Portfolio

1. Chi-tai, Xu
1984.09.03 Taipei
/Work
OZAKIVERSE.com (ID) 2012.10 - 2013.05
hoomia headphone (ID) 2013.10 - 2015.05
/Education
Tatung University Industrial Design BA
Tamkang University Architecture 2 years
/Award & Exhibition
2009 IF design concept award (nominated)
2010 Young Designers’ Exhibition
/Capability
Design Strategy.
Design research.
Idea brainstorming.
Idea sketch.
Product 3D modeling.
Wooden furniture making.
I graduated from Tatung University with the degree of bachelor of Industrial
Design in 2010. I'm now a designer with full capacity of enthusiasm and curi-
osity about new technology and ideology. I'm always fascinated by those
beautiful product and modern design in the different field.
Instead of expansion the idea just on the paper or 3D software, I’d like to take
more time to do the design research, market survey, and then discuss with
other people from different field. Second, studying the physical characteris-
tics of the material. Design is not just about the beautiful curves and shapes,
it’s about the problem solving with the material and mechanical. And I'm also
interested in experimental design and open source hardware. I personally
believe a designer has mission to share responsibility to our society and envi-
ronment. And in order to realize the idea which is deep in my mind. I create
my own a brand called "fonoco" , which is making the most furniture-like
sound system for your home. Fonoco including five key point : warm, experi-
mental, natural, eco-design, and eco-manufacture. From the design, manu-
facturing, to the marketing, which are all by myself.
“Design is not just
about the beautiful
curves and shapes, it’s
about the problem
solving with the materi-
al and mechanical.”

2. In-ear Buds
Client // hoomia
Material // Alumium, Plastic
In the year 2014. I had been asked to find a new design language for hoomia
product of next generation. This was a chance to re-design the metal earbuds
for hoomia. I start from the old S1 earphone. The S1 sound quality was nice, but
I felt it was a little bit long for the ear. Every time I wear S1 during running or
motorcycling. It was easily be pull out my ear. So we started thinking about
make the length a little bit shorter. The new idea start from the sphere, the most
intuit shape we learned from our nature environment. Than I add some charac-
ter with a 45 degree cut to distinguished upper side and down side. The down
side finally melt into a “holder” with SR. Like a hand holding a ball. The back
of sphere was cutting into a flat area with logo. Then after that, I am thinking
about the sound quality. The sound quality of opened earphone will be better
than the closed one because the pressure of the bass sound can be released
with the hole in the back. So that I added a horn hole into the the back which I
often saw from the Hi-end speakers. To makes the earphone got more character
but also functional.
But when the horn hole was added. I still feel it was not elegant enough. Too
many details. So that I start trying to modify the SR, turn it 90 degree. Now the
SR looks like a handle of hairdryer. This makes the earbuds more comfortable to
wear, because the SR now a little bit far from the ear and dodges from the ear
"anti-tragus”.

4. Hollow Ears
Client // hoomia
Material // Alumium, Plastic
Nowadays, people enjoy listening to the music which has strong bass line and
punchy beats by using their smart phone or tablet. Because of that, we choose
the in-ear buds then plug them into our ears. Turn the volume higher to isolate
from the environment noise. But we just ignore that this may hurts our auditory
system. After a long time use, our auditory acuity will becoming weakness,
called ''Hearing Impaired''. The Hollow Ears is trying to solve this problem by
referring the old time design-- the earphone. It makes the sound output from
two units, the small one is for middle and treble sound, the bigger one is for the
bass sound. Then we housing these two unit into a 17-millimeter-diameter
hollow aluminum ring with a transparent plastic cap. Finally we boost the bass
sound a little bit, so you still can immerse in the punchy music you like.

6. Module Headphone
Client // hoomia
Material // Alumium, Plastic
W2 is a modular headphone that consumers can freely assemble and replace.
Its mission is to create personalized headphones that best fit everyone’s
needs.Every component of W2 is changeable, from sound modules, housings,
to headbands and earpads. Consumers can have what they need in styles,
sounds and comforty all in one headphone. Furthermore, consumers can
renew their headphones constantly, by buying or even sharing certain compo-
nents with friends.
The headphones we buy today, are usually sold in entire set, rather than sepa-
rate parts. For example, consumers often got the ideal sound quality without
ideal shape. Finally, if consumer dislike any part of headphones, they are
prone to dispose the entire product.
W2 is just the first example of modular sound devices. We hope to gather more
manufacturers to follow the idea, so that consumers can have more choices for
modules, and enjoy freedom of creating their very own headphones.

8. Reading Serenely
eReader redesign
"I think scrolling is distraction of reading." When I first using my new iPad, trying
to read articles on it. I found that my eyes start feeling uncomfortable, and my
finger started feeling pain. Trying to figure out for a while and I realize that it is
because I scrolling all the time. When scrolling, finger moves for a long length,
and eyes have to staring at the text line which I am going to read from the top
of every pages. So I think why not going back to the original way ---- reading
book. I finally found that when we reading a book, we don't move the finger
frequently, we just "swing" it then flip to the next page. So I designed the "Read-
ing Serenely" eReader, with Eink display panel, and unique control botton, it
makes you just like reading a book. Swing your thumb to flip forward or back,
slide up and down to choose the book or other functions.

10. fonoco
The furniture-like bluetooth speaker.
Material // Canada cypress wood. Laser cutting.
fonoco is simplification from "phonic + holic", referring to the sound addict who
loves music and life. Unlike most mass-production's icy appearance, we focus
on designing the furniture-like audio equipment with natural materials, in order
to comply with home scenarios. Makes the natural sound reflecting from the
natural appearance.
People love reading. Fonoco has always try to integrated reading and listen-
ing closely , providing you with an elegant music playback equipment to your
leisure reading time.
Nowadays people are not just reading books, but many opportunities to read
e-books, e-magazine, websites digest. So the bluetooth wireless technology
can help you quickly and easily connect your smart phone such as iPhone and
iPad, then play music by the speaker.
Fonoco 002 was housed through the use of Canada cypress wood by laser cut-
ting. Thanks to the previous design experience on fonoco 001, fonoco 002 was
designed to be the same size as the books in general A5 size, hopping to inten-
sify the relationship between listening and reading. Fonoco 002 and the book
are in the same size, so you can put it into any bookshelf, converged home envi-
ronment.
Each speaker's sound quailty have been tune by professional engineers, rich in
high and midden frequency, low-frequency dynamics is great, wide range of
radiation. It is the most suitable for listening to classical music, pop, and jazz
music. Bluetooth 3.0 technology allows you to easily connect your smartphone
or iPad, playing the musics, videos, and games. Fonoco 002 can be placed
within 10 meters.