Nothing Ear 1 Buds Industrial Design Analysis

The Nothing Ear (1) Ear Buds have an incredibly striking and lively industrial design language. This is a fresh appproach to an otherwise minimal and homogeneous consumer electronics landscape.
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John Mauriello has been working professionally as an industrial designer since 2010. He is an Adjunct Professor of industrial design at California College of the Arts.

[@rootypoots]

It’s not for me, but I really like seeing a company put out a well-designed product that doesn’t look like it’s trying to ape Apple.

[@Design.Theory]

THIS

[@sethagastya]

But isn’t it literally just built on the AirPods Pro design?! All the shapes and ergonomics of the functional design is done by Apple engineers. All they’ve done is made it transparent - which is honestly polarising at best. I personally do not like it…

[@rootypoots]

@@sethagastya AirPods Pro are full of glue so they couldn’t make something like this simply by making a clear cased copy of the AirPods Pro. This requires seeking out entirely different manufacturing processes. The high-contrast black-and-white color scheme and pixelated ‘80s retrofuturistic aesthetic was the main thing in my mind, though, when making that statement. It’s not trying to be yet another ultra-clean, smooth-curved matte Apple-esque product like has been the trend in just about every product category out there. I wish KZbin would allow me to attach images to comments so I could better demonstrate exactly what part of the Apple aesthetic I’m talking about. I agree though that these definitely take a lot from Apple’s design! Not disputing that. Just that I admire that they’re not aping the same aesthetic.

[@chebroluabhiram]

In Sound the Red dot means the Right(channel). Due to this the right earbud has the red dot and the left earbud has white colour. Carl Pei himself said this in the launch event

[@Design.Theory]

This. Thank you for pointing this out

[@chebroluabhiram]

@@Design.Theory 👍

[@francischang]

Nice analysis :) To me, the red dot is evocative of a recording light, like, "we're going live!"

[@arealious25]

I agree

[@bluebaconjake405]

Thats an interesting take. The designers mentioned that they used red because in the world of audio equipments, red usually signifies right channel.

[@francischang]

@@bluebaconjake405 good point, I don't know why I didn't think of that. Believe it or not I actually just enamel painted a red dot on the right channel cable on my pedalboard last week so it would look more polished and professional!

[@bluebaconjake405]

@@francischang I have a set of speakers and the right channel has a red highlight and red wires. EDIT: I just realized that Teenage engineering released the M-1 monitoring headphones and they have the same red dot on the right channel.

[@hirenumradia7970]

That makes sense!

[@damshek]

1. Playing with transparency and exposed components on something this small is a risky game... On giant renders and crisp closeup shots, of course it looks great, but in real life this could have very easily looked like some sort of hearing aid... Seems like they consciously layered the visual message to avoid that, with a strong B/W contrast of geometrically simple shapes that works well from a distance, and the small transparency details only coming into play upon close inspection. 2. You mentioned how painstaking is the is the placement and CMF of the exposed components is, this is indeed crucial- imagine it'd be a standard PCB, colored green, sourced and arranged by engineers for minimum cost! It would be a very different product. 3. Wonder if the red dot is a "subtle" little hint to the Red Dot award committee :-) In any case it reminds me of a terminator eye, which makes me want to buy these now!

[@mikael6557]

0 PM Depp00

[@kushgamerz5109]

Amazing to learning something new about design language from you. I wish u create videos every day. So we can learn something great every day

[@atticusnah]

The overall aesthetic reminds me of the "retro-futurism" from the 60s (Kubrick's 2001) as well as some of the design cues from Daniel Simon (Oblivion) - the Solid white simple form accented with black/dark grey along with the solid/transparent contrast. Visually I really like it, however, the performance from the reviews I've seen tends to put this product "spot in the middle of the road $99 wireless headset". It's either good visual design and manufacturing adding value to a middle-of-the-road product or design being used to hide the fact that this product does not live up to the "hype" imho.

