Ubin Kang Williams

shell_ONE

An AirPods case form study.

Industry
Industrial and product design
Tools
Procreate, SolidWorks, KeyShot
Year
2025
Experience
Form exploration, 3D modeling, rendering
A white AirPods case wrapped in a faceted white exoskeleton frame, shown at three quarters on a pale ground.

About

I designed this protective shell as a study in translating 2D art into 3D hardware. I was inspired by the geometric grid of Grcic’s Chair_ONE to guide the web of the frame, ensuring it covers the most vulnerable areas while keeping the original AirPods form visible. My goal was to move past a standard case and create a minimalist exoskeleton that feels like a premium extension of the Apple design language.

The same shell and case at three quarters on a lavender ground, showing how the frame wraps the corners.
Konstantin Grcic's Chair_ONE, a black chair built from a lattice of flat triangular facets.
Konstantin Grcic’s Chair_ONE, the reference for the frame’s geometry.
A line drawing of the AirPods case front with a triangulated web of straight lines mapped across it.
Translating Grcic’s geometry.

Challenge

The main challenge was reconciling the aggressive, faceted geometry of Grcic’s Chair_ONE with the soft, fluid surfaces of the Apple ecosystem. I began by studying the geometric structure of the chair, using its distinct facets as a framework for my design. By analyzing the angular movements within the chair’s form, I iterated toward a final design. My goal was to simplify the geometry so the final shell felt like it actually belonged to the AirPods, instead of just being an add-on.

Four small studies of the case in a row, each with a different arrangement of lines across the front face.
Geometric iterations.
The case front with the final frame drawn over it in magenta, a web of straight segments meeting at the corners.
Chosen geometric design.
A technical drawing of the shell, showing the frame over the case profile from the front, with a side profile at the right.
Converted geometric design to a simpler, more fluid version.

Built design in SolidWorks.

A monitor showing the case being set up for rendering in KeyShot, with three render windows open.
Setting up the final renders in KeyShot.

Final Result

I developed the final 3D model in SolidWorks, ensuring precise geometry before transitioning to KeyShot for high-fidelity material application and photorealistic rendering.

A top down render of the case open, the two AirPods seated inside and the frame visible around the rim.
A top down render of the closed case standing upright inside its frame.
A three quarter render of the case with its lid open and the AirPods inside, on a pale lavender ground.
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Folio Folio Spatial computing · visionOS nommie nommie iOS · Designed, illustrated and coded