In 2007 Microsoft approached Teague to serve up a few proposals for future Zune players. There were 3 proposals, 2 of which moved forward into models. This design “Cohiba” took inspiration from cigar boxes and the mystique of 1970’s audio gear. As a child I remember being in awe of reel-to-reel tape players, for me they were the epitome of cool. Something about those spinning metal reels, the requisite headset and a deep lounge chair spoke to me of absolute abandon into a sonic landscape. Unfortunately for me, by the time I was able to scrape enough cash together to buy one they were already hard to come by.

In this design we proposed a CNC’ed veneer with an aluminum base. One cool feature worth noting was the tray. The original idea was that a setting at the back of the unit would allow the user to toggle between larger and smaller models allowing the tray to deploy to the proper depth when it sensed the player.

WHY I LIKE IT:

It may be a little heavy on the design sauce, but it’s still a great dream – and an act of love.

COLLABORATORS:

Saro Nalbandian