We had the distinct pleasure to interview award winning designer Jurica Huljev about their original and creative Wireless Speaker design work. Jurica Huljev is an award-winning creative designer, that makes our world a better place with their original wireless speaker works.
Jurica Huljev ("JH") answered Design Interview ("DI") questions about their award-winning work One618 Omnee Wireless Speaker. Interview questions prepared by Frank Scott.
JH : The ONE.618 omnee.m speaker was conceived around the Golden Ratio—its proportions guide both the external form and internal wave-lens geometry, ensuring optimal acoustic dispersion. Inspiration sprang from brutalist concrete architecture and classic point-source loudspeaker design, unified through computational form-finding to marry sculptural purity with holographic sound.
JH : My focus was threefold: material honesty, acoustic performance, and user discovery. I sought a low-carbon concrete mix that is acoustically neutral; a mathematically derived lens for true 360° horizontal and 90° vertical coverage; and hidden interactive elements—touch and gesture controls, wireless charging—that invite users to explore beyond first impressions.
JH : We plan to expand the omnee.m line with additional colors and finishes, integrate advanced DSP routines for room adaptation, and launch an open-source customization platform so makers and studios can tailor form, material, and software to unique contexts. We're also developing enhanced gesture controls, a custom state-of-the-art concrete touch remote, and an advanced smartphone configuration app. Beyond omnee.m (medium), we'll create omnee.s (small) and omnee.l (large) variants. Our future plans continue exploration of architectural acoustics and sound/video integration while developing totally new products.
JH : From initial concept sketches to production-ready prototypes, the omnee.m endured a four-year R&D cycle—iterative material trials, acoustic testing, driver selection, and manufacturing process development.
JH : It was a self-initiated passion project. I realized that a high-fidelity, omnidirectional autonomous all-in-one battery-powered speaker was missing from the market—most audio solutions are either directional systems that force listeners into a “sweet spot” or portable Bluetooth speakers with limited fidelity. Today, music is an integral part of daily life, so creating a single, elegant device that delivers 360° immersive sound while embodying material and aesthetic rigor felt like an essential and untapped opportunity. I aimed to demonstrate that concrete—a centuries-old material—could achieve studio-grade sound and modern interaction in a minimal form, challenging preconceptions about both material and speaker design.
JH : Production remains in-house under the ONE.618 brand. Our boutique workflow ensures quality control across casting, electronics assembly, and finishing. Down the line, we may license select editions to specialty audio ateliers.
JH : I’m fascinated by multidisciplinary synthesis—combining architecture, material science, electronics, and sound engineering. A speaker system allowed me to explore form, function, and interaction in a single object.
JH : Dieter Rams’s Braun audio products for functional minimalism; Andō’s concrete works for textural depth; and avant-garde loudspeaker experiments by KEF and Bang & Olufsen for challenging dispersion norms.
JH : Discerning listeners and design aficionados who value both acoustic fidelity and sculptural presence—those who appreciate tactile rituals and crave discoveries hidden within a product.
JH : Omnidirectional coverage from a point-source driver; acoustically tuned concrete shell; hidden fiber-optic touch controls; and a true no-sweet-spot listening experience, all in a singular monolithic form.
JH : “ONE.618” references the Golden Ratio (1.618…). “omnee.m” blends “omni,” denoting all-around sound, and “eem,” hinting at immersive experience. Together they signal material proportion and acoustic ambition.
JH : Rhino 3D and Grasshopper for parametric form-finding; Python and C++ for driver optimization scripts; BIM for coordination; and concrete mixers, CNC mills, electronics prototyping rigs, and anechoic chamber testing.
JH : Embedding invisible touch buttons and optical fibers directly within the concrete shell, combined with a mathematically constructed acoustic lens formed in solid concrete, achieves seamless omnidirectional dispersion without external waveguides.
JH : This project was driven entirely by my own hands and mind. I conducted every phase—from concept, R&D, computational form-finding and material trials to prototyping touch interfaces, electronics and acoustic testing—through deep exploration, learning, and iterative problem-solving.
JH : Technology underpins form-finding algorithms, driver-lens optimization, interactive gestures, wireless charging, and adaptive DSP routines—transforming concrete from static to responsive. It remains hidden, invisible, unobtrusive, and intuitive, activating only when needed.
JH : Extensive acoustic simulations and empirical SPL mapping in anechoic tests; material porosity and damping studies; driver parameter sweeps; and user interaction trials to refine control layouts.
JH : Balancing structural integrity and acoustic neutrality in concrete; achieving precision in thin-section molds; coupling driver vibrations to a brittle material; and concealing electronics without compromising serviceability.
JH : After receiving enthusiastic feedback during prototyping demos and industry showcases, entering A’ Design Award felt like the natural next step to validate the concept globally.
JH : I deepened my material science knowledge, honed parametric scripting to automate lens generation, sharpened my user-experience instincts to integrate hidden interactions intuitively, and advanced my programming skills in MCU, DSP programming, and electronics design.
JH : The omnee.m embodies my belief that design should reward curiosity—its hidden features and layered experiences are invitations to look closer, learn deeper, and find joy in discovery.
