Hemmo Honkonen’s Audible Collection serenades with melodious tunes

Honks, hums, cuckoos, clashes, and bass triads—these naturally occurring sounds and mechanically produced melodies are seldom merged with product design. A mix of the two can beget objects that are not just aesthetically pleasing but also sensorially arresting. This combination is further enhanced when play is integrated into the design. Hemmo Honkonen, a designer based in Finland, recently built the Audible Collection, which comprises a series of furniture that emits sound upon applying mechanical pressure. One can sit on the Audible Chairs and strut their waist to produce tunes and melodies, open and close the cabinet doors at different speeds to replicate the sound effect of cymbals and string instruments or tap on the Cuckoo toys for them to blurt out burps.

Citing his inspiration behind the collection, the Finnish designer shares, “The inspiration behind Audible Collection comes from my educational background and my passion towards furniture design and musical instruments. I wanted to combine those two worlds and create something interactive and fun yet functional.”

Helsinki-based Hemmo Honkonen’s practice as a creative, straddles two fields—design and music. While he initially graduated as a luthier artisan from the Guitar Building Department at Ikaalinen College of Crafts and Design in Ikaalinen, Finland, Honkonen went on to study furniture design and interior design from Linköping University—Carl Malmsten Furniture Studies in Sweden and Aalto University in Espoo, Finland, respectively. The product designer’s creations are experiments in combining the two distinct creative practices to build interactive and usable furniture. Honkonen also intends to expand the series further. He says, “I plan to continue my work on combining sound, movement and interaction. I’m currently working on some new ideas on the theme for the next collection that’s going to include new sounds, functions and elements.”

When asked about the mechanism behind each piece in the collection, Honkonen shares, “All the sounds in the pieces are acoustic and mechanically produced which means that there’s no electronics involved and all the sounds are actually created right there when you interact with the furniture. The mechanical and acoustic nature of the pieces has been an important factor for me, to combine the sound with a movement and a mechanism. The acoustic and natural character of the sound makes it so much more compelling compared to if it was made electronically. The mechanisms consist of different elements found in instruments and furniture, strings, bellows, hinges, and magnets.”

Honkonen’s work utilises the designer’s learnings from his experience as a student in the two disciplines. Each sound produced by his furniture pieces is mechanically and acoustically produced. Hence, a mechanical motion is always necessary to trigger the sound. When in use, the furniture makes noise. In Honkonen's designs, sound dominates. They transform ordinary objects into atypical creations—with a new dimension and function. Honkonen asks, “What does the sound of a piece of furniture say about its essence or purpose of use? How does the sound of furniture affect our way of using them?”

While composed tunes are often not a part of typical furniture design, sounds do have some importance in product design. The smooth swish of the drawers moving to and fro is indicative of good craftsmanship. On the other hand, designers and artisans often work to minimise sounds produced while using a product. In different contexts and for different products, the presence or absence of sound can be symbolic of better quality. In Honkonen’s creations, the sounds, sometimes absurd and at other times calibrated, are modes and mediums for the expression of one’s unique symphony.