Today’s consumer culture means that there will always be emerging newer and better of versions of the products we buy. As a result, many of us hold little to no attachment to material goods and often buy and discard without thought as to how it was made and where it will end up.

The Magno radio was created to help create a more sustainable behavioural shift when it comes to purchasing electronic products. It’s designed with a more personal, meaningful and eco-friendly appeal, says Indonesian designer Singgih S. Kartono. “I have tried to make a product that has a good relationship to the people, to the user.” 

The radio is made from Indonesian ebony wood from the central Javanese region, which has been enhanced by the tree-planting efforts of a Kandangan school called Mountain Sumbling. Some 1,000 trees have been grown from seed as a nursery has been created around the production of the radio, part of Kartono’s goal to employ as many people as possible.

“Wood is a kind of material that draws its beauty from its history,” the designer explains. “How it grows is an amazing process. It records its age lines. It records good and bad times. The beautiful texture and grain actually tell a story of its life. Wood is a kind of perfect material because of all its imperfection. Its character teaches us about life, balance and limits.”

“I want the user to touch the wood,” he continues. “In my concept, the beauty of the product depends not on the product itself, but on how the user handles and protects it. “I think people find that the longer they have the Magno radio, the more personal it becomes to them.”

Designed by
Singgih S. Kartono - Indonesia

Website
www.magno-design.com