TILES

Team project

2022 – 3 weeks

Modern music listening experiences lack the feeling of process. The black box present in modern technologies such as mobile phones abstracts away what’s going on behind the interface and don’t require any process to interact with it; any song in the world is just one click away, with no sonic feedback, no haptic feedback, and flat visual feedback.

We want to explore how a tangible interface in combination with artificial sounds can convey the message of music listening as the sophisticated process it was intended to be. 

What could data entry on a device sound like? What does switching or searching a song on a computing device sound like and how can we bring back the feeling of music playing as an elegant process instead of an act of consumerism?

Besides the interaction with music, we aspire to look at the interaction with others while enjoying your favorite tracks. Sharing the control of the music in a democratic, fun, and elegant way.

Industrial Design

Interaction Design

3D modeling & rendering

Model Making

Tiles is divided into two parts.

The top part displays the user's highly personal and beloved music library, offering a clear view of the beautiful art covers. The lower part is the actual player. Here, an album or song is mechanically inserted from the top part. The E-Ink screen conveys information about the current album to the left. Using the dial on the right, the user can for example adjust the volume or do other playback controls. With the help of buttons on the top right corner, the user can easily filter between songs, albums, artists, and playlists when scrolling through the library.

The analog process of listening to music makes the user very engaged, from the act of collecting the records to putting on a track. Which in turn creates a more memorable and engaging experience. The digital experience is very convenient, yet it lacks engagement and character due to it being too streamlined and efficient.


Tiles is an exploration of how a tangible interface in combination with artificial sounds can convey the message of music listening as the sophisticated process it was intended to be.

Our approach is a device that emphasizes the albums; their artworks and information. In contrast to music streaming apps, Tiles provokes a careful selection of music and elegant interactions to enjoy your favorite tunes.

This outcome is the result of 15 working days of 4 passionate designers on the same page with complementary skills. Tobias Ertel, Kay van den Aker, Oscar Olsson & myself.