What’s the first step in designing a new Ruark product?
Starting is always the hardest part. There needs to be a spark of inspiration, but where that comes from is difficult to define – often, it’s during a walk with the dog or a chance encounter. It’s rarely just through sheer determination.
It’s most straightforward when we design a new model for an existing line with its own design language and technology in place – that’s a case of working out where we have a hole to fill in our line-up.
We then define the size, format, and key technologies (Wi-Fi, DAB, Bluetooth, displays, etc.) and start generating and refining concepts until we can make mock-ups and samples. That’s when creativity hands over to production engineering and the real the graft starts, turning a concept into reality.
It’s more challenging when we are developing a new line with a new design direction, like the 100 Series. Our products are often imitated, so it’s a crucial that we move forward and innovate – of course, we innovate with an eye on classic vintage design, blending new technology with timeless aesthetics.
Talk us through the design inspiration behind R810 – are there any older products you referred to?
We looked back to the seventies for R810 – Bauhaus simplicity, genuine wood veneers, and tactility. I’m part Italian and part Norwegian and heavily influenced by the sculptural elegance of Nordic furniture and clean and essential lines of Italian industrial design.
In terms of older products, the slatted grilles and rectangular forms of the Grundig RF series stereos were a great starting point, as were the wonderful wooden cabinets of the Norwegian Tandberg Huldra 9 receiver and Hi Fi System 7 loudspeakers.
Dieter Rams’ timeless, highly functional, and pure designs for Braun were also a source of inspiration.
How did you choose the materials for R810?
Ruark’s materials must be real and must feel real to the touch – wood is warm and tactile, fabric is light and textured, metal is hard and cold, glass is smooth and perfectly flat, and plastics are whatever you want them to be.
Apart from the seventies vibe, slatted grilles came out of necessity – “the mother of all invention”. Our R1 Mk4 concept had a moulded cabinet to introduce some additional curves to our design, but it meant there would be no wood.
Our models have always come with one wooden finish, and we couldn’t stop that. That’s what inspired us to use wooden slatted grilles in the first place. We also developed a way of manufacturing the grilles that would not be easily replicated; like our cabinets, they’re still very much crafted and not just stamped out.
How did you decide on the size and shape of the cabinet?
It all starts with a physical size and internal volumes as they are very influential on the final sound. You need volume to produce bass – that’s just physics.
The R810 was born as a radiogram, so it had to be a certain width. It was never going to be a tall skinny unit, but it still had to be a practical size. Once we had defined the internal volume for the subwoofer and satellite speakers, we made many mock-ups, playing around with different heights and proportions. In the end, the size we settled on is perfect – it has the “just right” feel about it.
The square corners are a departure for us, but that’s all about moving from the sensuous curvy furniture of the sixties to the geometric forms of the seventies. It also works better with the portrait display – a departure from the landscape style of so many audio systems and another way in which we approached things differently for the 100 Series.
R810 features the instantly recognisable RotoDial controller - how did you originally land on this design?
Alan (O’Rourke, Managing Director and Co-Founder) brought the concept with him to our very first meeting to discuss the design of 2004’s R1 and R2 radios. Given their format, it made perfect ergonomic sense to place the controls on the top.
Apart from a few notable exceptions, most audio products had a row of buttons and we wanted to have something simpler, with a more analogue feel. We were set on having just one dial for volume and menu navigation, so it followed that the buttons should sit around it, emphasising its simplicity.
And thus, the RotoDial was born. It’s now in its third generation and with each iteration we have improved how it’s made, how it feels, and even how it sounds; it’s now the best and most sophisticated yet. Elegant, simple, ergonomic, and instantly recognisable as Ruark.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome in the design of R810?
As with all our integrated music systems, the challenge is getting so many features and conflicting demands into one package. The sound quality had to be second to none, powerful, yet efficient… the aesthetics pure and instantly recognisable.
It’s also packed with lots of technology, which is always much harder to get right than people realise – we work hard to simplify the user experience and the all-new interface on the 100 Series is testament to that.
What’s unique about the Ruark design language compared to other audio brands?
Ruark embodies a blend of modern and vintage design aesthetics, made to age gracefully with relatable and comforting proportions, tactile materials, and inviting finishes.
We always strive to create timeless designs that are highly functional and easy to understand. Designs that we want in our own homes and products with soul. And of course, elegant clean lines with builds, finishes and materials that are unmistakably Ruark.
