[Interview] Erwan Bouroullec Blends Sound and Space With Music Studio

[Samsung Newsroom]

Samsung Electronics recently unveiled its Music Studio series of Wi-Fi speakers at The First Look 2026 in Las Vegas. Designed for spatial harmony and rich sound, the Music Studio 5 and Music Studio 7 were created in collaboration with French designer Erwan Bouroullec. The partnership dates back to The Serif, a TV that won an iF Design Gold Award in 2016 and redefined TV design. 

Samsung Newsroom spoke with Bouroullec about the ideas behind the speakers’ design and his collaborative process with Samsung. The following responses have been modified for clarity and brevity. 

▲ Music Studio Wi-Fi speakers are exhibited at The First Look 2026. 

Orb and Dot: Speakers That Shape the Color of a Space 

Q. What inspired the Music Studio design? 

▲ The Music Studio design reflects Bouroullec’s orb-and-dot concept.

Music has the power to surround you and transform your mood and emotions. I see music and sound as air and light: they’re an essential part of a room’s atmosphere. They can change the mood — even the “color” of a space. To me, that was the best place to begin: an essential form to visualize sound.

I first drew symbols with an orb and a dot in the middle because this was inherently the skeleton of a “traditional” speaker. And then the forms came together. A moon-shaped orb would immediately connect the device to the idea of sound and music. Dots would visualize sound through time.

Of course, whether or not the language resonates depends on one’s imagination and cultural background. But I am happy with the way I was able to express my interpretation of sound and music. It was a joy to build a visual environment that enhances the symbolic and sculptural nature of Music Studio — defined by its orb and the dot at its center.

A Symphony of Design and Engineering

Q. How was the experience of collaborating with Samsung on an audio product?

Design is a practice that must go hand in hand with engineering. So of course Music Studio was conceived through a close dialogue between design and engineering. Based on my ideas, I first provided a form that engineering could build on. Then there has been a process of pure morphological transformation.

Because Samsung engineers have a deep, grounded knowledge in sound and technology, the process of developing the form into a product was very pleasant. The engineers’ ideas based on their expertise were inspiring, even.

Music Studio’s circular orb form, inspired by the origins of loudspeakers, connects directly to the geometry of sound. Refined through engineering, the shape evolved to enhance the acoustics while preserving its pure, sculptural presence.

▲ Bouroullec collaborated with Samsung on the Music Studio lineup.

In the end, the idea wasn’t compromised. Instead, it naturally evolved into a better form that enabled clearer sound and deeper bass. I am a creative person; my instruments are production tools, my notes are materials and my songs are everyday objects. If I were a musician, Samsung would be the most powerful orchestra I could ever play with.

Harmony: Connecting Sound and Space, Past and Present

Q. How do you feel about the final product and its fit in users’ spaces?

I aimed to convey an essential elegance through design. Designed to integrate naturally into any interior, Music Studio is a timeless and enduring companion for everyday life. In terms of form factor, a sturdy metal mesh front houses the speakers with precision, expressing honesty and function.

▲ The Music Studio 5 (left) and Music Studio 7 blend into a range of living spaces, connecting sound to space and familiar experiences with new features.

Design always builds on conventions and widely accepted symbols that have been refined over decades — sometimes over centuries. On the other hand, technology evolves and so does the way we use the devices.

So a key factor I focused on was to create a design that is both fresh enough to signal a new era in audio and pure enough to seamlessly integrate into various environments. Being “pure” means that Music Studio is easily connectable to the history of speakers. Being “fresh” means that it is able to incorporate new ways of experiencing audio content — like the addition of playlists and podcasts.

In the end, I believe the design language of Music Studio has a simplicity to it that enables it to blend with older functionalities and patterns while heralding newer and more contemporary experiences.

About the Music Studio Series

Introduced at The First Look 2026, Samsung’s Music Studio 5 and Music Studio 7 Wi-Fi speakers incorporate technology from Samsung’s Audio Lab and offer connectivity for Wi-Fi casting, streaming services, voice control and Bluetooth via Samsung Seamless Codec. Available in black and white, the models can be used as standalone speakers or paired with additional units or Samsung TVs via Q-Symphony for wider stereo sound or a full surround-sound setup.

About Erwan Bouroullec

Erwan Bouroullec, born in 1976, began his design career after studying contemporary art in Paris. He and his brother, Ronan, founded a design studio in 1999 and have since worked with brands including Vitra, Alessi, Kartell, Magis and Hay. Known for an emphasis on simplicity, functionality and natural aesthetics, Bouroullec’s work reflects a minimalist approach.

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* All functionality, features, specifications and other product information provided in this document including, but not limited to, the benefits, design, color, pricing, components, performance, availability and capabilities of the product are subject to change without notice.

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