Case Author: Prof. Ronald LAU (HKUST) and Joseph FERNANDEZ

Contribution: Studio Blue (EATON), Larry Koo & Natalie Chan

KOODESIGN was honored to be featured in a case study titled KOODESIGN: Balancing Design Priorities Among Different Stakeholders for the prestigious Harvard Business School and the HKUST Thompson Center for Business Case studies.

Developed by Prof. Ronald LAU and Joseph Santana Fernandez, the case study examines KOODESIGN's collaboration with Eaton on the development of an MATSN Automatic Transfer Switch (ATS), a winner of iF Design ward 2023 for the Chinese and Asia Pacific market.

The study highlights the navigation and alignment of Eaton’s design standards and manufacturing logistics in China, and explores topics like Design for Manufacturing (DfM), product-market fit, and leveraging customer feedback for long-term success.

Approached by Dr. Michael Chen to participate, Larry was proud to share KOODESIGN’s unique approach to balancing stakeholder priorities. While Larry managed the design and production side, Natalie Chan ensured smooth project management and alignment with business objectives.

This partnership with Eaton provided valuable insights into managing cross-border collaborations and showcased KOODESIGN’s commitment to exceeding expectations and delivering successful solutions. We are proud that this case study now serves as a learning tool for business school students!

Design: Larry Koo, King Wong

Project: Natalie Chan

The Arena Spider Kids Mask is designed for optimal comfort and fit for young swimmers. The mask features a soft seal for added comfort, designed for the proportions of smaller faces, and a one-piece lens without a nose bridge to ensure a snug and secure fit.

What’s particularly interesting is the design solution for the shape of children’s heads and temples, which includes a wider band at the temple to allow space for playful graphics. The speckled colours come from recycled plastic, aligning with our focus on designing for sustainability. And to ensure the goggles fit nicely with other products by the brand, the vibrant designs were created to pair perfectly with Arena’s vibrant swim caps for kids.

Design: Clement Chung (KOBISOFT), King Wong and Larry Koo

Project: Natalie Chan

Introducing MOB_E, a mobile electricity/ power generator designed by KOODESIGN and KOJISOFT for the Hong Kong Electric Company. MOB_E is engineered to supply electricity in rural areas, such as construction sites, hiking trails, and other locations that lack regular power supply. Each unit is equipped with two power cells containing energy harvested from end-of-life (EOL) electric vehicle batteries.

This sustainable design leverages depleted EV batteries, extracting the remaining power to transfer into a mobile battery cell installed in a transportable cart. As Hong Kong Electric transitions to a fleet of EVs, MOB_E ensures that even as battery cells deplete, the residual energy is effectively utilized, reducing waste and supporting green initiatives.

Each MOB_E transporter unit contains two sets of 30V lithium-ion battery modules for power supply in rural outdoor conditions. A touchscreen control panel is designed for monitoring the device. The metal alloy body is designed to withstand outdoor use and is weatherproofed.

Design: Andrew Morrison (Concepto studio), Nichole Wong, King Wong and Larry Koo

Project: Natalie Chan

TAP Supply's SAFETAP is a touch-free system that dispenses a SAFETAP tab into the palm of a customer's hand. The tab is then applied to the index finger prior to the checkout process, thus eliminating customer contact with the high touch surfaces of the POS screens and card terminals. Our patent-pending SAFETAP system eliminates the need for repeated POS screen and card terminal cleaning, saving labor costs, cleaning product costs, and equipment damage associated with excessive cleaning product exposure. SAFETAP tabs are recyclable and environmentally safe.

From entering your pin and signing your name on credit card terminals to interacting with SELF-CHECK OUT computer touch screens at grocery stores, coffee houses, pharmacies, and department stores, to movie theaters, libraries, and airports...we can all now be completely protected. Don't put your family's health at risk, hoping someone cleaned the terminal or computer screen you are about to touch. Trust SAFETAP where it counts the most, keeping people safe!

Design: Mark Fung, Hans Choi, Sidharth Gulati, King Wong and Larry Koo

Project: Natalie Chan

KOODESIGN’s work on the Model io+ Zatori e-scooter continues a growing e-transport evolution towards clean power vehicles.

While automotive design typically has more of an industrial design approach, when it comes to EVs the design mindset becomes more like product design, with a consumer focus. This was our approach with the Zatori e-scooter – emphasizing the functional and aesthetics to balance urban mobility innovation with user-friendly interfaces and functionality.

For our work on the Zatori e-scooter, KOODESIGN’s design system adopts a modern utility language that prioritizes the user experience while capturing a sleek urban aesthetic. This is visible in the flared rear section, which not only offers improved foot protection, but also provides more step room. Furthering this approach, the e-scooter features a seamless construction that eliminates the need for welding, contributing to its sleek form. Hidden wires enhance the design, giving the e-scooter a streamlined and simplified appearance for stylish urban transport.

Design: King Wong, Mark Fung, Hans Cai and Larry Koo

Project: Natalie Chan

Inspired by a principle of “modern utility”, the design ethos for the EATON MATSN was built around human-centricity and modern aesthetics. The auto power source switcher is capable of automatically converting power from a default source to a backup or external source. The design has won an iF Design award in 2023.

For KOODESIGN, two key focal points for the design process were its modular functionality and its integrated lever encloser. We were able to align with Eaton’s design principles and character, helping to build a holistic family look and feel, while contributing to a common design language that aligns with the Eaton experience.

Eaton’s products are designed with usability and experience in mind. Our designs needed to consider the product’s unique requirements, leveraging our extensive portfolio, and examine cases down to specific nuances. Eaton’s design practice uses core principles, divided into “DNA,” and “character,”

Our objective was to develop a look and feel that works for a holistic family of products and to provide a common design language around the “Eaton experience.”

Precision, responsive and speed

Our integrated three-position model achieves rapid switching within 100ms, supporting both auto manual position lock. It is also highly durable and safe for regular maintenance.

Integrated Lever Encloser

The circuit breaker is dedicated to protection, and the ATS focuses on conversion. The basis for conversion is to pay attention to the power supply. An integrated manual lever for controlling the circuit connection is stored under a flip door to prevent misplacement, while protecting the lever and the circuit breaker slot.

Modular Design

A modular design for the poles eases manufacturing and assembly, while allowing different pole configurations : 2, 3 or 4 poles. Per-pole components are designed with a consistent profile for three sets of configurations. The poles are assembled in between the main unit on the left, and a cosmetic enclosure on the right, to create a unified design.

Design: King Wong, Sid Sidard, Larry Koo

Project: Natalie Chan

The Nakamichi Shockwave Ultra 9.2 transforms whatever room it is in into your home cinema. This is not meant to be a sound system that fits into a home in an understated way. Like a top-of-the-line sports car, this kind of design tells you that every inch is built for power and performance.

Premium audio products are something KOODESIGN has a particular passion for, so we were excited to work with Nakamichi USA on a refreshed design of the Shockwave eARC 2022 home cinema system.

Our goal was to create a design language that looks as bold as the Shockwave Ultra 9.2 sounds. Everything about this project was focused on designing for superior sound, and this is a very powerful sound system! The dual subwoofer is a major part of the amazing sound quality, which is meant for bigger room sizes to deliver a full cinematic experience at home.

Design: King Wong, Larry Koo

Project: Natalie Chan

As specialists in audio design and engineering, we always embrace the chance to use our expertise in new and interesting ways.

