This thesis explores the application of Emotional Durability to Personal Audio Devices (PADs), specifically focusing on speakers, with the aim of fostering irreplaceable emotional bonds between owner and product. In response to the environmental challenges posed by excessive and premature e-waste generation, the project combines strategies from emotional product attachment with interaction design to engage users and devices, strengthening their relationship.

Following a user-centered research phase aimed at understanding what made the interaction with analog music players meaningful, as well as how the experience of using modern speakers unfolds, key strategies of Design for Emotional Durability were identified. Two main directions emerges: self-expression through visualisation and participation to elevate the ritual, which were conceptualised into two proposals through a participatory design approach.

The final concept, LEVELS OF INSTANTS, builds on a real-case model and introduces a serie of interventions aligned with both directions. Through the user’s direct involvement, the speaker visually reflects their listening habits, evolving and adapting throughout their journey together. Validation with users demonstrates its potential for implementation, and opens the door to considering the role of hybrid user experiences in cultivating long-lasting attachment with physical devices.