Boom by Konstantin Grcic. From Do It Yourself

Designer DIY with Konstantin Grcic

Make this stylish, price-friendly boombox, designed by the brilliant German-born industrial designer

Do you ever get bored with the look of high-tech hi-fi design? Ever greater advances in microelectronics may have brought about cheaper and better music systems whose aesthetics while curvy and pleasing enough are well, shall we say a little bit vanilla in nature. 

Thankfully, the German industrial designer Konstantin Grcic has created a simple design that combines hi-fi playback with lo-fi aesthetics. As the Munich-born industrial designer explains in our new book of DIY projects, Do It Yourself,“I wanted to produce something raw and cobbled together that would contrast with this polished world of gadgets.”

Drawing inspiration from 1980s boomboxes, and materials from both the hardware store and generic electronics retailers, Grcic’s Boom proves that a speaker system needn’t look soulless and impersonal. Here's how you can make one.

 

What you need for Konstantin Grcic's Boom. As featured in Do It Yourself
What you need for Konstantin Grcic's Boom. As featured in Do It Yourself

What you need: USB stereo speakers; wood panels, cut to size; handle; self-adhesive feet; USB power adapter; double-sided tape; nails; hammer; drill; drill bits 3/4, 1/2, and 1/4 in (20, 12, and 5 mm); pencil; ruler.

 

Instructions for Konstantin Grcic. As featured in Do It Yourself
Instructions for Konstantin Grcic. As featured in Do It Yourself

Instructions

  1. Measure the width and height of the two speakers together.

  2. Cut the wooden boards to the required dimensions for your speakers.

  3. Bore 1/4 in (5 mm) holes in the top for the handle, and 3/4 in (20 mm) and 1/2 in (12 mm) holes in the back for the cables. Mark 11/2 in (40 mm) from the bottom of the back piece to place the inside shelf.

  4. Mount the handle on the lid (B1) and stick the rubber or felt pads on the base (B2).

  5. Nail the wooden construction together (except lid): A, B2, C, D. Attach doublesided tape to board C, pull the speaker cable through the hole, insert speakers, and fix onto the tape.

  6. Nail on the lid and pull the input cable through the hole below the shelf.

  7. Attach your playback device and plug into the mains. Blast it!

For greater detail on this design and many more works by such designers and artists as Ross Lovegrove, Ai Weiwei, Hella Jongerius and John Baldessari buy a copy of Do It Yourself Here.