Democratic Radio
The Democratic radio (DR) is a device that allows for a seamless and fair listening experience between multiple people in a shared space. Instead of one entity having control over the sound, the Democratic Radio’s multiple devices gives partial control to each listener.
Video: Making the Democratic Radio
The Brief
Challenge the existing paradigm of listening to the radio. Working at the intersection of Interaction Design and Industrial Design, the team must find creative ways to build new interface solutions for the listening experience.
Inspiration
The music being played in shared spaces rarely acts as a reflection of our identity. In a time where we have so much choice over what we do and where we go, why isn’t there an opportunity to affect what we listen to in a cafe, a hotel lobby or a co-working space? The Democratic Radio stemmed from the idea of creating a collaborative listening experience, where everyone in the shared space has a say in what we listen to.
The Form Factor
There was a lot of experimentation with form. There were some design pillars that we followed so that the device would be both aesthetically pleasing and functional. The Democratic Radio will likely be placed at a shared table, so everyone at that table must be able to see and change the volume levels, no matter where they are sitting. As a result, the volume levels had to be in sight from both the top and the sides of the device. Additionally, this required the volume nob to be placed on top of the device as opposed to one of the sides.
The Guts
Building the Democratic Radio involved motorized pots, Arduino UNO boards, fast LEDs and a ton of wire.
How it works
One can react to the current song by turning the device’s volume up or down, which influences one’s fair portion of the master volume. For instance, if there are 10 devices operating in a shared space, each device would be able to control 10% of the master volume. When enough people collectively turn their unit volume down, the master volume will drop below a threshold and the radio station will switch.
Video: A Day in the Life
Roles: Product Design, Video Production
Collaborators: Jing Yu, Reuben Dsilva, Axel Jorgensen