AURIA

How do you make a speaker that you would take to the bath or to the dancefloor?

THE SOLUTION

Auria is a versatile, portable speaker that could also pass as a table top ornament. Its morphing shape makes it easy to hold and pleasant to look at. Its plain enough to underscore a backyard barbecue but fancy enough to serenade a candlelit dinner.

THE CHALLENGE

The speaker needed to be appropriate in all environments while retaining some of its high-end exclusivity. Its a prized possession capable of heightening the mood but it isn’t the nice pair of shoes you wear twice a year.

NAME AND MOOD BOARDS

Light hitting water, smoke-like forms, block illustrations and muted red and blue tones make-up the aesthetic inspiration for the brand.

The name Auria combines the ‘AU’ from audio and aura with the operatic aria and hints at the “classically artistic” direction of the branding. Art Nouveau inspired flowing forms and darker muted colors help to define the brand personality that is concerned with pure beauty as well as reliability.

After many iterations I stumble on the idea of two shapes morphing into one another. It seemed like somewhat of a unique shape and aligned nicely with the concept direction.

SPEAKER SKETCHES

LOGOTYPE EXPLORATION

The ‘A’s that bookend the name present an opportunity to play with symmetry and make a logotype that is unique and memorable. The speaker itself elegantly blends from a square at the top to a circle on the bottom while being otherwise very plain.

I ended up with two finalists that both contained the everyday elegance I was looking for but the altered Gyst font felt more unique.

The orange felt a little too energetic for the direction but can be used as a pop color elsewhere in the branding.

The diagonal angles of the ‘A’s add flowing energy and movement and the subtle gradient hints at a sunrise, but a teal one. The slight shine around the edges of the letter shapes can be seen on darker backgrounds.

The packaging reflects the speaker shape blending between two offset squares. The eight sides collect under the lid and fall to the side when removed.