That was the case with the Cadence Aviation Pilot Headset – a special headphone concept for recreational private jet pilots. The Cadence headset had unique requirements, which meant leveraging our experience designing sporting goods and other specialist headphones. Industrial durability was a must, and much like anything engineered for NASA, each component must be doubled up as a failsafe precaution.

All wiring for each left-right channel needs to be separated to protect mission-critical components, and other safety features to meet the advanced needs of a pilot.

Design: King Wong, Larry Koo

Project: Natalie Chan

KOODESIGN has worked extensively on Bluetooth speakers for Soundcore by Anker, continuing to bring design innovation into their portable speaker range. Soundcore Rave Neo is from their third-party speaker series in the Soundcore party speaker category, all of which are developed by KOODESIGN.

Design for the Rave Neo was driven by a desire to give the speaker the feel of a lifestyle product, like a stylish accessory. The aim was to strike an ideal balance – compact and easily portable, but also large and powerful enough to be a party speaker.

Meanwhile the soft body and cocoon-like shape complement its natural, comfortable shape and flow.

Of course, audio performance is just as important as the aesthetics. A powerful woofer driver encompassed by a sound-and-beat light halo helps to heighten the party atmosphere. Powered by Anker’s battery recharge technology, Rave Neo offers 18 hours playtime, with full water resistant construction to IPX7 standards (just in case it gets knocked into a swimming pool).

Design: King Wong, Sidharth Gulati & Larry Koo

Project: Natalie Chan

In recent years KOODESIGN has increasingly played a role in designing products that benefit health and wellbeing, including innovative face masks and air purification robots (like Whiz Gambit).

In our first project for Hathaspace, we built on our experience in air purification to create smart HEPA air purifiers for the home. Hathaspace’s beliefs align with ours, with our shared focus on balance, harmony and principles. Hathaspace aims to improve health and wellness by creating harmony between home environments and living spaces.

This design project Hathaspace Harmony 1500 HEPA was very much a case of using design to solve problems in intuitive ways – while also ensuring that we maintained a sense of “harmony”. Part of this involved altering the glow-light (which responds to air quality), to ensure it wasn’t intrusive at night (making sure there was no irritating blinking).

Fins and vents on both sides maintain a smooth profile that doesn’t disrupt the form factor. The shape tapers towards the bottom, making the footprint lighter and providing balance with the top. Meanwhile the colors provide a warmer tone to match interiors, providing a true sense of harmony within the living space.

Design: Larry Koo, King Wong & Nichole Wong

Project: Natalie Chan

CES 2022 Innovation Honoree Award - Robotics

At KOODESIGN we like to work on projects that make an significant impact, so we were proud to be involved in design of Whiz Gambit. This is an AI-powered commercial disinfectant robot that is a joint project between Hong Kong-based pharmaceutical biotech company Avalon SteriTech, and Japan-based robotics company SoftBank Robotics.

KOODESIGN designed and engineered a major enhancement to the SoftBank cleaning robot (Whiz) and evolved its functionality by creating a disinfectant attachment ( WHIZ Gambit).

Our industrial design work helped to facilitate the joint venture between Avalon Steritech and SoftBank Robotics by efficiently adding the disinfecting attachment to an existing robot, at a time when disinfection protocols were top of mind for people and businesses (during the height of the pandemic).

While the SoftBank Robotics Whiz AI-driven cleaning robot was previously used only for self-navigated vacuuming, the Whiz Gambit unit adds a disinfecting spray mechanism to vastly increase its sanitization capabilities. We were able to seamlessly integrate the new disinfecting component while maintaining the same look, feel and operability.

These are the types of projects and clients we are truly passionate about working with – driven by our desire to design products that make a true social impact for people and businesses.

Design: King Wong, Larry Koo

Project: Natalie Chan

We love to use design in ways that make an impact in the real world. This was the case with our redesign of MidlandUSA’s emergency radio. Unpredictable weather events are becoming more frequent around the world, and relying on your phone isn’t enough, especially if it’s offline or out of power. MidlandUSA’s emergency crank weather radio is critical at those times. It’s a durable, weather-resistant source of power, light, music, and news you can keep by your side to help you stay safe in the great outdoors (or even just at home if the power goes out).

How do you combine essential functionality with sleek, stylish design? This was the challenge KOODESIGN was able to solve with the redesign of an emergency radio for MidlandUSA. Modernizing the design involved adding smooth and sleek edges in a way that simplifies the overall look while keeping the functionality simple, clear and intuitive. The result is a device with a more attractive, contemporary appearance that still delivers the potentially life-saving benefits of this multi-functional product.

Design: Zinc Chan, Sky Lo & Larry Koo

Project lead: Remy Yan

Few products in the design world capture the perfect balance of simplicity and complexity like the bicycle. When designing a full range of cycling lights for JAZ Cycling, a boutique bike accessories brand, modern simplicity was a huge inspiration. The design team was also influenced by modern simplicity – with the aim of creating products that fit seamlessly with contemporary environments like office spaces and home interiors. And while good looks are important, they aren’t as important as how something works. Each JAZ product was built for all-weather durability and optimal usability depending on the rider’s needs.

Designing products for activities you love is always a best-case scenario. JAZ Cycling was founded by cycling enthusiasts and product developers, for modern casual cyclists. The range included five cycling lights sold globally to over 20 countries, connecting cyclists who appreciate simplicity in modern design. They are designed for different rider preferences and use-case scenarios. For example, a casual rider with taste in modern design will appreciate Zlender, a simple bicycle light which blends streamlined beauty with purposeful design. Whereas Z2K is designed to be a utility commuter light, prioritizing brightness, long rides and durability.

Zlender

Sexy & elegant, with style. Zlender is a simple bicycle light which blends streamlined beauty with purposeful design.  A refined aluminum exterior shell attaches to a beautifully crafted plastic body. It is also one of the best material used for building bike frames. Well-rounded design that matches well with any style of outfit. 

ZLIM

Smallest of the Brightest. Great for portability, versatile for mounting on bikes. ZLIM is an ultra-slim, lightweight and very bright light that can also be attached to a backpack or outdoor apparel.

ZAFE

Be safe and to have a reliable product are crucial for long journey riders. A robust rubberized body designed for body protection. Installed with a special Long Run-Time feature to perform over a day of constant light beaming. The “ZAFE- LIFE” software design optimized the power output to maximize a constant beam runtime to be over a day. Not only it can last for a long time, the luminosity is also kept at a decent safety performance level.

Z500 / Z2K

Z2K are similar lights offering either 500 or 2000 lumens, with a power switch intuitively placed on the side to ensure the user doesn’t push the light out of position when turning it on. Designed by cyclists, for cyclists.

Design: Irwan Ashari, King Wong & Larry Koo

Project: Natalie Chan

So often, good design lives at the intersection of beautiful form and practical function. And when it comes to redesign projects, these factors must also complement the existing product, maintaining its essence while also improving upon the original.

This was the challenge KOODESIGN accepted for the PowerTear Elmendorf tearing tester made by SDL Atlas. This is a professional piece of equipment used for testing the tear strength of all kinds of fabric materials. We were able to maintain (and in some areas accentuate) the existing features while modernizing the overall look and feel.

When you have a product that serves a specific (and important) commercial function, what’s the right level of aesthetic flair to go for? We always aim for a careful, optimized balance of making design features look good, while also improving the usability of the product wherever possible.

For the SDL Atlas PowerTear Elmendorf tearing tester, we made a number of tweaks to improve the way it looks, and the way it works. From the improved display screen and refashioned bezel to other future-friendly refinements, the new product maintains the essence of the previous while adding a feel of high-tech modernity and intuitive functionality.

