TE: Face Off (concept)
Individual modules can snap on and off to make the device quickly customizable. This can enable users to lock in specific layouts for different gigs or workflows, but also to rearrange the instrument for spontaneous inspiration.
Modelled in Rhino 3D, rendered in Keyshot.
I began the idea phase of this project with a core concept of modular hardware. I thought that in the vein of TE, it would be fun to have an instrument that could swap around pieces for different sounds or styles of using the instrument.
For a lot of musicians, an important part of the experience is arranging the gear. Whether it is to expand and change up the arrangement, or to lock it in and optimize it, the process is just as intensive as the results (however they may look). I wanted to try and tie the process of arranging the instrument in with the act of playing the instrument. This project explores how physical reconfiguration could become part of musical expression rather than a separate setup task. It was all about enriching the experience.
I looked at a lot of different ideas for how this could look. Maybe it was like a conventional modular synthesizer, or more like a gameboy, or a disk drive or a grid and pieces like Tetris.
It had to strike a balance between being fixed and modular, and how those two ends interacted in the middle. I thought that having a kit of sound cartriges, for example, would limit the expressiveness of the controls.
I wanted to not only extract the feeling of TE’s aesthetic and material choices, but also the feeling of playfulness and intention. There’s something that is toylike, yet professional in their products. The instruments themselves provide a realm to explore and discover while supporting the act of creativity and I wanted to embody that in my design as well.
The idea is that the base has multiple synthesizer engines and different modes, similar to the TE OP-1 portable synthesizer, and the control pieces can be assigned to different functions when rearranged.
The little modules would have magnets and pop up pins to connect with the interface, it would be set up in a way that they could be arranged in any orientation and still function.
I was also able to simulate different control layouts. This is where the concept came to life, as I could see the endless possibilities emerge through experimentation. It could be arranged with only buttons, or a bunch of sliders like a mixing console, or a mix of knobs and switches. It could be a little bit of everything or it’s own unit entirely.
I learned quickly how a “simple“ modular system gets extremely complicated, and how interactions scale exponentially in a product like this. It also drew a line where design ends and engineering begins, and while I believe with enough time I could take this to the end, using it as a learning opprotunity is extremely valuable in it’s own right.
However, visually I really locked in on the essence of Teenage Engineering, using their design language and inspiration-forward user experience.
This project clarified how deeply brand identity, physical interaction, and form are intertwined in musical tools, and how powerful modularity can be when treated as an expressive act rather than a technical one.