Headphone Holder

Intention

Write about the big ideas behind your project? What are the goals? Why did you make it? What are your motivations?

Recently, Apple came out with Air Pods, wireless earbuds. As someone who regularly loses earbuds with wires, I cannot imagine how difficult it is to keep track of wireless ones. Therefore, I wanted to create a wearable holder that Air Pod users could enjoy. The purpose of this holder is not to mimic the use of wires, but instead to create a resting spot for Air Pods when users want to take them out momentarily without losing track of them. 

Sketch

Research & Context

Describe what informed your ideas and your outcome? How does your outcome relate to other work in the field? What are the precedent projects?

I think that Air Pods (besides their easy-to-lose nature) are a pretty smart idea. I hate when my wires get tangled in my backpack, and I find it super inconvenient to work in my studio while listening to music because my wires only allow me to move approx 2.5 feet away from my laptop. I looked at existing Bluetooth-based earphones such as the one shown above in my research, and concluded that something that could wrap around one’s neck would tackle the issue of nuisance-y wires along with the easy-to-lose nature of the Air Pods. 

Aesthetic & Inspiration

I was inspired by these headphones because I like the flat headbands. It looks comfortable, sleek and lightweight. They inspired me to focus on the wearability of the band. 

Process & Procedure

Outline your approach to the project? What ideas did you generate and how did you refine or reject them? What did you research and explore? what were the design choices? What challenges were encountered and how did you resolve them?

I decided to make them flat so they are not bulky against the neck and a tiny bit weighted so they can balance on someone’s neck without being too heavy. I drew out a couple top-view shapes to consider which would fit around one’s neck best, and chose option 3 (see drawing above). This one seemed like the curves made the most sense.1 seemed like an uncomfortable choker, 2 seemed like it splayed out too much and would be un-balanced, and 4 would definitely fall off. I drafted an appropriate shape, extruded it, and created slits towards the ends for the earphones to sit in. 

[two renderings]

[five semi-pro photos]

Reflection

Reflect on the process of making this project. What did you learn? What would you do differently?

I am very pleased that my classmate, who I took the semi-pro photos on, forgot she was wearing the holder. This means I was successful in making it comfortable and wearable! I was worried about the slits not being the right size, but they turned out perfectly. The buds fit right in. If I were to work on this project more, I would want to explore what other amenities the holder could provide. It has a lot of space on the rim which makes me think it could double as a coil center for chargers or something with wires.