剛搬家收拾行李時，隨手把iPhone放進一個闊口陶瓷碗裡，播放出來的歌曲聲音不但擴大了，而且還變圓潤了。這個發現勾起了我的興趣，把家裡各種材質的碗都拿來當揚聲器，鐵啊、琺瑯、塑膠統統興趣盎然地試一遍。想不到設計師鈴木啓太也有類似的經驗，他於一次旅行中，將手提電話放進冰酒桶，發現在桶內產生共鳴後的聲音，變得非常動聲。這次經驗，驅使他完成了新作，名為Exponential的玻璃揚聲器。
鈴木啓太的作品從日用品至鐵路火車，非常多樣化，這次為手提電話設計揚聲器，他的概念十分特別――不用電源、沒有接線，能夠點綴室內空間。經過了多次實驗以後，他發現能擴散出最優美音質的，就是玻璃了。而為了造出完美形態，他決定選用口吹玻璃。後來他找來了位於千葉的玻璃器物生產商菅原工芸硝子，菅原工芸硝子經驗老到的工匠以精湛的技術，為鈴木啓太完成了這個困難的任務。
「Exponential的設計簡潔，希望它能傳達出教人感受到未來的聲音。」鈴木啓太談到設計概念時說。人類的五感互通，Exponential美麗的外型，說不定真會影響我們聆聽音樂時的感受。
Just recently while I was moving house, I randomly placed my iPhone into a ceramic bowl. I was instantly amazed by how the music being played got amplified and also fuller in sound quality. Such intriguing discovery prompted me to pick up and eagerly test out bowls of different materials such as iron, enamel, and plastic, to see the difference. Little did I know the designer Keita Suzuki also shared a very similar experience when he put his handset into a wine bucket during a trip. The sweet sound resonance impressed him a lot and initiated him to come up with this glass speaker called Exponential.
Keita Suzuki boasts of an impressive design portfolio that ranges from household items to train interiors. His new design of glass speaker is customized for mobile phones. What sets this speaker apart from the rest is its concept that requires neither electricity nor power cord. The speaker itself can even be used as a piece of decoration. After multiple experiments, he realized glass is the material that can create the best sound quality. To attain the perfect shape, he decided to go for the glassblowing technique. He then found the glassware manufacturer Sugahara in Chiba. By utilizing the excellent skills offered by the experienced craftsman there, Suzuki finally completed this challenging task.
“The minimal design of Exponential aims to convey to people a sound of the future,” said Keita Suzuki when asked about the design concept. After all, our senses are inter-connected. The sleek look of Exponential would probably affect our overall listening experience.
