2024

Design Awards Silver Winner - ArtCenter College of Design, Pratt Institute

Portal One

Entrant Company

ArtCenter College of Design, Pratt Institute

Category

Audio & Video Devices - Wired & Wireless Headphones

Client's Name

Country / Region:

United States

Portal One is beyond a pair of headphones; it is a unique device designed to express a “concentration” signal through a lighting display. By lighting up in distinctive visuals, Portal One serves as a non-intrusive communication tool, signalling to others the wearer's need for focus, thereby avoiding disturbance in the work and study environment.

Globally, wearing headphones has become a universal signal for "Do Not Disturb" and "Concentration," a non-verbal cue used by millions to communicate their need for focus and privacy.

Despite this widespread understanding, it’s common for people to communicate with each other while wearing headphones. Thus, the message often falls short of being clearly and effectively communicated, leading to confusion, and resulting interruptions in the context of open offices, studios and classrooms where conversations happen a lot. This gap between intention and perception highlights a nuanced challenge within open environments: the need for a clear signal.

Credits

ArtCenter College of Design
Zhenghao Huang
Pratt Institute
Weiqi Sun
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