yoFones: Designed Headphones that enable radical self-expression and togetherness

To help anyone feel like a unicorn, and create a magical and invigorating musical experience.

Recognitions

Faculty Award for Original

Team: Alethea Campbell, Photographer/Product Designer, Tafari John-King, Experience Designer, Julian Lurie, Experience Designer, and Julia Reed-Betts, Product Designer

YoFones were headphones designed to target two specific movements of counterculturalism: the do-it-yourself and Burning Man movements. The DiY culture is a movement that challenges the idea that we will be provided for; instead, DiY individuals seek to take responsibility for themselves and their world. Burning Man, a weeklong countercultural art festival founded in the 80s is based on the idea of creating a collective artistic expression. Burning man represents a space where culture, art, entertainment, ritual, ceremony, and religion all come together. By intersecting these two groups, we hope to truly inspire and liberate two key principles inspired by Burning Man: radical self-expression and radical inclusion.

As our video represents, the headphones will serve as a visual reminder to the liberating power of music. The “out-there” design of the headphones are an important way to demonstrate comfort with expressiveness and openness. The headband is painted with glow-in-the-dark paint, and has fire cutouts. Attached to the band is beautifully layered, clear wings. When the headphones are put on, you are able to enter a new world where they are free to express themselves free of judgment. You are telling the world that you’re unapologetic about being exactly who you are.

In the video, the dancing in front of the laundromat creates a compelling contrast. Visually, the lit-up laundromat serves as a perfect backdrop to the dancing. The laundromat represents something that is mundane and boring. Part of our countercultural product is the idea that anything can be made fun, and exciting - even being outside a laundromat.

Because no one is the same, we have many headband designs that you can choose from. Even better–if you have your own wild creations that you want to rock out, you can send it to us and we’ll make it!

Please find the playlist here.

Sources:

1. http://www.permanentculturenow.com/introduction-to-diy-counterculture/
2. https://burningman.org/culture/philosophical-center/10-principles/
3. https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-why-i-consider-burning-man-the-greatest-cultural-movement-of-our-time

Course: Harvard University, Design Survivor, Designing for Desirability. 

*Please note, the following challenge was a 2-week design experiment.