# Tangible Audio Interfaces Surface Matters Speaker Takes Commands by You Stroking its Fabric Cover By Amelia Roblin | Published 2013-10-25 | Art & Design Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/surface-matters-speaker References: [leibal](http://leibal.com/products/surface-matters/) & [eunheejo](http://www.eunheejo.com/) There are some buttons on the Surface Matters Speaker, but you might not notice them right away; they're hidden under an [elastic fabric overlay](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/audio-pro-a10-mkii-black) and remain invisible until you wish to interact with the device. What you'll first see is a [minimalist round sound system](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sonique) with a soft face, a rounded shell and absolutely no visual fuss. Press in the center of the [tactile control interface](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-id360-touchstone) and the the concealed buttons will illuminate. To activate them, you can either press them directly or gently poke the stretchy material just beside them. Eun Hee Jo's cutting-edge concept allows you to adjust the volume with tactile swiping gestures; scroll through your music collection by drawing a circular pattern over the Surface Matters Speaker. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 1.3/10 - Popularity: 4% | Activity: 27% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Gen Alpha, Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Art & Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/artdesign) > [Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/design) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Hidden Interfaces:** The Surface Matters Speaker exemplifies the trend of hidden interfaces, allowing for a more minimalist design and a seamless user experience. - **Tactile Control:** Tactile swiping gestures on the Surface Matters Speaker reflect the trend of incorporating touch-based controls for intuitive user interaction. - **Interactive Fabrics:** The elastic fabric overlay on the Surface Matters Speaker showcases the trend of using interactive fabrics to create unique and engaging user experiences. ### Who This Affects Most - **Consumer Electronics:** The Surface Matters Speaker presents an opportunity for disruptive innovation in the consumer electronics industry by reimagining traditional user interfaces and materials. - **Home Décor:** The integration of hidden interfaces and fabric overlays in devices like the Surface Matters Speaker opens up possibilities for disruptive innovation in the home décor industry by combining aesthetics with functionality. - **Audio Technology:** The tactile control interface on the Surface Matters Speaker suggests the potential for disruptive innovation in the audio technology industry by offering a new way to interact with sound systems. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Tactile Interactive Music Devices](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/yamaha.md) - [Tactile Control Headphones](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/olfoo-headphones.md) - [Textured Acoustic Speakers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/rhapsody.md) - [Unified Audio Speaker Concepts](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ljud.md) - [Physically Interactive AI Speakers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/iris-hybrid-speaker.md) - [Semi-Transparent Portable Speakers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cmf-speaker.md) - [Shell-Inspired Speaker Concepts](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/shell-intelligent.md) - [Vibrating Wearable Speakers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/xiaomi-wearable-speaker.md) - [Tubular Note-Shaped Speakers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/premium-audio-device.md)