Developed for the iHome brand (iHL20) through Checkolite International
A speaker lamp with built-in iPod dock and charging, designed for Checkolite's iHome licensed product line and released in 2007. This was the first iHome lamp series I led for Checkolite — a three-tier line spanning an entry price point, a higher price point, and the iHL20 at the center as the kids' design, offered in multiple colors matched to the iPod nano palette.
The design takes its cue from Apple's iMac G3. The shade pairs a translucent outer cover with a colored inner shade, echoing the iMac's translucent-shell-over-colored-interior construction, and the rounded base carries a silhouette in the same family. A speaker grille wraps around the base. The volume control is a front slider on the dock that reveals a gradient of color as it moves toward maximum — a small interactive moment that suited the younger audience the lamp was designed for. The colorways match the iPod nanos of the era, so each lamp could be paired to its owner's device.
The iHL20 launched as a Lowe's exclusive for its first season, then went wide across Target, Toys R Us, Bed Bath & Beyond, and other retailers. As part of the first iHome lamp series, it helped open retail channels that were new to Checkolite at the time, and it remains available across resale marketplaces today.