[@Design.Theory]

Hi Alex, very thoughtful comments as always. I have a strong bias towards this aesthetic. I would consider buying an over-ear option if they made it. But I also have no need for all of the bells and whistles like noise canceling etc. I tend to focus a little bit more on audio quality, personally. I sometimes worry that a lot of their budget went towards unbelievably good marketing, as opposed to A+ sound engineering. Although to be fair, Teenage Engineering does know their stuff. I think the reality is that for $99 it's going to be hard to make amazingly good audio, especially with all of the other features of the product.

[@OrlandoMGarcia]

It makes you focus on the tech, the complexity, many companies want to look like is a magical device so simple that everyone can use it, this makes you feel like you have a complex devise that you interact with what is behind the stage

[@Design.Theory]

Interesting analogy. I liked reading your perspective!

[@matt-lang]

I'm sort of obsessed with TE's work, and this is another excellent example of their creativity and design language that doesn't look the same as everything else they do.

[@danielabraham6644]

Wanna thank you for the content you sharing!!! Keep going and don’t stop what you started already!!)) can’t imagine much your videos helping me to grow in design field!! ☺️

[@MrUratox]

I am looking forward to this course. This is one of the things i was missing in university. Thank you so much

[@Design.Theory]

It’s gonna be a good one!

[@Design.Theory]

It’s gonna be a good one!

[@michaljanovsky8966]

Thanks for introducing me to these! I really like that they differ from all the trendy simple geometric shaped designs. What came to my mind was retro-futuristic, brutal (in a good way), technology-focused and weirdly Star Wars :D The black and white scheme, visible detailed components combined with the ad´s color palette and the alien-like mantis reminded me specifically of imperium Death Star interiors. And the red dot! That´s a cherry on top... you can almost hear it beep.

[@Design.Theory]

I think that this is actually a great mini analysis here! Thanks for providing your insight :)

[@thelittlebiggiant-u4o]

Love your videos. I actually sent the team a few of your videos in the product process to try to get a better understanding of and appreciation for great design. It’s helped me too. Thanks for your content!

[@Design.Theory]

Awesome, thank you for sharing my stuff, I really appreciate that. I'm also so happy to hear that they've benefitted you in a professional setting

[@DerekElliott]

Great video, John! Love the details on these

[@Design.Theory]

Thanks for watching! congrats on 88.8k subs. very aesthetic number.

[@NOTMARCOSTE]

It's a design that strongly reminds me the style of Destiny, that is one that pushes towards the future and innovation but not scaring the observer with the fear of being cut out or replaced by the machines, that is often a sensation associated with the idea of a massive innovation in the field of tech. It gives you the perception of having the technology at your service, a technology you can easily understand and use. A design that I personally admire.

[@lukefrahn8538]

can we appreciate the sheer branding genius of putting parentheses around the (1)

[@Design.Theory]

They're masters

[@miranda.cooper]

Yuup! I like this! I had a clear case on my iPhone 4 after the back broke and I took it off lol loved seeing the electronics inside

[@Design.Theory]

Make a killer portfolio and land your dream job. Enroll in my online industrial design course, Form Fundamentals. bit.ly/335vsqO . Also, the red dot is only on the right ear buds because that is commonly attributed to the right channel in traditional headphones.

[@mylou1231]

You are real awesome. I love watching your videos!

[@Design.Theory]

Thank you so much!

[@RacingTIR0]

Reminds me of that insect that dives underwater insulated by an air bubble. But in a bionic, industrial, futuristic look.

[@Design.Theory]

Oooo very interesting. Thanks for providing that tidbit of insight!

[@udayshome1793]

In addition to all that is already mentioned here, one my my biggest grips about apple earphone designs is the white 'hanging'stalk. It made sense when there was wires, now it looks unfinished / wire torn off / booger hanging off ear than nose. This design manages to de-emphasize that hanging bit nicely.

[@Design.Theory]

Maybe it's an area to hang antennae or other electronics? I'm not sure

[@ericcarabetta1161]

I like it. It actually looks different from all the other ones that are completely unremarkable and interchangeable in their design.

[@HeroRc]

I think the red dot is more likely to reference a common "Recording" indicator, not a notification icon.

