Project Xylo Dispositivo MIDI by Kevin Yang

Oro Giocattoli · 2025

Project Xylo Dispositivo MIDI

by Kevin Yang

A' Design Award d'Oro 2025 in Giocattoli
CLIENT: Royal College of Art
Estimated Number of Design Views: 119,603
Verification code EABB9A7B67 · Verify this award

View at A' Design Award Press Release

Colors

About Project Xylo Dispositivo MIDI

Project Xylo reinventa l'interazione MIDI attraverso una piattaforma ludica e sociale per la creazione musicale. Accessibile a tutti i livelli di competenza, semplifica la creazione di beat con sincronizzazione armonica e di tempo. Cartucce intercambiabili e dispositivi componibili supportano la collaborazione, mentre il design modulare e retrò ne migliora usabilità e stile. Project Xylo è una serie di dispositivi MIDI portatili progettati per la creazione musicale quotidiana, disponibili in tre formati: sample, pocket e midi.

About the A' Design Award d'Oro

Project Xylo Dispositivo MIDI ha vinto l'A' Design Award d'Oro, un riconoscimento immensamente prestigioso conferito a design di primissima qualità, meravigliosi e straordinari. I vincitori d'Oro sono creazioni estremamente innovative, visionarie e di un fascino abbagliante che riflettono il genio, la saggezza e l'abilità dei loro designer. Ci si aspetta che Project Xylo Dispositivo MIDI sia un'invenzione molto elogiata, all'avanguardia e monumentale che offre un valore senza precedenti. Questo design vincitore dell'A' Design Award d'Oro è un progetto spettacolare e rispettato che giova grandemente ai confini dell'arte, della scienza, del design e della tecnologia e li fa avanzare. Project Xylo Dispositivo MIDI crea intensi sentimenti di desiderio, risveglia la passione, incoraggia la creatività e ci affascina.

Press Kit

Unique Properties: Project xylo is a series of portable midi devices designed for everyday music creation, offered in three sizes: sample, pocket, and midi. The goal is to gamify music composition, making it a social and accessible experience.

Design targeted to simplify beat-making with harmonic and tempo consonance, bridging knowledge gaps. Its nostalgic trading cartridges let users share custom sounds and compositions; devices sync to create collaborative music, turning users into part of a band's performance.
Dimensions & Packaging: XYLO Midi (Large Size): 195mm W x 92mm L x 20mm H
XYLO Pocket (Medium Size): 60mm W x 92mm L x 20mm H
XYLO Sample (Mini Size): 30mm W x 92mm L x 20mm H
Tags: Midi Device, Game, Nostalgic
Production Technology: Project XYLO undergoes prototyping using FDM printing to refine form, button layout, component placement, and device co-collab precision. The final SLA-printed model was sandblasted for a semi-transparent, Game Boy-like CMF, it went through multiple resin transparency tests to balance component visibility while maintaining the surface texture. Transitioning all electronics into the compact housing was challenging. The prototyping program, built via GODOT and run on Raspberry Pi Zero (ARM64), it faced limitations but was tested for basic functions and graphic capability.
Design Challenge: First, achieving the nostalgic semi-transparent shell required multiple CMF testing to balance resin transparency and sandblasting.

Second, developing the program and structuring the BOM to fit components was difficult due to housing size.

Third, balancing appearance with performance was tough—ESP32 lacked graphics power, leading to a switch to Raspberry Pi Zero.

XYLO underwent rapid iterations to address these, though production remains uncertain due to design complexity.
Research: XYLO’s research simplified music composition by categorizing sound into SFX, beats, chords, and melodies. The goal was to create an intuitive tool that ensures harmonic and tempo consonance for easy beat-making and collaboration. Through sound collection, prototyping, and applied to cohort surveys, insights showed that structured tempo enhances harmony and rhythm accessibility, forming the foundation for XYLO.
Inspiration: Project XYLO was conceived to democratize music creation by transforming MIDI operations into an engaging, portable, and social experience. Inspired by the desire to lower barriers in music composition, XYLO aimed to gamify the process, making it accessible to enthusiasts of all skill levels. Design focused on integrating harmonic and tempo consonance to facilitate intuitive beat-making. Additionally, nostalgic trading cartridges reference classic game consoles, making it fun and easy to share.
Project Duration: The project started in March 2024 and prototyped in May 2024, it is a student project at Royal College of Art, London, UK.
Operation Flow: XYLO makes music creation fun and accessible by transforming complex MIDI operations into an intuitive, hands-on experience. Users record, mix, and shape beats using simple button and slider controls, with harmonic and tempo frameworks ensuring accessible music-making. Swappable cartridges add a nostalgic touch for easy sound sharing. Devices snap together for instant sync, turning solo play into a collaborative jam—like forming a digital band anywhere.
Image Credits: Image #1: Photographer Yunmu Bai and Yan Qing, XYLO, 2024.
Image #2: Photographer Yunmu Bai and Yan Qing, XYLO, 2024.
Image #3: Photographer Yunmu Bai and Yan Qing, XYLO, 2024.
Image #4: Photographer Yunmu Bai and Yan Qing, XYLO, 2024.