Design: Swasti Sethi, King Wong, Larry Koo, Sid Gulati, and Nichole Wong

Project: Natalie Chan, Amanda Chen (Eastech)

Bold sound engineering needs bold style. Using our expertise in audio design, KOODESIGN produced a suite of brand creative materials for Punktkilde. A combination of Scan-Speak's Danish acoustic design heritage and Eastech’s speaker production capabilities, Punktkilde offers a full range of high quality transducers exclusively for audio systems.

In addition to a new website that captures the dynamic look and feel of audiophile-focused engineering, KOODESIGN created a refreshed brand identity including a new logo, photoshoot, packaging design and other brand communications.

Punktkilde offers home cinema systems perfectly suited to personal space. They are an online interactive transducer retailer with a wide selection of high quality tweeters, mid-range, and woofers for DIY custom built acoustic systems. This allows you to build a speaker box using a wide range of materials (including wood, metal and glass) – all of which offer a much more sustainable approach than plastic. This aligns well with KOODESIGN’S principles to reduce material impact and embrace sustainability in design.

https://www.punktkilde.com/

Project: Natalie Chan

Design: Larry Koo, King Wong

Engineering: Tradpot Technology Ltd.

Pests pose a serious health and safety risk in many parts of the world, and effective solutions have been hard to come by. Fencemat offers a more humane solution that doesn’t kill or trap the animal, just deters it. This aligns with KOODESIGN’s ongoing mission to use design to make a difference in people’s daily lives, while minimizing the impact on nature as much as possible.

KOODESIGN worked with Fencemat on a product redesign of their pest control mechanism that prevents rodents from entering doorways and other openings.

With our redesign we reconsidered the arrangement of the conductive wire in ways that not only made it more aesthetically appealing, but also more efficient in preventing pests from passing over the pattern.

Our design saw the integration of the logo into the fence graphic, making the icon integrate with the device’s functionality. Using the copper color also has a more refined style that matches better with interior décor, making it less industrial and more homeoriented.

Design: Larry Koo

Project: Natalie Chan

How can design highlight the power of sound? KOODESIGN created a sound concept prototype for the “Dolby Trumpet”, an innovative acoustic platform introduced by Dolby Audio to EASTECH (Eastech Holding Limited, Co.), a global leader in the engineering, design and manufacturing of acoustic modules, transducers, audio systems and wearables.

The showcase design demos a 360-degree home speaker with voice recognition in a mono block form factor. With a focus on high quality, immersive room sound, a key feature is the lack of interference with voice recognition functionality – a typical a shortcoming when balancing the use of a microphone for voice interaction.

An important part of design is telling a story that helps you understand what the product is all about. The form factor of the Dolby Trumpt features a unique triangle shape with soft corners, which holds the intention of complementing the smooth sound concept. The slant of the interface allows you to see the Alexa indicator lights from across the room, an intuitive solution to make features more visible from distance.

Meanwhile the custom grill bend represents sound wave forms emanating from a source. It all comes together to create a seamless narrative that tells a story of sound.

Design: King Wong and Larry Koo

Project: Natalie Chan

Visualizing the flow of data was part of the design objective when KOODESIGN created the product design for Privée, a private data security Kickstarter project. With its focus on secure messaging and personal data protection, KOODESIGN developed a concept around wave forms – the idea of radio waves, or wifi signals, rippling outwards in all directions. This also expresses a sense of movement and energy, with smooth outward flowing contours, spreading smoothly around the world.

Capturing the essence of what privacy and security should look and feel like was also important. When designing the form factor for Privée, KOODESIGN used not only the concept of wave forms, but also the idea of protection. As creators that design with a socially responsible mindset, who pay careful attention to the social impact of the products we create, we believe the product should express the thinking behind it. As a result the Privée private server hardware gives a sense of smoothness and durability – secure yet comfortable and personal.

Design: Sophia Tse, Daniel Chan and Nicole Wong

Project: Natalie Chan

The Jelli mask was a fast-tracked development project that brought a new product from concept sketch to pilot production in less than six months.

During the pandemic, and still now to an extent, we have to integrate mask-wearing into every scenario of our lives. And something that we lose with masks is the ability to see people’s faces. That’s where the Jelli mask comes in. Expressions and emotions are normally covered by a mask, but with its transparent covering the Jelli mask lets people see your face, your expressions and your personality more clearly.

The Jelli mask offers a design solution that’s both highly functional and fashion friendly, with multiple colourways to suit different personal styles – from the office to casual style to light outdoor exercise. It also enables those who need to see a person’s mouth (such as hearing impaired lip-readers) to communicate more easily.

The Jelli mask leverages our experience designing goggles for global swimwear brands. With a clear anti-fog surface, comfortable ergonomic fit and stylish shape, the Jelli mask is so clear you can unlock your phone with it. Using polycarbonate material offers the best quality transparency, while the profile is shaped to reduce reflection. Vents on the cheeks and below the chin allow air to pass through without moving directly in or out of the nose and mouth.

The silicon gasket around the mask bezel was tested at multiple durometers to ensure durability. And it won’t fog up your glasses. Tweaked to find the best fit, the mask is customizable and designed to comfortably follow the contours of the face. It is also easy to clean and intended to be reused many times, to reduce waste and environmental impact.

Design: King Wong and Larry Koo

Project: Natalie Chan

With our deep experience in audio and sports product design, KOODESIGN brought both worlds together for the design of these Philips headphones. When working alongside world-class brands, several key elements must be considered throughout the design process. Maintaining consistency across a product family range, creating a unique look and feel, including all required functionality, and adhering to brand guidelines are all crucial factors.

And of course, these design essentials should come together with simplicity and efficiency to deliver an optimized on-the-go product.

During the exploration phase we developed a wide range of form factor concepts that had to work and make sense in a tight design environment. Earphones offer a small canvas, so it’s crucial to make use of every design detail. Working with limited treatments (such as a single colour only and affordable materials) creates design boundaries, but this doesn’t limit creativity – in fact, often the opposite is true. Over-reliance on materials can actually create limitations, and textures alone do not equal quality design work. It’s important to remember the beautiful simplicity that plastics can achieve.

Creating products for sports is about balance – staying lightweight yet durable, comfortable yet secure – while maintaining a sense of style that blends with both technology and active wear. It’s all about that feeling of physicality. The smooth contours of the ear-hooks and the ridged profile provide an aesthetic treatment that accentuates a feeling of flowing movement and kinetic activity.

Design: King Wong and Larry Koo

Project: Natalie Chan

The Michelin 5818 is a sturdy but streamlined tire repair air compressor. It is a compact automotive product designed to perfectly balance stylish form and durable functionality.

The Michelin compressor is designed to prolong the lifespan of car tires, improving performance while reducing waste. This aligns with KOODESIGN’s mission to design products that minimize environmental impact. Another unique feature of the tires is a built-in sealant pump for repairing punctures, while a flashlight provides illumination in low-light conditions. Sturdy simplicity with sporty, automotive style.

In addition to specializing in precision audio products, KOODESIGN also has a background in designing sports accessories – from cycling components to protective wear for hockey and lacrosse, and other technical accessories. This experience was leveraged when it came to creating the Michelin Tire compressor. Sleek, converging lines provide a dynamic sense of movement and a sporting aesthetic, while maintaining the look and feel of the Michelin brand. Further visual clarity is achieved by aligning all the UI features consistently to avoid clutter and ensure simple usability.

