Muji Wall-Mounted CD Player
In a 1999 design exploration, then-IDEO designer Naoto Fukasawa came up this refreshingly simple CD player for the Japanese Muji that resembles a ventilation fan as it spins the exposed compact disc.
The goal of the project was to identify an essential design approach, and to create simple yet personal, sentient objects. Reduced to a most minimal form, the award-winning CD player consists of just a single speaker, without a cover, and a vertical power cord that hangs straight down, and turns the player on and off with a single pull.
Now newly available in the United States, this minimalist wall-mounted CD player features a single speaker built into the player’s case. Muji’s unique CD player is simple, sleek and functional. In 2005, the Museum of Modern Art in New York added the Muji CD Player to their permanent collection; and it’s now available from their store ($178) – but is on back-order for mid-September.
The MUJI philosophy has gained them a large global following over the last 20 years, emphasizing earth-friendliness, use of innovative materials, and efficient packaging to reduce costs. Heavy attention is paid to the consumer’s use of the product, and the manufacturing process is determined on that basis. Superfluous finishes are rejected, overprocessing is eliminated, and lines and forms are clean and uncluttered for manufacturing ease.
The CD player is 17 x 17 x 4 cm, and weighs 1/2 kg.