18/09/2026
From an initial concept sketch to a fully functional MVP. We teamed up with Rukn to bring a screen-free audio storytelling speaker to life for young Muslim children and their families. Inspired by the geometric elegance of the Kaaba, the Rukn player uses abstract, tactile story tokens to share Islamic history and moral lessons without relying on human facial imagery.
Under the hood, we engineered a custom electromechanical stack powered by an ESP32-S3 microcontroller, I2C-driven NFC activation, and synchronized RGB lighting that pulses along with every narrative. From solving ground-loop audio noise to designing drop-safe, child-friendly proportions and modular minaret-inspired token storage, every detail was crafted with both cultural respect and manufacturing feasibility in mind.
Find out more about the project here: https://luma-id.co.uk/projects/rukn
What do you think of this modern, screen-free approach to heritage product design? Let us know in the comments!
Prototyping UXDesign ScreenFree IslamicDesign EdTech IoT ESP32 DesignForManufacturing StartupJourney