[@thisismartinn]

I would give another idea to the red dot on the right earbuds - if you're living in custom in-ear monitors (or IEMs), you might notice the same red dot on the right ear, and on the cable (since some have detachable cables), the red dot and R symbol will help the users notice they attach the right side of the cable, since "Red" and "Right" both have the same R letter at first.

[@tanyesil]

The red dot is nothing new it has even been used on in ear headphones in the 90s the etymōtic research’s er4s and similar line of in ear monitors are an example of this. In the audio industry red is commonly used to refer to the right channel like in RCA cables

[@abz2995]

The design is like Dyson I really love it! but I dislike the outer case

[@Design.Theory]

Thanks for watching abz :)

[@rabit818]

The see thru case makes the viewer want to touch the product and look at it.

[@shaileeeliyahu8891]

Time for V.2 - I keep finding so many design easter eggs!

[@colins9616]

Super cool! One problem I've run into with wireless buds is the buildup of grime over time from use in the ears as well as lint etc. With a clear case, all of this is exposed, maybe prompting users to clean the product more often? More high-maintenance but probably worth it

[@Design.Theory]

I never understood why so many companies make cases that are so hard to clean. Like, they have these deep channels with hard edges that are super hard to reach into. While I agree that this one will expose grime and ear wax and other gross stuff a lot more, at least the edges are a little bit more rounded off and easier to wipe clean

[@memester230]

I liked these but honestly the see thru case should have been partially frosted imo, i feel like the shiny acrylic almost looks cheap

[@Stratiformiyeah]

Great video! Love it! The red dot comes from channels: in music, red means right. They comment it on their interview with Unboxtherapy.

[@Design.Theory]

Yeah, I didn't mention that little tidbit because the founder mentioned it and I figured everyone already knew it.

[@eliotwolfert8488]

Hey man! love the channel! I am a first year ID student in the UK and whenever I ask my lecturers for advice on sketching and design stuff they are always so vague, while I get this its kinda annoying and I wish they could give examples of exact things to draw, or exercises I could do to get better at sketching. Do you have any you could recommend?

[@Design.Theory]

I think you should watch Spencer Nugent's videos on sketching. I also have a video on sketching where I draw a camera

[@RyBrown]

This may be a little late to comment but the word I thought of was “honest” because Nothing is being very transparent and showing that they have trust in the customer and their technology by choosing to have a transparent casing.

[@flochen114]

I like the part with the red lines. Please use this stylistic device more often.

[@Design.Theory]

Will do!

[@pranaykenkre2203]

really appreciate the analysis!

[@Design.Theory]

I really appreciate you watching!

[@voltgaming2213]

It looks great like a clean case and wants to show the tech and this clean thing is first in tech , watches have been doing this to show their engineering for many years , like if you use a high end mechanical watch you will know what I mean

[@AlexanderHer99]

great analysis

[@Design.Theory]

Thank you!

[@Mi.wagh786]

Robotic , raw, scientific these are 3 words i think come to my mind

[@Design.Theory]

Those are good ones!

[@fernandoruiz5794]

Could you make a video about money and design? Whats should we expect as young or senior designers?

[@Design.Theory]

Depends a lot on your location. There's a salary guide for industrial designers called "The Design Truth salary guide". But it's mostly focused on the UK. Salaries are pretty much double in the US for senior ID'ers when compared with those in the UK. Not sure what the reason is for that.

[@kaitlint3987]

I'm all for translucent electronic aesthetic coming back.

[@namnguyenthanh2936]

You should make a analysis video on the Google Pixel 6, it look very unique and have a retro futuristic vibe

[@ivanvoid4910]

i bought them after that video~

[@protocetid]

Didn’t expect the headphones to have so much thought behind them, I still think the homogenized modern styling that dominates their appearance drains most of their uniqueness.

[@kayshutters]

Not sure if you've considered this but Red is traditionally used for the right (R) side of a earphone/earpiece, with white or blue as the left most of the time. In my opinion you are overthinking about it, but I agree that it is very attention-grabbing and suits the aesthetic they are going for

[@Design.Theory]

Yeah, I didn't mention that little tidbit because the founder mentioned it and I figured everyone already knew it. But thank you for pointing it out for those who did not!

