Concretify
A concrete internet radio for people tired of pairing Bluetooth for the fifth time
A personal product-design concept for a simple internet radio built around one button, instant playback and an intentionally overbuilt concrete shell. I used the project to explore how familiar consumer electronics could feel more like objects with character, combining functional thinking, material experimentation and 3D visualisation.
Brief
The starting point was a small everyday frustration: Bluetooth speakers are convenient right up until pairing fails, a phone call interrupts playback or somebody walks away with the source device.
I wanted to imagine a radio that simply connected to internet streams and played immediately, while looking nothing like another anonymous plastic speaker.
The Challenge
The concept needed to balance two things that do not naturally belong together: simple, approachable functionality and a deliberately heavy industrial aesthetic.
Concrete can look interesting, but it also risks becoming a novelty material. The design had to feel intentional rather than 'Raspberry Pi inside a brick', with controls, speaker openings and proportions that still made sense as a usable object.
Execution
I developed the concept around a Raspberry Pi and Class D amplifier, then designed a concrete enclosure with exposed rebar-inspired speaker protection.
The 3D work focused heavily on material behaviour: pores, rough edges, subtle colour variation and the contrast between concrete, metal and electronic components. The form was kept deliberately simple so the unusual material choice did not need additional decoration.
The final presentation treated the radio more like a small industrial product than a hobby electronics prototype.
Stills & Styleframes
Results
The project stayed at concept stage, but it produced a clear product direction that combined straightforward interaction with a distinctive physical identity.
It also became a useful exploration of how material choice alone can completely change the personality of a familiar technology object.
Personal Reflection
I still like the basic idea: remove three layers of convenience and somehow the product becomes more convenient.
This project was less about inventing a new technology and more about questioning why so many everyday tech objects have to look exactly the same.