme smartwatch into the luxurious-looking haute timepiece you need it to be! After all, who in their right state of mind would want to wear a silicone band into a boardroom meeting, am I right?!
Designer: Sandmarc
The luxurious Grade-2 titanium band quite literally turns your Apple Watch Ultra into a Rolex or Tag Heuer-style haute timepiece. Its finish matches the slight champagne color of the Watch Ultra perfectly, blending in so well you’d think Apple designed the band too.
The band’s wide body complements the Watch Ultra’s large-ish design perfectly too, doing a far better job of visually integrating with the timepiece than any of Apple’s own watches. After all, it isn’t purpose-built for function – it’s purpose-built for fashion.
Machined from grade-2 titanium with a scratch-resistant glass film coating, the watch band is lightweight, waterproof, and just as durable as the Watch Ultra. The entire band measures 190mm (7.48 inches) and weighs 2 ounces (57 grams), being nearly 40% lighter than its stainless steel counterparts. Each band relies on stainless steel connectors that allow you to attach it to the Watch Ultra, and the band also ships with an adjustment tool that lets you remove one of the Oyster-style links to fit your wrist perfectly.
The Sandmarc Grade 2 Titanium Watch Ultra Band starts at $199, which shouldn’t sound like much if you already splurged $799 on the smartwatch, to begin with. Each titanium band is also rigorously tested at a third-party lab for quality and chemical analysis, so the bands can endure everything the Apple Watch Ultra was designed for… whether it’s a lavish boardroom, the snowy tundras, a desert trek, or even the depths of the sea!