[@kayshutters]

@@Design.Theory Cool! I didn't know that as I only skimmed through the launch video. Sorry if I came across as too critical. And thanks for the video loved it!

[@SamueldeSosa]

I think the red and white color of the headphones has to do with the color of the classic audio cables, red and white cable (sometimes they are black) and if it had video output the 3rd color would be yellow hahah

[@Cyromantik]

The first thing I thought was "Marantz", as the look reminds me of their PMD650 recording decks from back in the early aughts. My other thought was that the business side looks like a seashell, which in turn caused me to contemplate the Fibonacci Spiral.

[@Design.Theory]

Oh wow, it definitely wouldn't surprise me if they referenced the Marantz PMD 650. Thank you for bringing this to my attention!

[@kornenator]

The transparent and boxy design feels more like those knock-off 90s handheld games you we could buy on the flee market. Plus it's a fingerprint magnet. Also it's not that new, many high-end earphone brands have transparent design, but in those cases it's usually a blob, so you don't have the feeling like an extra layer between you and the internals (as it used to be on the older, non-laminated screens for portable devices for example). I appreciate they tried something more unique than yet another Airpods copy, but it's not really for me at all. I much much prefer the Samsung Buds Live from a design point of view.

[@lucianolizana446]

YESSS!

[@Design.Theory]

YEEEEAAAAHHHH!@!!@!@@#211!!1!!

[@kevinbankhead9471]

The red dot is all about speakers and wires red is always the right side

[@sshlokmishra2967]

Aha thank you for the video.

[@Design.Theory]

Thank you for watching!

[@gyanwire]

this design is superb, it looks clean & simple but it's complex & hard to manufacture BUT unfortunately I don't wanna say this after all this, these look like or inspired by AirPods pro, beside the clear part I prefer Galaxy buds live design in terms of a new idea or concept.

[@bharadwaj0072002]

Pls give your take on Devialet Phantom speaker design

[@J.O.Y]

Still skeptical about the clear plastic lasting it's pristine look. And a smoked silver color variant would look lit. Overall it is kinda a good step towards better aesthetics in consumer electronics, rather than just rendered concepts

[@Design.Theory]

Only time will tell. It will be interesting to find out

[@InayaNanban]

Why insects on ads ?

[@henrihawk8825]

For a split second I thought they were gonna have a red dot on the left and a green dot on the right like nautical navigation lights- imo a missed opportunity but 1. Only a few people would understand the reference 2. Their color palette consists of red, black, and white.

[@mlg8146]

And blue*

[@Design.Theory]

Yeah the CEO mentioned that the red + white dot (or red+blue dot) is a reference to traditional audio

[@henrihawk8825]

@@Design.Theory OOHHHHH ok that's actually pretty neat

[@bharadwaj0072002]

Please give your take on devilet phantom speaker

[@bryan.w.t]

I love the transparency of the buds. It's sleek and stands out. But the case just seems cheap. Those kind of plastics don't age well and scratches really easily. Also, the CEO is the king of hype. I wouldn't be surprised if this company moves to a lifestyle company, looks first and function later kind of company

[@Design.Theory]

All fair points. Thank you for watching!

[@saijunki]

I'm lost. I thought that I will hear more about the 'industrial' side more than just commentary of the product's visual. Am I understanding it incorrectly?

[@parukia45]

Industrial design refers to the decisions made that give form to the product, so it's not just visual but rather the whole experience of using the product.

[@saijunki]

@@parukia45 Hi, thanks for replying. I agree that's form decision and user experience is part of industrial design process, but this is also basic consideration that's shared throughout all design practices, not unique to industrial design. For example, throughout years of my design practice, I also design lamps and chairs. Form, materials, constructions, ergonomics and user experience surely are part of considerations, but that doesn't mean that the products were industrial. They can be highly artisanal, or too complicated to be mass produced. It's always refreshing to hear about the idea behind certain shape and decisions, but as a video with "Industrial Design Analysis" in its title, in my opinion it'll be nicer and more in depth if we can hear something like how the design decisions can affect production efficiency, cutting production cost, or possible production issue which I think is more in line with mass production and probably the core of industrial design. Cheers!