Design: Swasti Sethi and Larry Koo

Project: Natalie Chan

Designing for social impact is a core part of KOODESIGN’s philosophy. So we were proud to work on a project that involved smart watch design, visual communications and packaging for Hong Kong’s Senior Citizen Home Safety Association (SCHSA), best known for their Call-on-Care 24-hour emergency call service.

It was important to carefully design for the intended elder-generation audience, while not creating a product that felt overtly medical or age-defining. The result is a smart device that looks and feels modern, while incorporating helpful and intuitive features such as a sound-reflecting charging base (to make it louder), as well as a clearly visible, ergonomically designed button for easier usability. Within the watch itself are numerous software features for greater safety and family connectivity.

KOODESIGN has worked closely with the SCHSA on a family of products, including visual communications and packaging designed for the elder generational audience, keeping coherent branding and messaging across the range. Touch points include maintaining a hands-on human factor, vibrant positivity, consistent iconography, clear visibility and design elements that convey movement. Our belief is that aesthetics can be used as an important tool for elderly education, and that effective design can change and improve lives by enabling greater safety and health awareness.

We were highly honoured to see Hong Kong Film Award Best Supporting Actor Liu Kai-Chi 廖啟智 showcasing the SCHSA Smart Watch as part of the promotional marketing content created for the Call-On-Care Smart Watch product launch in June 2020. You can explore the full product range of SCHSA Call-On-Care products here.

Design: Larry Koo

Project: Natalie Chan

Created with a young educational audience in mind, the award-winning Fokus headphones were designed by KOODESIGN for innovative technology company Onanoff. To put it simply, they offer a range of settings that help the listener concentrate better. Music is not the primary intention here – Fokus headphones are designed to enhance verbal and other non-musical sounds to make them better for children, education and studying.

While these headphones function perfectly for music listening, what sets them apart is the design purpose – as an educational device. Particularly in online learning, clear voice settings are important, and these can be instantly adjusted with a simple button press. As a father, KOODESIGN lead Larry Koo knows what it’s like trying to get kids to focus. This informed much of the design approach, and helped outline the kind of features to be included. Fokus headphones allow you to switch from music mode to study mode with one button. In study mode the audio EQ adapts to isolate and enhance the voice track for greater clearly. By removing unwanted sounds it becomes easier to concentrate over long periods, with less distractions.

Fokus headphones follow a Nordic design aesthetic – the essence of simplicity. Neutral tones match perfectly across a range of materials from soft to durable, providing an appropriate look and feel for an educational environment. Meanwhile soft materials emphasize comfort and wearability, and a style that’s a little more mature and less flashy. Calm, collected and ready to focus.

Design: King Wong, Swasti Sethi, Larry Koo

Project: Natalie Chan

GripBeats is where sound meets physical movement. Play any musical sound with your own movements, and GripBeats becomes like an instrument – dance, and the music will react to the way you move. Our aim is to allow non-musicians to make awesome sounding music, while offering professionals a new way to create and manipulate sound.

GripBeats is a collaboration between KOODESIGN and UK creator David Wexler. Both have backgrounds in music and DJ-ing, which brought the right insight to the project from the start. Meanwhile, designing for wearability means exploring a balance of functional vs aesthetic.

The bracelet is ergonomically designed to blend with a super soft wrist profile. The result is a sleek, urban ninja look – technical and wearable – that blends strikingly with street fashion. With GripBeats we are designing a new kind of sensory experience. It includes 32 individual touch-sensitive pressure sensors, a 9-axis motion sensor (acceleration, direction, position), and a robust App that unlocks the product’s full potential. There are a huge range of capabilities, from precisely calibrating your exact movements to letting you jam with friends wirelessly – meaning multiple people can jam at once. When it all comes together, it does something amazing – it gives anyone the ability to make beautiful music.

iF Design Award 2019

Design: King Wong, Larry Koo, Hyungwoo Yoon

Project lead: Natalie Chan

iF 2019 winner Soundcore Rave mini is one of two models in the Soundcore portable party speaker series from the Anker portable speaker range. It was designed to be the life of the party. That meant creating a visual experience to go with the beats. Our design approach always aims to balance two factors: design practice and design academic. They are like reality and dream – they come close, but they never cross.

Design in this category of speaker is usually quite aggressive but we opted for a more refined duality – controlled and minimal, yet keeping the double impact of powerful sound and strong light elements. The twin halo lights with breaks at the 6 and 12 positions provide a design language that informs the rest. And of course, on top of the visual design it needed to be portable and party-proof. We had to design for every possible situation, like accidentally getting dropped in the pool (which is why we went for IPX7 protection).

Meanwhile ergonomic features like the dual orientation handle ensure that the speaker is comfortable to carry – something any portable product should be mindful of. It’s a careful balance of design aesthetics and design purpose every step of the way. EQ sound and lighting controls can be fully customized through the Soundcore App. It all comes together to bring portable party speakers to a whole new level.

Design: Larry Koo, Rex Xu, Sanchit Mittal 

Project lead: Natalie Chan

A conceptual universal remote control design project collaborated with the Universal Electronics, Inc. (UEI) design team.  The CORE remote control features a unique design that separates its functional core unit from the aesthetic layer. This configuration allows for the ease of personalize by consumers, flexible design customization by TV service providers, and streamlined refurbishment by the manufacturer.

The CORE remote’s exterior consists of a silicone rubber top cover with integrated keypad, and an injection molded ABS bottom cover. The rubber top is stretchable, allowing the consumer to replace it for personalization. The bottom cover can be opened to replace batteries. For refurbishment, the manufacturer replaces both the top and bottom covers, and reuses the internal core. 

An injection molded translucent ABS skeleton holds together the PCB assembly, and allows IR signals to pass through. The PCB features a standard metal dome grid to accommodate multiple keypad designs.  The unique soft top cover provides an approachable and friendly feel to a product that’s often perceived as complicated and intimidating. The rubber material also makes pure geometric forms with edges more comfortable in the hand.

Keys are seamlessly integrated into the top cover eliminating key gaps. This design not only results in a cleaner surface, but also allows labels to dynamically show or hide through back lighting. For example, digit keys can be hidden and only appear when the user needs to enter a channel number, resulting in a simpler and more usable remote.

iF Design Award 2019

WIRED: Best Wireless Speaker 2018

PCMAG: The Best Tech Products of 2018

Design: Larry Koo, Hyungwoo Yoon

Project lead: Natalie Chan

Soundcore Flare is a portable speaker that delivers an immersive audio experience equipped with a synchronized light show. No matter where the music needs to be, Flare is ready to go. Impermeable IPX7 protection effortlessly withstands spills, rain, and even complete submersion in water. For multiplied intensity, double the Flare and pair two speakers simultaneously. Sound and light synchronizes seamlessly across both speakers for a multi-dimensional experience.

The design of Soundcore Flare is an expression of a music and light show. Aesthetically, the curvature creates a subtle and elegant continuous change in the body shape from top to the bottom. Technically, the profile expands towards the bottom to accentuate the acoustic design: a pair of opposing upward angled woofer speakers. A circular rubberized control panel covers the top to complete the cylindrical body. The button layout and back lid LED lights are thoughtfully arranged on the soft touch surface to be smoothly integrated with the surrounding details. The waistline at the bottom completes the design with a harmonious mood light halo that synchronizes with the music.

Soundcore’s Anker heritage ensures world-renowned power management technology. A single power charge can play over 200 songs to make sure the party never ends early. If you can keep dancing, Flare can keep playing!

