top of page
johny-goerend-U_diPCXCBxU-unsplash.jpg
GettyImages-123523274-5730d0af3df78c038e696b71-dcaf2129c5d64a349868ec4cbb24fab3.jpg
GettyImages-123523274-5730d0af3df78c038e696b71-dcaf2129c5d64a349868ec4cbb24fab3.jpg

While I was driving, I found myself constantly
 changing the EQ settings in my car.

Asset 1Genres.png

When I’m listening to a playlist with different genres from different artists, the same settings don’t work best for every song...

I thought to myself:

"What if every song came with a set of instructions on how to make it sound the best?"

Where/who should these
"instructions" come from?

To help me decide, I reached out to the people who know all about bringing the best out of a song: mixing and mastering engineers.

Zooom.png

One of the interviews I conducted was with Tobias Donohue, a Cincinnati-based music producer who was the head sound engineer for Bootsy Collins.

I asked them about their process, if my idea made sense, and if there was any room in the mixing process to implement it.

00XVABPc9FVmXg9i9kh0IEw-11.jpg

They said they were excited about a potential
hardware solution
, but wanted me to make sure a
software solution couldn’t do the same thing
.

I looked into a software-only fix, but it couldn’t change the fact that every listening device is built and tuned differently.

874d7732475567.5684db67cbf00.jpg

I realized that to fix the sound, I had to fix the source. So, I decided to design headphones to solve a problem most brands ignore:

Modern headphones don't let us hear our music correctly.

They are tuned for brand identity, not authenticity.

Brands tune their hardware to create a signature sound that defines them, but this comes at a cost:

Asset 1Chart.png

Whether it’s an emphasis bass or mid-range, these tonal inconsistencies mean listeners never hear the track the way it was finalized in the studio.

Authenticity is lost the moment a brand decides how our music should sound.

—Pngtree—high-quality 3d render of white_23259101.png

A pair of headphones worn during mixing & mastering and by music listeners.

I proposed a solution:

The more I refined the solution, the more I realized how vital music streaming would be to its success

Streaming serves as the bridge between the studio and the listener, offering a level of interaction that a hardware-only solution could never achieve alone.

Spotify was the service I found was most compatible with the idea.

With features like:

Merch For You

An integrated shop that lets artists offer limited-edition merch directly to their most dedicated fans.

Merch.jpg
Spotify Wrapped

An annual, recap that celebrates the relationship between listeners and their favorite songs/artists.

ezgif-81f167944f7f29b5.jpg
Live Events

An event hub that connects fans to local shows and tickets the moment they discover a new artist.

Event Concert.jpg

Spotify is more than just streaming, it’s a social platform.

 Since, my solution was about connecting listeners to authentic art, I wanted to use a platform that prioritized connection.

How would these Spotify Headphones work?

jesman-fabio-1zwJqd5cNys-unsplash.jpg

1. A song is mixed using Spotify
Headphones
in the music studio.

techivation-WHTq-xyU40o-unsplash.jpg

2. This new mix, alongside the
original, are uploaded to Spotify.

brett-jordan-xsszsCvIrw8-unsplash.jpg

3. Listeners connect their own
Spotify Headphones
to a device.

pankaj-patel--XiEdejuJso-unsplash.jpg

4. Once the Spotify app is open,
it recognizes the Headphones.

pexels-atahandemir-13520467.jpg

5. Spotify plays the mix of the
song tuned for the Headphones.

Not a Remix, a Refresh.

For decades artists have released "remixed", versions of their songs with changes to style, production, and even the genre. 

1_F354rKpunEdp9hANmhyH2Q.jpg

When an engineer "re-mixes" a song for the Spotify headphones, this is now called a Refresh.

Now, artists can release "Refreshed" versions of their music to provide a more authentic listening experience for fans.

Listeners/Fans
xfans-at-concert.jpg.pagespeed.ic.ZalxhZ1FOo.jpg

Listeners get a listening experience free of brand bias

Listeners get to hear music the way the artist intended

Fans get to feel closer to their favorite artists

Listeners don't have to switch EQ settings for different songs anbd genres

Everybody Wins!

