A New Way of Experiencing Sound & Light – Teno by Lumio
In its most basic form Teno, the highly anticipated second product release from award winning design studio Lumio, is a portable speaker that adds a sculptural beauty to any space it inhabits. However, when you examine below the surface you discover an intuitive and unique object that creates a new way of experiencing sound and light.
Ultimately Teno is hard to define, as it is a few things at once. On its surface, it’s a beautifully crafted bowl sculpture made from natural sand. When cracked open, it comes alive; revealing soft, warm light that you can adjust with a simple tap. When fully open, it’s a powerful speaker, releasing a rich sound that you control through touch.
When fully open, Teno is a powerful speaker, releasing a rich sound that you control through touch.
Teno is a product that is designed to delight. Utilising an intuitive and unique user experience, cracking it open switches it on, whilst piecing it back together ceases light and sound. The textured sand on the outside feels like you’re holding a piece of nature in your hands, while the hard inner layer provides the durability and precision that its technology requires. The team at Lumio designed Teno to become a piece of timeless technological beauty. The product develops the kind of patina that only makes it more beautiful over time. At 5” in diameter it also fits neatly in the palm of your hand. It’s small enough to be portable but substantial enough to feel solid.
Lumio was founded on a core goal for changing societal relationships with technology, through improvement, not avoidance. When asked about the design inspiration for Teno, Lumio founder Max Gunawan stated the following, “This project began with a walk in the forest. On this day a few years ago, I found myself surrounded by the sounds of nature, birds chirping and water streaming in the distance — without seeing where they were coming from. It felt magical. I went home and got to work.” Following on from this Max expands, “I set about creating a speaker that employed a similar magic, hiding the source of its sound. I found myself inspired by kintsugi, the Japanese art of piecing together broken parts rather than throwing them away. The technology is unexpectedly revealed as you break the object and piece it back together. I want to break the cycle of yearly upgrades and obsolescence. I want to focus instead on delight, and beauty, and quiet joy — that feeling that I get when I drink my morning coffee from an old ceramic cup that’s only gotten more beautiful over time.”
The team at Lumio designed Teno to become a piece of timeless technological beauty.