Design: Larry Koo & Lawrence Chu

Project lead: Larry Koo

Nixplay offers businesses the opportunity to transform their existing televisions into dynamic enterprise signage through our innovative hardware and software integration. Our solution is particularly beneficial for enterprises new to digital signage, who may be hesitant to invest in traditional signage solutions. The Nixplay signage box enables business owners and corporate retail managers to easily convert televisions into commercial signage using our subscription software.

In a market with dozens of competitors, primarily focusing on software services that turn consumer displays into business solutions, our challenge is to create a hardware product with distinctive features and aesthetics that not only stands out but is also future-proof.

Our design goal is to craft an iconic form with a strong brand identity. Central to this is the triangular icon of the Nixplay logo, prominently featured on the signage box to maximize brand visibility. This logo is crafted from a thin piece of stamped aluminum alloy, complete with a light brushed finish. A subtle curvature embossing is added to the center of the metal, creating a three-dimensional effect while maintaining the slim profile of the box. Considering one potential use scenario - placement in outdoor commercial spaces - we've constructed the main body from a CNC machined aluminum block to enhance durability and rigidity.

The user experience was a key focus, particularly in terms of installation and cable management. We’ve meticulously designed each accessory to contribute to a cohesive system. The metal bracket on the box's backside is versatile, accommodating a wide array of placement scenarios. For cable organization, especially when connecting multiple devices, we’ve designed a simple rubber collar. Additionally, we offer both a clamp solution and an integrated sticker for the camera, facilitating placement on a tabletop or clamping onto the TV's sidewall bezel.

Best of CES 2016, Home Audio Loudspeaker

Design: Murphy Tan, Larry Koo

Project lead: Larry Koo

E6 is the successor of E5.  It has inherited the signature innovation: Surround-on-Demand. The feature is to simply detach the wireless surround speakers from the left and right main speaker units and place them at the rear of the room to get multi-channel surround sound experience with your games and movies. When the action is over, reattach the speakers for music and TV shows. Using proprietary wireless audio technology with surround speakers that operate on a unique frequency, there is no network interference. The result is a completely wireless surround system with lossless audio quality for music and movies.

In terms of design quality, E6 is all about detail refinements.  The same materials and color tonalities is kept to be consistent it's predecessor.  To live up to it's reputation, the execution is taken under more consideration to deliver a  premium and high quality designed product.

Speaker cloth

Moving away from wool, a dual layered speaker cloth was chosen to feel slightly lighter and with a more refined weaving texture.   The combination of grey and white color preserve the richness and texture complexity that was found in wool.  Most importantly, it has high transparency for acoustic which meets our sound quality standards.  The color contrast is tuned slightly darker to match with the overall tonality.   

Leather handle

A stitch line was added to the edge of the leather handle on both sides to create a more premium perception.  It is a detail found commonly on proper leather goods.  With the same purpose of the cloth treatment, the leather color is tuned to be consistent with the overall tonality.  The richness of the darker tone makes the overall proposition feels more formal, complex and sophisticated.  Last but not least, surface texture of the leather is made to be more pronounced to show off the leather authenticity.

Wood trim

 One of the challenge in interior design is the matching of wood color and finishing among furniture.  By darkening the color close to black, it preserve the natural wood  grain finishing and makes it a more natural match with all different wood colors.   It also blends in with the colors of the surrounding and complements the new details refinements made on the leather.

Speaker grill

The pattern is remained to be the same, but the size of the circular openings are made smaller and the distance between them is reduced.  Again, the uplifting treatments on E6 are all about detail refinements.  The metallic silver color is tuned darker to match with the cloth color and to the overall  color scheme.

iF Design Award 2016

Reddot Design Award 2016

Design & Project lead: Larry Koo

The Zenit speaker system is 5.1 home theater system created with a lifestyle design that would fill the room with sound while complimenting consumers living space.  It is equipped with the highest quality sound output from your entertainment sources – from enjoying Ultra HD content to wirelessly streaming music from your devices.

 A robust acoustic construction aesthetically complemented by honest natural material such as wood, aluminum and fabric to seamlessly integrate into a modern living space. The tapered body of the satellite speaker conveys elegance, slimness, and simplicity.  For ease of use, a cable storage feature is implemented into the bottom of the satellite speakers and the rear speaker stands, with matching cable color and wall mount accessories to ensure finishing consistency.

Each of the speaker cabinet is wrapped fully in cloth to cover the speaker layout.  The gesture of the one piece full cabinet wrapping is to suggest a wide sound projection, which is a more power method of articulating immersive sound instead of showing off each of the speaker cones.  For the grey version, wood is prevalent in home interior, it adds an certain warm to the aesthetic and complements the home furnishing.  The white ash wood grain is carefully chosen for its elegant grain and retains a color tone that work well with other materials and colors

The design of the Zenit speaker is inspired by the combination of home interior design trends and the expression of immersive cinematic sound.  To transition this inspiration into the product, we’ve used materials that fitted well with modern home interiors to convey the design for home intent. 

CES Innovation award 2017 Honoree

Design & Project lead: Larry Koo

The Philips Fidelio Compact Soundbar­­ is an immersive 5.1 cinematic sound system designed in a one piece compact form factor.  The intent of the sound concept is to create a wide sweet spot for listening.On the subwoofer, a bandpass design allow the woofer driver to be sealed and hidden inside the wooden box to achieve a seamless clean design.  The low profile box design offers versatile placement for either free standing or placing under furniture pieces.

The compact soundbaris an extruded-like form with a low profile to avoid obstruction of the TV screen. The cross section profile is based on a soft blend between a circle and a square (which we called the ‘squarcle’) which relates with many of our home cinema products. A full piece of steel carbon speaker grill wraps from the front over to the top and folds over the bar.

A blind trip on the top of the speaker grill is reserved for placing 4 control buttons in the centre of the bar. Each of the 4 buttons is capped by an aluminium cover with a diamond cut on the edge to reveal the authentic aluminium finishing.  On each end of the bar is capped by a cloth speaker frame which house the angled side firing full range drivers. An exposed LED is placed in the power button to show when the soundbar is on.

A brushed vinyl in black is chose to wrap the wooden subwoofer box.  On the plastic stand, the edge of the side profile is polished to contrast with a matte textured top.  The exposed rim on the bass port is shaped in a squared profile with rounded corners to complement the slim rectangular wooden speaker box. 

The design of the one piece continuous metal grill in combination of the speaker cloth side cap is to suggest sound beam to all sides.  The design intention of creating a blind strip on the top of the sound bar is to visually suggest a separation between the front speaker array and the 2 high frequency speaker wave guide located on the back side.Both end caps are covered by speaker cloth to be treated as a softer finishing touch in contrast with the solid metal body.

The subwoofer is designed with a seamless speaker box with the woofer driver sealed hidden inside the box by applying a bandpass acoustic concept design.A plastic stand is provided for free standing vertical placement. 4 optional rubber feetis offered forplacing horizontally under furniture. 

The following is an design interview with Larry Koo, as part of a product launch campaign for promoting the design of the Zenit Cinematic Speakers.

Q1.    How is designing a home cinema speaker different from sporting goods you have designed in the past?