These Spotify headphones would enable more than just a better listening experience, they'd create a 3-way mutual relationship between listeners, artists/engineers and Spotify:

Artists/Engineers
m09mth3z80301.jpg

Artists get paid more for each stream on a Refreshed song

Artists get to provide their fans with a more authentic listening experience

Artists can release exclusive collab colorways for fans

Engineers see increased demand to make Refreshes

Spotify/Stakeholders
gettyimages-941398404_wide-6867115aaf2f9e44ef6e70d89426b639ff1881a1.jpg

Spotify gains good press for paying artists more

Spotify gets more loyal users because of the exclusivity of Refreshed Mixes

Spotify builds an ecosystem with a loyal base

Spotify takes users from platforms lacking this feature 

Thumbnails2.png
Thumbnails1.png
Thumbnails4.png
Thumbnails3.png

Drawing Out the DNA

To make the hardware and software feel like one seamless experience, I started with thumbnail sketches to explore forms that felt as curated and personal as Spotify does to its users.

Refining the Details

I took the most promising directions and began building out the details. This stage was about thinking through each concept and bringing them to life.

RefinedCrop1.png
RefinedCrop2.png
RefinedCrop3.png
RefinedCrop4.png
RefinedCrop4.png
RefinedCrop4.png
20240220_151756.jpg
20240220_173124.jpg
2024-02-22 (1).png
2026-01-18 (1).png
20240222_145723.jpg
2024-02-19.png

Participants overwhelmingly stated that the sloped forms were the most comfortable to rotate and interact with. I kept this in mind when developing the final design.

Ergonomic Studies

I translated some of the final directions into 3D ergonomic test studies. I 3D printed a standard base and interchangeable rotating heads and conducted experiments on comfort.

20240220_173114.jpg
20240220_151800.jpg
Screenshot 2026-01-18 193443.png
Screenshot 2026-01-18 193443.png

UI for the Streaming Era

Streaming has also changed how we physically interact with our favorite tunes. We have come a long way from simply playing, pausing, rewinding and fast-forwarding through our libraries of music.

Today, when streaming, we perform actions such as:

Designing the UI

Keeping modern streaming in mind, I first designed the UI to be simple to understand. I chose to use a rotating dial and a central button on both sides to control everything.

UI-UX.png

The left side controls are Spotify-powered features and the right side has the standard headphone features.

20240218_001129.jpg
20240218_155118.jpg
20240217_163937.jpg
20240219_132212.jpg
20240216_165856.jpg
20240216_153613.jpg
20240216_164300.jpg

With the finished prototype, I created a series of tests I asked participants to perform with the headset. The tests were used to compare what "felt natural" with my original plans.

The Results:

After tallying up everyone's results and notes, I compiled the data in Excel and found that:

Testing the User Interface

I built a rough working prototype of the button-dial
interaction using cardboard
, ball bearings, and keyboard
caps for validation testing.

4 in 5 people said the volume and scrubbing interaction felt most natural with the dial.

2 in 5 people mentioned that three taps felt too much for any interaction.

3 in 5 people performed above 75 percent on memorizing the interaction in the final round.

5 in 5 people said they would never want an “unlike” feature due to accidental touches.

3 in 5 people said they would be okay with an auto shut off feature (if it was reliable).

5 in 5 people said that holding down a button should be how the headphones turn on.

Round 1

Listing actions at random and asking participants to interact with the model in a way that feel most natural

Round 2

Listing actions in order and asking participants to interact to see if anything changes

Round 3

Providing the UI I originally designed, seeing if it was easy to remember, and comparing to their preferences

Screenshot 2026-01-19 193746.png
Screenshot 2026-01-19 193606.png
Screenshot 2026-01-19 194022.png
Screenshot 2026-01-19 193340.png
Screenshot 2026-01-19 194230.png
Screenshot 2026-01-19 193116.png

Finalizing the Form

Building the headphones in CAD was more straightforward than normal. Since most of the development was done physically, most iterations were for small details.

