Harman Kardon is known for its outstanding design and sound performance. Huemen was requested to make new Harman Kardon Citation series that stands out from others, speak consistent design story and brings seamless user experience for contemporary audio lovers. To make it we needed to transform the conventional loudspeakers technologies into something unique that appeals to design oriented target audience.
Seeking for inspiration we took a deep dive into the Nordic culture visiting Stockholm, Amsterdam and Copenhagen, conducting design research and collecting users insights.
Visual simplicity of Nordic interiors and furniture pieces also an opportunity to see a contemporary bland of natural materials into an iconic solution all over the places drove our inspiration there. We also learnt how much local families appreciate modern technologies, its convenience for daily life and seamless product experiences which matters if you want to gain love and recognition for your brand.
We came up with an idea of Citation as a range of simple yet elegant forms, that blends-in with the living space easily. A scalable range of beautiful vases which is not too intrusive and dressed in lifestyle fabrics from top to bottom. Design that complements warm feel of Nordic houses, audio products that addresses all the senses through rich materials and intuitive interface.
Unique element to Harman Kardon citation speakers is the material choice inspired by Danish culture. The use of real wool with its natural pattern design is an absolute new step in design quality for Harman Kardon speakers. Our collaborative work with fabric developer – Kvadrat , who recognized as a world leader in fabrics for furniture, interiors and art installations, brought to Citation the material craftsmanship, and as a result warmth and seamless product integration with modern interiors.
A LCD touch screen makes the Harman Kardon citation family more impressive and simpler to use. With the combination of a proximity sensor which can wake up the screen when users is nearby, a metal surface with capacitive buttons and Google voice assistant control, the Citation interface let the user easily access recorded presets, control the music, set up the speakers and get instant answers to daily questions.
The name is inspired by innovative thinking of the Harman Kardon brand back in 50’s. We look at the records of 1959 when Harman Kardon introduced the world’s first ultra-wide bandwidth tube amplifier. It was a first product which delivers absolutely uncompromised sound performance and, thanks to that, brand gained lots of reputation. We want to bring this story of great brand heritage to the innovative active speaker system – combining powerful acoustics, smart technologies with modern design.
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