Larry:    The design principles are the same, identifying product usage scenarios, user personas, and expressions of the product technologies.  The fundamental difference is the context of use, technical parameters and the execution techniques.  The intent for home cinema products is in-door used as opposed to sporting equipment, which is predominantly outdoor used. For designing outdoor performance products, weather resistant and durability is a must.  On the other hand,acoustic performance and sound technologies are the core focus of designing home cinema products.On the level of technical execution,home cinema products are more focused on detail refinements.  On the contrary, durability, lightweight and robustness are more considered in sporting good designs.

Q2.    How do you think a design or the idea of a design can interact with people’s life?

Larry:    Of course, “design for the human” is part of our core values.  We feel “Design is about creating products and solutions that satisfy people's needs, empower them and make them happier. All of this while respecting the environment in which we live.” 

The design of the Zenit speakers is to seamlessly integrate with our modern living habit, at the same time, to enhance our entertainment for movie and music. 

Q3.    What do you want people to feel having this sound system?

Larry:    The design of the Philips Zenit home cinema system is a conventional 5.1 speaker system designed for modern living homes.  A robust acoustic construction aesthetically complemented by honest natural material such as wood, aluminum and fabric to seamlessly integrate into a modern living space. The tapered body of the satellite speaker conveys elegance, slimness, and simplicity.  For ease of use, a cable storage feature is implemented into the bottom of the satellite speakers and the rear speaker stands, with matching cable color and wall mount accessories to ensure finishing consistency.

Q4.    And how did you turn that goal into this design?

Larry:    Design execution must work seamlessly in parallel with acoustic, mechanical, and software design, and business leaders to ensure the product solution is successful in the market.Being aware of the latest trends and technologies of connected entertainment is essential.By understanding the impacts from different competencies, we are able to find a distinct product solution to offer better and more meaningful entertainment experiences

The positioning of Zenit speaker is to evolve a classic 5.1 speaker system so it can perform equally well for movie and music entertainment.  Conventional Disc playback functions are replaced by connectivity features for ease of use.

Q5.    Where did the inspiration for this design come from?

Larry:    The design of the Zenit speaker is inspired by the combination of home interior design trends and the expression of immersive cinematic sound.  To transition this inspiration into the product, we’ve used materials that fitted well with modern home interiors to convey the design for home intent.

The cabinet is wrapped fully in cloth to cover the speaker layout.  The gesture of the one piece full cabinet wrapping is to suggesta wide sound projection, which is a more power method of articulating immersive sound instead of showing off each of the speaker cones. 

Q6.    Is there a particular reason in choosing wood as one of the product material?

Larry:   Wood is prevalent in home interior, it adds an certain warm to the aesthetic and complements the home furnishing.  The white ash wood grain is carefully chosen for its elegant grain and retains a color tone that work well with other materials and colors.

Q7.     Will you agree if I describe this product design as simple in line, elegant in detail?

Larry: Yes of course. Simplicity elegance and distinctiveness have always been the key traits of our design DNA. However, designing a simple form is easier said than done. The intent of the Zenit cinematic speaker is to achieve a minimal and elegant form.  The challenge was to ensure every detail on the design is refined and thoughtful.

iF Design award EUROBIKE 2009

Design & project Lead: Larry Koo

The product photos displayed showcase the Airstik 2stage, a sleeker version of the Mammoth 2stage. Essentially, their design and functional features are identical between the two models. However, the Airstik 2stage has a smaller barrel circumference, and its pump head lacks the convertible Presta/Schrader head twist lock feature.

The innovation of the Mammoth 2 Stage mini-pump lies in its ability to combine two key pumping features into one product: inflating a low-pressure, high-volume mountain bike tire, and conversely, a high-pressure, low-volume road bike tire. This dual functionality is easily accessed through a switch design located at the end of the pump.

So, how does it work? The innovation involves initially delivering a high volume of air into the tire at a low internal pressure and with minimal pumping effort. When switched to the high-pressure chamber, less strength is required to push air into the tube, although the volume of air is smaller.

Stronger-armed users will be able to achieve the same air pressure with fewer strokes. Conversely, those seeking an easier experience can switch to the high-pressure mode earlier. In either case, a locking mechanism designed for the convertible Presta/Schrader head minimizes air loss.

The pump head features a recessed detail that provides a resting area for the fingers during inflation. Aesthetically, this detail complements the clean aluminum extruded barrel body. The barrel’s end cap showcases the signature Blackburn design identity. Made of translucent red plastic, the end cap is injected with an engraved brand icon on the backside, offering a subtle and elegant representation of the brand.

OVAL True Wireless headphones

Design & project lead: Larry Koo

OVAL combines immersive acoustics with wireless freedom, without sacrificing sound or design. The earpieces come with a compact charging case, fit comfortably, and offer up to 12 hours of extended playtime.

The design is inspired by the world of fashion accessories. When worn, the earpieces evoke the elegance of crafted jewelry, seamlessly integrating with the wearer's facial expressions. The outer housing of each earpiece undergoes an electroplating process, receiving a thin layer of rose gold for an exquisite appearance. Facets are added to enhance the boldness of the polished finish, attracting natural light and creating eye-catching reflections. To balance this striking feature, the backside of the earpiece is subtly coated in matte white, ensuring the design isn't overly ornate.

For the male version, a deep metallic grey is used to coat the outer body, presenting a less feminine but equally classy aesthetic, appealing to connoisseurs with a discerning taste for desirable goods. Echoing the color palette of the female version, the inner body is finished in matte black, complementing the bold and reflective metallic outer surface.

Each earpiece is equipped with a pair of 6mm Neodymium Drivers, delivering high-quality sound in a compact form. The construction of the body is fully sealed to meet the IPX4 sweat resistance standard. Not only does it offer superb sound quality, but one side of the earpiece also houses a microphone for taking phone calls. Finally, a 500 mAh battery is encased in the portable charger, enhancing convenience and portability.

Headlight - Eurobike iF Design award 2008

Rear Light - Eurobike iF Design award 2008

Design lead: Allan Wong, Larry Koo

Project lead: Larry Koo

Bicycle lights are heavy and take up a lot of space on the handle bar. The design objective of FLEA was to be the lightest, brightest rechargeable cycling light in the world, weighing in at just 170 grams. Besides being equipped with an innovative magnetic wired charger, it also included other methods like solar panelling and USB charging.  The lights were reviewed by the New York Times and received an IF Design Award at the EUROBIKE show in 2008.  

Both the front and rear flashers are relatively small with a limited footprint for detailing. The unique facet reliefs on the top housing of the front flasher create a prominent identity for a small object. The high gloss surface finish helps to attract reflections and makes it more visible on the handlebar. The rear flasher follows a similar treatment to the front to be consistent as a pair. A new construction design is used for reducing the stack height of the light body. The LED is mounted onto the PCB with an O-ring sandwiched between it and the top housing. Therefore, the LED is exposed, and the transparent lens is no longer needed.

To further optimize the overall size, the charging pins are magnetized, which allows them to attach to the battery charger securely without needing a mechanical hinge attachment. A slot is placed on the backside of the flasher for threading through bungee cords or key chains for use when not mounted on the handlebar. A piece of thin Velcro is used for mounting the light securely on the handlebar. A thin layer is coated onto the face interface with the surface of the bar to prevent the light from rotating. The Velcro strap is replaceable, and the slot for mounting is compatible with zip ties as well.

Design:  Larry Koo, Chuck Teixeria

Project lead: Larry Koo

The goal set for the EC90 carbon fiber stem and seat post was to establish the benchmark for the lightest competitive cycling components in the world. They were designed to withstand years of rigorous abuse on racecourses like Paris-Roubaix. In fact, the EC90 class components were so strong that they held up just fine to cyclocross and XC mountain bike racing.

