Home Entertainment ANALYSIS: RETRO DESIGN
Designed to sell better
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Superior product design can command a price premium, but it pays to know your customers, reports Steve May.
D ieter Rams, famed German industrial designer,
famously declared ‘good design involves as little design as possible’. Largely responsible for the look of Braun consumer electronics throughout the 50s and 60s, Rams popularised the minimal aesthetic that holds sway in CE to this day. Alan
O’Rourke, Managing Director of Ruark
Audio, cites Dieter Rams as a design hero for his brand; visionary furniture designers Charles and Ray Eames too. “They were way ahead of their time, the simplicity of their designs are timeless!” he tells ERT. Timeless design could also be attributed to Ruark. The manufacturer has found an enthusiastic audience for its retro-inflected Hi-Fi products, winning plaudits not only for their sonic performance but their crowd- pleasing design. Elements speak of heritage, but there’s something modernistic in the mix too… “We’ve always taken great pride in the aesthetics of our products,” confides Mr O’Rourke. “We’ve kept a watchful eye on what’s happening in the world of furniture and interiors. Our latest products certainly give a nod to the 50s and 60s, but this
aesthetic is very much on-trend at the moment, with people decluttering and looking to create a clean and relaxing ambience to their homes. For these customers our products are a perfect solution.” One of Ruark’s most iconic products is
its R7
radiogram. So what’s the secret of its success? “With the R7 we wanted to create a flagship model to show how serious we are about what we do – and it worked! Many customers tell us that they’ve designed their room around the R7 and for us this is a fantastic complement.” Simon Mathews, Group Director of Design for loudspeaker specialist, Focal, suggests that good design is a balance between form and function. “As a loudspeaker manufacturer with over 40 years’ experience, we have constantly evolved our designs in-line with new technology,” he says. “However, we work hard to produce designs that wouldn’t look out of place in most settings. A lot of time is spent researching finishes and materials that are on-trend, both now and into the future.” Mr Mathews cautions dealers against pigeonholing buyers as either Hi-Fi traditionalists or lifestyle
devotees: “Audio has always been a lifestyle product,” he says, “but tastes have changed over the years as technology and market demands have altered. “The way people listen to music has evolved.
We are not just selling speakers, but designing and manufacturing products that people want to look at as much as listen to and that they are proud to own.” So is better design a license to upsell? There are
caveats. “We feel that a product has to suit the customer’s
environment as much as possible. As a global brand, we are very aware of regional tastes and how they vary,” says Mr Mathews. “We work closely with our distributors to offer finish options that best suit their markets, also using materials that can differentiate our brand from others. For example, our recent Kanta launch saw high gloss piano lacquer finishes or matte walnut finish versions available. Essentially, we want to offer a wide range of finishes so that people can find the best fit for their décor and taste.” Few Hi-Fi companies are as bold or architectural as Chord Electronics. Whether portable, like the Mojo and Hugo, or a CNC-machined flagship, like
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