Designing The Future With Teenage Engineering
Jesper Kouthoofd had no idea he would soon be designing the future of lifestyle products when he founded teenage engineering in 2005.
As a former advertising salesman, Kouthoofd envisioned himself living in a one-room apartment without any money for the rest of his life when he quit his job in marketing.
Only 15 years later however, his brand would become one of the most talked about names in the product design sphere, building an envious resume of collaborations from Virgil Abloh to Carl Pei and forging a strong reputation as the go to brand for audio tech obsessives and futuristic lifestyle gadgets.
Specialising in audio equipment, Teenage engineering's homemade synthesisers, speakers, headphones and keyboards have quickly become the must have gadget for any series audio obsessive. Their unique design cues and emphasis on fun coupled with functionality carving out their own unique niche in a highly competitive market.
This sense of fun however spills over into everything the brand does, as outside of audio tech, they have developed a series of premium toys and gadgets for everyone's inner child. Products ranging from a vinyl player that carves your own records, a perpetual motion toy car and a series of figurines that can be programmed to sing choral verses in unison.
What sets everything the brand does apart from its competitors is its phenomenal attention to detail when it comes to product design. All minimalistic in an almost Scandinavian futurist style, the design codes are as aesthetically pleasing as they are functional. Each stepping outside the box while remaining true to retro inspired codes.
This can be seen in the case of their collaborations, as their partnership with London based phone start-up nothing, produced a phone that could be mistaken for any other product, however features a character defining ring of LED’s that add intrigue and personality to the product. Unafraid of technological progress, the company also collaborated with AI start-up Rabbit, to produce a wearable AI assistant called the R1. Teenage engineering's unique blend of functionality and fun, helping to make the concept of AI less scary and more approachable through the use of enticing colours and creative UI design.
Social media adoration for the brand, signifies a newly awakened interest in the future of product design and user experience. With the rise of interest for fashion and technology, audiences are now starting to look closer than ever before at the design behind their favourite products. With looming questions about whether a product is just good looking or actually functional. Teenage Engineering has perfected the sweet spot, where products are as visually impressive as they are functionally fascinating.