The stem came in multiple lengths to fit various body sizes. For the 100-millimeter version, the weight was reduced to just 115 grams. The technology used to achieve such an impressive aspect ratio was called TaperWall™ technology. The inner side of the carbon fiber sidewall smoothed out the old stepped-style tapers with seamless, fluid changes in thickness. By doing this, many of the stress points typical of the older design were negated, thereby making a much more durable bar at the same weight, if not a touch lighter. All metal alloy hardware was made of titanium to further optimize weight reduction. Last but not least, the aluminum faceplate was designed with Easton’s proprietary Top-Lock™ feature to maximize the handlebar/stem interface, which gave the rider grip stability.

The Easton EC category represented the top of the line in cycling component ranges. It established a distinct, iconic design language to influence the rest of the component products. The overall body of the carbon stem was crafted to be sleek yet masculine. Starting from the front of the stem, the raised details on the carbon body, where it housed the screw bosses, blended seamlessly from the aluminum faceplate into the carbon body. The scallop recess on each sidewall was designed not only for cosmetic reasons. It helped to increase the side profile's structural integrity to withstand the tensile strength applied from twisting movements. The overall design of the stem had to be scalable to adopt 6 different length sizes ranging from 90mm to 130mm. It was crucial to maintain a consistent look and feel throughout the range.

Reddot Design Award 2017

IF Design Award 2017

Design: Larry Koo, Andrea Ponti & WC Lee

Project Lead: WC Lee

Philips Fidelio B8 is a 5.1.2 multi-channel soundbar with a total of 18 speakers, consisting of 10 highly sensitive racetrack drivers and 8 soft dome tweeters. The design intent is to deliver immersive sound with a low profile form factor that fits the soundbar sleekly under the television.

In addition to traditional 5.1, two additional up-firing speakers (each comprising 2 racetrack drivers and 3 tweeters) are engineered to beam sound towards the ceiling, bringing the height dimension to the sound experience. By incorporating Dolby Atmos® and Philips' proprietary Ambisound technology, the B8 delivers an incredibly realistic cinematic sound experience.

One piece of full customized metal speaker grill is crafted to showcase the innovative acoustic design. The speaker opening pattern is carefully articulated to accentuate the speaker array layout. The profile of the soundbar is optimized to the lowest height of 60mm, just enough to fit the up-firing tweeters and racetrack full-range speaker drivers. The subwoofer is equipped with an 8-inch down-firing woofer that points towards a concave Base Reflector plate for diverging the bass 360 degrees to all sides. Acoustically, it offers a deep immersive low-frequency sound that completes the full Dolby Atmos experience.

Design: Zinc Chan, Larry Koo

Project lead: Larry Koo

The Stealth line of heads is the most advanced in lacrosse. The Stealth Core lacrosse head is designed to be legal for play at all levels of NOCAE lacrosse standards. The challenge was to design an affordable “workhorse head,” a lacrosse head suitable for all player types and positions. Its reinforced sidewall construction maximizes stiffness. The patented Reflex technology allows players to customize their offset for the optimal throwing and shooting angle for all pocket types.

Providing sufficient stiffness and the ability to perform ball tricks were the requirements for designing the Launch 2.0 head. A full range of design concepts was generated to explore variations in the design outlook. The aesthetics of the lacrosse head is an important component in establishing the identity of Easton Lacrosse among its competitors. The Easton branding element is integrated into the partitions on the sidewalls as part of the structural construction. The sidewall is a crucial part of designing the head. A recessed channel on each side of the head has to be sculpted deep enough for performing ball tricks. Both channels need to have enough space for the lacrosse ball to land and dock when players are competing in the fields. On the other hand, the head itself needs to have sufficient stiffness after much material is removed from both sidewalls to create the side channels. Rather than having multiple partitions on the sidewall, a single stiff band is recessed and placed on each side to maintain sufficient stiffness and provide enough space for sculpting the channels.

GOOD design award 2014

iF design award 2014

Design: Kent Li, Larry Koo

Project lead: Larry Koo

The challenge for Manta Flat was to design one of the flattest soundbars to match the slimness of modern TVs. The embedded technology utilized an array of newly developed ultra-slim loudspeaker drivers to deliver credible sound while achieving a relatively slim and sleek form factor. In the end, the result, HTL6145 (Manta), was successfully claimed to be the flattest soundbar in the market. It is only 3 cm in thickness, as flat as any flat-screen TV. The soundbar is paired with a versatile placement subwoofer designed to match well and fit seamlessly into any modern urban living space.

A full metal grill wraps around the front and extends towards both ends to showcase the full range of sound. The choice of metal instead of cloth was to match the sleek metal frames found on modern TVs. Touch controls are placed in the center top strip, blending seamlessly with the metal foiling treatment on both sides. To optimize flatness, 3 ultra-slim 2” woofers with neodymium magnets are housed on each side of the soundbar. The overall construction was optimized to achieve the tightest dimensions all around. A considered dual-function accessory is designed for wall mounting as well as a table stand to improve stability.

The complementing slim subwoofer is designed to offer versatile placement, sitting flat or upright for flexible positioning. The height of the box is optimized for fitting under or behind a couch. The benefit is to completely hide the speaker box, where traditional subwoofer boxes often had to occupy a good amount of space. The circuit board housed inside the box generates a significant amount of heat. To avoid implementing a fan or heat sink, the bass ports on both sides of the box were used to draw the heat out. For upright placement, a lightweight plastic base is designed to provide additional footprint to prevent the slim speaker box from toppling.

Design:  Larry Koo, Chuck Teixeria

Project lead: Larry Koo

The EC90 XD is a full carbon fiber fork featuring a massive crown, robust legs, a tapered steer tube, and, best of all, disc brake mounts. This fork's 460-gram weight makes it one of the lightest options on the market, and due to its oversized construction, it offers the best handling. Like the other products in Easton's premium EC90 line, the XD features full carbon construction, Internal Thread Technology™, R.A.D. Steerer™, and TaperWall™. This fork also has integrated cable routing to keep your disc brake-equipped 'cross bike looking sleek.

The design challenge was to create a wide cross-section profile of the legs to maximize rigidity. A subtle taper on the legs creates a slimmer look and feel. The spread distance between them is designed to clear a full range of cyclo-cross bike tires with 47mm diameters.

Reddot Design award 2015

Design: Andrea Ponti, Larry Koo

Project lead: Larry Koo

The FidelioXS1 Soundstage is designed for space-saving and enhancing cinematic experiences. It boasts an extremely slim form at 41mm in height, with a footprint wide enough to support the majority of TV sizes. A complementing wireless slim subwoofer is designed for versatile placement to suit the user’s needs; its vertical orientation slips between furniture, or when placed horizontally, it fits neatly under the couch.

Created to be as slim and unobtrusive as possible, the Fidelio XS1 is just 41mm thin. This design allows a TV to be easily placed on top without affecting the viewing experience or to slip beneath the TV’s feet for enhanced sound. The Fidelio XS1 features a layer of highly polished and strong glass that reflects the surrounding light, adding to the TV's weightless appearance. This design blends the unit stylishly into the home and elegantly into any home decor. The fully wrapped speaker grille, with its rounded bottom corners, gives viewers the impression that the Fidelio XS1 is floating lightly above the TV cabinet. Despite its slim design, it does not compromise on connectivity, featuring an easily accessible connection and control panel on the side of the system. The partner remote control, with its dark metallic finish, matches the metal grille, ensuring both parts look harmonious together.

