This 'Hidden Radio' by Australian designer John Van Den Nieuwenhuizen is brilliant. It has been scrapped of virtually everything and is the bare minimum in terms of switches, knobs, dials, buttons, display screens, and all of the above. To tune the radio, simply turn the cap, and the LED light presents feedback to the quality of the tuning. To adjust the volume, all the user must do is lift or push the cap up or down to reveal more or less of the speakers and the user will hear more or less of the sound. These are the only details in terms of user interaction the radio provides. It is minimalism at its most minimalistic. "Less is more" can really be applied to this design, by concentrating on these, the only to details the radio offers. It successfully provides user feedback without being too complex. Sure, it involves some learning on the users behalf, whereas other radios may be more self explanatory, like having labels and visual cues as to which dial and knob does what, however this learning curve is really not a very steep one. It does require an explanation for the user how to operate it, but once this has been explained, it becomes a very successful design. And because the detailing is so focused on these two attributes, VD Nieuwenhuizen was able to perfect them, making them both functional, and aesthetically appealing.
Raz
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