Canal+ Le Cube S

Our work with Canal+, the premiere French television brand, has evolved tremendously over the past 8 years. As technology advances, we are able to consistently bring new innovations to the set-top box, re-imagining its form while still maintaining existing brand equity. The Le Cube S is the culmination of this work – at less than a quarter of the size of the Le Cube, this is the first set-top box to fit cleanly in the palm of your hand.  Its matte black surface hides an invisible, high quality and full color display, dissolving the line between screen and product. The top of the cube highlights a beautiful textured pattern of opposing perpendicular lines, cognizant of the Canal+ iconic interface.

digital

While the average set-top box will only display the channel number, we knew we had an opportunity to utilize the screen to create a more meaningful experience for Canal+ customers. The full-color LCD display is 320X240 pixel screen, presenting channel logos, and eventually show programme notifications to users. At only 61X46 millimeters, the quality of this display is astonishing. But of course, it also is only present when needed – it’s surface hides discreetly behind the matte black coloring of the device itself, seamlessly disappearing when not in use.

product

At only eight centimeters by eight centimeters, the Le Cube S is truly a feat of design and technology. By removing the hard drive and storing it in the corresponding stand, we were able to keep the size of the cube as minimal as possible. In order to maximize aesthetic discretion and fit in the home, we kept the cube a matte black, and made the display invisibly integrated into its surface. Once powered on, the high-quality display magically shines through the surface, providing full colored images and channel logos.

To help maintain the brand equity we’ve built with our previous designs, we kept the iconic white Canal+ logo in the corner of the cube, and textured the lid to match the brand’s existing user interface – contrasting perpendicular lines that also hide the cube’s limited buttons. While the final design seemingly appears to be a small black box, it’s the details of the piece that make it subtly stunning, and desirable for the home.

Recognition

Awards

  • SPARK! Awards

    • Gold - Le Cube S, Product Design, 2016
  • Fast Company Innovation by Design Awards

    • Finalist - Le Cube S, Product, 2016
  • Red Dot

    • Le Cube S, Product, 2016
  • International Design Awards

    • Gold - Le Cube S, 2016

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