Design Lead: Larry Koo

Project Lead: Philips Design

Among expertise in designing IoT wearables, consumer audio, and robotics, DECT Cordless phones represent one of KOODESIGN's areas of design proficiency. For decades, Philips-branded cordless phones have cultivated a robust image, bolstered by innovation and success in the home communication design segment.

Larry worked on the 2018 cordless phone range. This endeavor strengthened the brand's presence, offering a broad portfolio of Class and Design propositions. Despite the declining market in Home Telephony, it remains one of the largest single product segments in Consumer Electronics. Notably, there are markets in European countries where Philips has yet to establish a presence, offering potential for growth even as the overall market shows signs of decline.

Eurobike iF Design Award 2010

Design: Larry Koo, Allan Wong

Project lead: Larry koo

T3 is crafted to be a slim, low-profile bicycle repair tool with multiple functions, designed for easy portability. Its slender body fits comfortably in any backpack side pocket or small saddle bag. A unique feature of the T3 is that it is the only multi-tool of its kind to include a mini shock pump, specifically for inflating shock suspension on mountain bike frames.

This mini shock pump is intended for emergency use only. It allows cyclists to fine-tune their suspension shock on the fly during mid-trail rides. Conventional suspension shock pumps are often heavy and too large to fit into saddle bags. By integrating this feature into a multi-tool set, cyclists have one less item to worry about carrying during their rides. The other tools included are specifically designed for bike repair and are crafted to withstand extensive use.

A full die-cast alloy body houses the various tool components. The Blackburn branding identity is laser-etched onto each side plate. Each tool bit is made of chromoly steel, ensuring durability over a long period. Additionally, a fabric sleeve is included to keep the tools secure in tight compartments, preventing them from getting caught on fabrics and causing damage.

Design: Holger Hoehn, and Larry Koo

Project lead: Larry Koo

The M9 Monolith was designed to be the top-of-the-line model in the Philips Premium Design series. Besides complementing the beauty of the modern urban lifestyle, it aimed to exude confidence. The proposition was crafted to appeal to a more mature audience seeking aesthetic sophistication in every object and detail of their lives. The advancement of DECT cordless phone technology had matured, making the harnessing of strong design elements and usability features a priority to deliver an all-rounded successful result.

The Philips Monolith was a phone that breathed confidence. The handset was crafted from premium materials ingeniously to accentuate the beauty of a single volume. As part of the Premium Design range of phones, the Monolith was inspired by modern metropolitan living. It was designed to be an elegant and desirable phone, luxurious in its volume but simple in its execution. Unlike the conventional design approach of many cordless phones, the Monolith was never meant to blend or vanish into the home environment. It was intended to be a bold statement. It became a piece of modern, iconic, and tasteful design to join homes, adding its own identity to balance a collection of tasteful modern decorations.

The substantial weight of the die-cast metal body made the handset feel premium. Two strips of high-gloss edge treatment around the metal body bezel were the signature detail that showed off the precision engineering technique. The placement of the mic, display lens, buttons, and speaker on the front face were well balanced and placed precisely on a single piece of gridded surface.

Every detail mattered. All four sidewalls on the cordless phone base were designed to be engineered with zero drafts to match vertically aligned with the metal bezel on the handset. When the phone was docked, it read precisely as a single block of object with the base that was sculpted from stone.

Reddot design award 2015

Design: Wai Chung Lee, Larry Koo

Project lead: Wai Chung Lee

Soundstage was a new design archetype introduced to Philips' home cinema category. The crossbow HTL5130B soundstage loudspeaker was designed to deliver powerful sound to enhance your TV experience. It featured an innovative sound concept: "WaveFlector Technology," which produced a wide, natural, and immersive sound for movie and music enjoyment.

The concept of the waveflector was to deliver an immersive cinematic sound by aiming speakers towards the waveflector surfaces installed on both sides of the soundstage, reflecting sound. Angled speakers placed in the center beamed the sound onto both sides of the articulated sound reflection surface and bounced outward to create a wide range of sound projection.

Different from the XS1 soundstage, a full relief pattern was sculpted on the top surface of the crossbow Soundstage. The story of the graphical relief aimed to mimic sound traveling onto the sound reflector surface and bouncing outward in all directions. As a result, crisscrossing wavy lines of the sound wave pattern created a beautiful drawing that dressed over the top of the Soundstage. Two bass ports were designed and blended towards the back on each side. The external flare surfaces were crafted to fit harmoniously into the surroundings. Besides offering immersive sound for the TV, a full range of connectivity features were installed, providing pleasure for all-round home entertainments. A strip of silicone rubber controls was clustered and placed on the right side for ease of use.

Client: Gibson Innovation

Design & Project lead: Larry Koo

Following the great success of the iconic Philips Linea series, the new Linea V flaunted its signature slender design and compact footprint, but with an added masculine edge and bolder silhouette.

Design took center stage with the precision-engineered Philips LINEA V, featuring an unconventional V speaker opening that enhanced its iconic silhouette. Integrated within its stately form were smart features like secure docking with dual charging options and multiple privacy settings. Commanding attention at every angle and intuitive to use, the Linea V was a must-have masterpiece in any home.

Nothing was overlooked in the design and engineering of the new Philips Linea V. Impeccable attention to detail resulted in an even sleeker yet bold architecture, expressing purity and excellence from form through to function.

The signature V-shaped speaker opening was a stunning focal point, reflecting the phone’s apt name. A glossy chamfer triangle swept upward, meeting the edges seamlessly like an infinite loop and emphasizing the phone’s ultra-slender shape. An integrated Micro USB connector on the base unit and a recharged power bank ensured the phone stayed powered—and you stayed connected—always, even when the power was out. A host of other smart functions and precise ease of use completed the Linea V experience. With refined geometry and symmetry flowing in total harmony, the Linea was an exquisite work of art that elevated communication to a higher level.

With its cleverly integrated light base, the phone communicated an event or mode by glowing in a specific color. The illumination is so subtle it doubled up as an ideal ambient or night light, while enhancing the phone’s savvy design and functionality. The light is a useful alert for incoming or missed calls, voice messages, and alarms. In standby mode, it quietly sets the mood or softly illuminates any space. However, if full darkness is required, simply switching this function off is possible by tapping a key on the handset. Users could choose from 3 attractive colors to enhance any space in their home.

RedDot Design Award 2017

Design: Holger Höhn , Larry Koo

Project lead: Larry Koo

The Philips FARO is a cordless home phone that combines elegant and uncompromising design with innovative, practical functionality. The handset can be placed onto the base station in two directions, offering the possibility to make the product very pure and discreet in appearance.

In addition, the design offers a secondary display for both caller-ID and time, with instant access to the hands-free system as well as the alarm function with a snooze function. The product was presented at IFA in Berlin and was launched to market in 2017.

Design: Larry Koo, Catherine Wong, WC Lee

Project lead: Larry Koo

Philips Soundbar speakers feature a centre-channel speaker dedicated especially to voice frequencies, to anchor the sounds of speech to the centre of the screen. This offers improved voice positioning and clarity, making movie watching more immersive. Philips Virtual Surround Sound produces rich, dynamic surround sound in a system that uses less than five speakers.

Highly advanced spatial algorithms faithfully replicate the sonic characteristics that occur in an ideal 5.1-channel environment. Any high-quality stereo source is transformed into true-to-life, multi-channel surround sound. No need to purchase extra speakers, wires or speaker stands to appreciate this room-filling sound.