Color. Material. Finish

Spotify is well known for its frequent use of gradient across its graphic design language, this would serve as the main inspiration for the final headphone's CMF.

Color Shifting Inspiration

When brainstorming on translating Spotify's gradient into physical form, I found inspiration in the iridescent world of color-shifting auto paints and wraps.

RD12-HD_Honey_Lime_gloss_colorchange_rainbow_drift_chameleon.png
60ca611d0ed397985bf274f086e8acb4.jpg
c14a307dec89e5e052fbd8d04374daed.jpg
36fd19f59c361913ac6d736eef470ed1.jpg
3ab863a2a57837d464f014d4e65d9aa3.jpg
xenon-colorshift-dry-pearl-pigment-alpha-pigments-363491.gif
gloss-black-to-red-shift-338437.png
trendy-abstract-chrome-background-with-gradient-colors.jpg
1_h6o0__6nRYW1DlTZE-M_PQ.jpg
1_xA0R179tzY95Ip6p3I7T0g.png
Spotify-2015-2.jpg
6631741d37d919e302b02494_!_MAIN_500-poster-00001.jpg
new-gradient-design-background-for-albums-v0-16aascoj5ahe1-ezgif.com-webp-to-png-converter
EoZOi6hXIAA_roy.jpg
Spotify-Gradients.jpg
Early-Morning-1024x1024.png
Picture5.png
Screenshot 2024-03-03 233502.png
Screenshot 2024-03-03 233027.png
20240401_102636.jpg
20240401_102629.jpg
Screenshot 2026-01-20 011301.png
Screenshot 2026-01-20 013428.png
20240221_202511.jpg
20240222_141945.jpg
IMG_6043.jpg
IMG_6049.jpg

Making the Models

I decided to make three final models. They all required days of 3D printing, sanding, filling, priming, painting and powdering, before the big assembly.  

Testing the Colors

After experimenting in Keyshot with different paint materials and films, I used the strongest results as a reference when developing the finishes for the models.

IMG_6082.jpg
IMG_6084.jpg
IMG_6087.jpg
IMG_6089.jpg
IMG_6090.jpg

After days of spraying spoons with primer and mica powders, I settled on these five color formulations.

20240401_133012 (1).jpg
20240319_034848.jpg
20240322_220235.jpg
IMG_6300_edited.jpg
20240409_224105.jpg
20240409_231154 (1).jpg

In-Context Photoshoot

Once the models were painted and polished, it was time to shoot them in action. I wanted to show how the design could pop or blend-in depending on the wearer.

Now, with the design finalized, user experience defined, and models finished, it's time to tie everything together with the...

Marketing
Campaign.

output-onlinepngtools (4).png
Sticker.jpg
grey-9026.gif

The Name.

Spotify Tune got its name from every hand that touches them. From the mixing and mastering engineers who Refresh songs with them, to the Spotify user who covers them in stickers and tunes them to their personality.

A Style for Everyone.

Everyone marches to their own beat. That's why there's a Spotify Tune colorway for every personality: from subtle purple-shifted Eclipse to the punchy crimson-shifted Sunset.

The Personality Quiz!

Once Spotify Tune gets announced, Spotify users are prompted with a "What's Your Tune?" personality quiz in the app. The quiz consists of questions about their music tastes and listening habits and assigns them a colorway.

Please take
the quiz
as
many times
as you'd like!

Please take the quiz as many times as you'd like!

SLEEVE-01.png
SLEEVE-02.png

Next Page →

← Previous Page

Asset 2Flowweerr.png

What's in the Box?

After ordering their pair, Spotify listeners are given a cohesive packaging experience. Each box comes with a pair of Tunes, color matching 3.5mm and USB-C cables, an iconic drawstring bag, and instructions that unfold into a flower.

Silver.74.png
Black.png

About Me

Resume

Silver.74.png
Black.png

About Me

résuméat

Spinner.39.jpg
bottom of page