Ekko
Ekko is a podcast radio. Through this interactive, discursive product, we wanted to open discussion on how we consume media today and how we might consume it in the future. We also wanted to explore how one might be able to contribute to the algorithms that feed you new media based on your previous choices.
Through our research, we saw that radio is leaning more and more towards podcasts, and we believe that will continue into the future. We imagined a podcast radio, a device to which you uploaded podcasts from your phone and that required you to push play every morning while eating your breakfast.
Ekko will give you content based on what you have already listened to - but by moving the switch, you can control the degree to which that content is similar to or different to what you have already been listening to.
The name Ekko comes from the idea of being in an echo chamber.
Project by: Aleksandra Zamarajeva and Jacob Pettersen
Project length: 6 weeks
AHO course: Tangible Interaction, Fall 2016
In use
In this video, you will see two different scenarios for using the radio. In the first scenario, the Ekko switch is on full. In the second scenario, the user adjusts the Ekko percentage.
The Interface
We wanted to balance digital functionality with the aesthetic of an old-fashioned radio. Our goal was to evoke the feeling of calmness.
The user uploads their desired podcast channels to the radio. Her selections are shown on five small screens, allowing her to switch between podcasts as desired.
The screen in the middle shows the last channel played, and will be what plays if you turn on the radio.
The Ekko switch controls how similar the next autoplayed podacst will be from the previous podcast you listened to.
The green button is the power switch. Under that button you find the play, pause, back and next buttons. Finally, the volume knob is on the right side of the radio.
Process
Our process was full of ideas, drawings and models. We even went on a trip to Beijing, China to get inspired by other media forms.
Many of our ideas centred around giving podcasts physical form - perhaps because we were nostalgic about physical formats. We tested a digital version, but felt that it took away from the calmness of the radio medium. We used the buttons to let you know what you were listening to, but played with the brightness of the light.
Our goal was for people to both want the podcast radio, but also for the Ekko switch to provoke questions about our media consumption.
