When you look at a product that follows the rule of form follows function, you know immediately what it’s for. But some would argue that where’s the fun in that approach? I personally believe that form follows function limits your thinking to the most logical path… and the guys at X-Factor feel the same way too!

The Layered, at first glance, won’t give you even the slightest idea of what it is. So I’ll help you out. The Layered is a bluetooth speaker, with the equalizer turned into an interactive tactile element on the top. Taking bands of frequencies and dedicating different controls to them, the Layered contains six transparent discs lit from the bottom. These discs correspond to different frequency bands (calibrated to help control the presence of a particular instrument) and can be rolled up and down the Layered’s surface to work as an equalizer, allowing you to amplify or attenuate the effect of instruments in your music. The discs in no way hinder the functionality of the speaker, if anything, the Layered is much more engaging and functional than a regular speaker… So yes, sometimes it’s good for form to follow something other than pure function!

Designer: X-Factor