[@parukia45]

​@@saijunki Oh sorry about that, clearly you know about design, don't know why I thought you were coming from a different background. What I meant by my first comment was that I believe this also classifies as "industrial design analysis" even if it's not a comprehensive review of everything that went into the product's design process.

[@saijunki]

@@parukia45 Probably because I showed up without wearing loud design attributes 😂? I understood what you try to point out. Here's my view in case you did not get it. The keyword in the video title and this channel in general is 'Industrial' or 'Industrial design', since it's specifically branded, it should be normal to expect such a specific information. Instead, the information served in this particular video can be said roughly based on basic design knowledge and design appreciation especially visual, there's nothing about touch, smell, scent, weight, ergonomics (which probably understandable assuming the person might not have any hands on to the product). There's no denying that this is part of industrial design process, but this is not specific to industrial design or determining that it's an industrial design, thus contradicting to the keyword. (You will quickly realize that these knowledge are not exclusive certain design discipline after involved interdisciplinary projects, or hang out with designers of different discipline). Perceiving your reply is like listening to a Sous Vide Chef says that seasoning the ingredients to make it palatable is part of Sous Vide method, therefore if you season your ingredients, it's valid Sous Vide. And me as a Chef of different expertise feel perplexed, all of us chefs here also carefully season our ingredients with consideration of our preferred cooking method to create dish that will be thoroughly enjoyed by our clients. We cook differently, we have common understanding of taste and seasoning and ability to appreciate different kind of dish, but the act of seasoning doesn't determine ourselves as certain kind of chef. The strategy that you apply for seasoning your ingredient might tell that you cook in certain method, but not the act of seasoning in general.

[@logancarvalho]

Where have you been? Great work

[@Design.Theory]

I've been in a cave.

[@logancarvalho]

@@Design.Theory please come out

[@ruzzelladrian907]

The design tells me it’s high end.

[@theobserver3753]

This will sell well.

[@Design.Theory]

Agree!

[@ipariszalonna]

I think JBL did the clear transparent wireless earphone design better and earlier.

[@darkonikolic8377]

I'd just say cyberpunk design done right.

[@Design.Theory]

Agree 100%

[@satriobiangkerok]

did you bad talk about wallet, maybe? now days wallet have many form

[@priandriconstadi]

Hey, does anyone knows who create the 3d animation are? Sorry if my english are bad...

[@Design.Theory]

No, I've been trying to find that out. They're very well done. If I find out, I will tell you.

[@a.trinitario_ldn2577]

tbh I don't like clear plastic, for me it makes some stuff just look quite cheap and fragile, so I like it on the bud but the box looks like "oh, oh... I'm gonna break you, I'll sit on you and you'll crack in thousand pieces and 130 uk pounds goes to bin."

[@spencerhung541]

Imagine this but enlarged as a BT speaker.

[@Design.Theory]

😮

[@Diego_Animo]

Electronics is going to be part of the aesthetic, exactly what happened with the mechanics details.

[@m.e.p.r]

The hype behind these earbuds is/was insane...the marketing completely and utterly over the top. The retoric behind the brand 'Nothing' is supposed to be less is more, minimal, as little design as possible...a product that stands out because is fades into the background. The execution is the exact opposite. It's sticks out like sore thumb. The ID and treatment of the product feels quite like a 2020's take on a 1990's Mac-esque asthetic. Not that this is a bad thing, I quite like the buds...I think. The design of the case is absolutely dreadful and stands out as being such. The spec list is good'sh for $99, but are these the truely disruptive product and upstart the marketing promised? Absolutely not. Good, but slightly disappointed...the marketing promised the WORLD.

[@Design.Theory]

Yeah. it's definitely A+ marketing. I don't think the design is especially groundbreaking. What I do like is that a company is actually taking a risk in a super derivative/unimaginative space. If this were any other product category, no one would look twice at this design. But because of excellent marketing and the fact that the product category they're working in is so homogeneous, it really stands out.

[@SerifSansSerif]

I'm a little disappointed by it. The white/black/red just feels.... Boring. I like what looks like a digital display, and the red button makes me think of a record button. The clear plastic hearkens back to those other clear devices of the 90's which were mostly gimmicky. (the iconic clear phone, for example, the clear controllers you showed, which also were typically inferior quality, and the old iMacs which were made to be "user friendly" in a time where Windows machines were advancing far faster and eating apple's lunch). I wish there was more color, although I like the restraint. I think something unique like orange or yellow or maybe purple, ( though really pushing more towards the yellow/orange color way) would stand out a bit better for the dot. Overall the shape does not have anything new to offer. I'm non-committal to that. Sometimes it's hard to improve on a design that just works really well. One option to stand out, rather than clear plastic, would be to use negative space within the design. The actual hardware would constrain this to some degree, (another reason the shape and overall form isn't really here nor there for me), so it's a question really of how much they might be able to do. The fidget aspect to the case is a nice tough, but again, the clear plastic makes me feel more towards cheap clamshell packaging. And unusual opening/ closing mechanism (using something of a slide perhaps?), Might give it a more tactile emotional response, (especially if the grip of the sliding mechanism was done in a rubbery contrasting material, and the case itself well crafted for a super smooth motion.) Brushed aluminum for the case itself? It might be slightly more costly but could increase the perceived value more so. It would depend on stamping. Idk. That's my take.

[@dp_id3248]

I think I'll say nothing new there already a lot of companies like KZ and shrue which make transparent in-ear monitor for years now and sound better than what nothing provides

[@Design.Theory]

Yeah I actually meant to bring this up but it didn't make it into the final edit. I think that Nothing is mostly doing a marketing/PR thing. Kinda like how Beats sound quality is very subpar but people buy them anyway. This is not something that I would personally buy, but people seem to like that kinda thing.

[@nicholas9023]

agree the deign is really nice the aesthtic that showcase the product interior but the shape simply looks like an airpods pro rip off?

[@Design.Theory]

Yeah, I thought about this too. I think that the form factor is mostly determined by ergonomics, and therefore they couldn't make it too crazy. Form follows function etc etc. I could be wrong though.

[@nescius2]

my 3 to 5 words: "you will loose it"

[@leos-redline]

Teenage engineering can do no wrong.

[@westod5502]

I think the red dot might be showing L/R, or it could be a nod to OnePlus cause their logo is red.

[@burhanjokhadar]

thanks, an escape from sterile mute, coward maybe; designs.

[@Design.Theory]

Agree 100%. Thank you for watching!

[@HiHereIsMe]

1. Neo-Retro 2. Technopunk 3. overhyped 4. pretentious 5. Bionic

[@Design.Theory]

Great list of words! I'm really into it.

[@prashantvashisth5400]

very poor build quality worst plastic product

[@ishhanian]

Meh...

[@funckyjunky]

well , if you want great design, hire teenage engenering.

[@josephlondon8188]

I’ve only got four words… Industrial, neo-retro, AirPods, clone

[@blenderguy3250]

Airpods? Clone? Meh...

[@petrichor259]

what other earpod style were you expecting lol.

[@josephlondon8188]

@@blenderguy3250 what? You don’t think the white top, short stem, and ear tip look identical to AirPods Pro?

[@josephlondon8188]

@@petrichor259 I wasn’t expecting anything, I’d never heard of this product before this video. But for all this hype around new design, I was hoping for something more original. The clear portion is cool, and the neo-retro dot matrix font stuff is cool, but it does just kinda look like clear AirPods Pro…. I don’t hate it, I actually quit like it. It’s just not what I’d call “all new design”.

[@blenderguy3250]

@@josephlondon8188 nobody called it "all new design"..

[@justluke.2718]

This is so ugly 😂

[@Design.Theory]

:O

[@justluke.2718]

Sorry mate I really like your videos but in my opinion this design is just a attempt to be different at all costs. Btw I’m a industrial design student 😅 but just a student, so correct me if I’m wrong