Retro Reflection
Capturing light in fluid silhouettes, Retro Reflection mirrors your dynamic urban journey.
Inspired by the ever-changing pulse of city life, Retro Reflection is more than just a design — it’s a statement. At its core is retro-reflective fabric, composed of thousands of microscopic glass beads. These tiny elements use a science called retroreflection — bending light and sending it directly back to its source. The result? A surface that glows with clarity, catching the eye when it matters most.
Hardware Design and CMF
Inspired by urban aesthetics, the hardware embraces discerning greys and subtle, tactile textures—tones often found in modern streetwear and technical apparel. The finish is smooth, matte, and understated, allowing the form to feel timeless while remaining grounded in contemporary design. The highlight, however, lies in its use of retroreflective material — a fabric infused with microscopic glass beads that bounce light directly back to its source. When illuminated, this creates fluid silhouettes that glow vividly, especially in low-light environments, making the phone visually dynamic and immediately noticeable. Enhancing this contrast, the signature red design detail is reimagined in a vibrant orange accent, offering a refined pop of colour that complements the greys while adding energy and warmth. Together, these choices turn the phone into a moving canvas of light, texture, and contrast — not just made to be seen, but to stand out effortlessly in any crowd.
Packaging Design
The packaging is designed to match the bold and futuristic feel of the device itself. Inspired by the clean orientation of the stock packaging, it features a split design — one half showcasing the reflective surface that plays with light, and the other finished in a muted grey, echoing the phone’s subtle material tones. This contrast highlights the balance between visibility and minimalism. To make the unboxing feel even more special, the box would ideally be sealed inside a vacuum-packed silver wrapper — if possible. The crinkled silver adds a futuristic, high-tech touch, while also nodding to the retroreflective element in the design. It’s a simple but striking experience, made to feel fresh, unique, and memorable right from the first touch.
Mood board and Creative Process
This idea took its time to shape up. At first, I was really drawn to the concept of a Damascus-like texture on the internals — something raw, layered, and artisanal. I explored hydro-dipping as a way to bring that to life, but the more I worked on it, the more I realized it didn’t quite align with the feeling I was chasing.
So I shifted focus. I started looking at the world around me — at fashion, at function. What caught my eye were those high-visibility elements: reflective uniforms worn by firemen, safety strips on roads and vehicles. There’s something powerful about design that demands attention and serves a purpose.
That’s when the idea clicked — what if a phone could do that too? Be bold, visible, and expressive in a way that feels both fresh and functional.
This moodboard reflects that journey. From handcrafted textures to reflective statements, it captures how the concept evolved into something more confident, more human, and more aligned with what a modern, standout device can be.
Perch
Pixelated and Perfected.
Perch started with a feeling — that mix of retro tech and modern street energy. I drew color inspiration from Japan’s streetwear scene — bold, layered, and effortlessly cool. The lockscreen brings back a pixelated vibe, almost like an old digital watch, but sharper. And for the wallpaper? I imagined the marks left behind from drifting on a track — raw, sweeping lines that feel fast and alive. Altogether, it’s a little throwback, a little future — and fully yours.
Overall Look
The visual direction is all about rethinking the everyday — starting with the typeface. I created a unique square matrix font by blending different styles and techniques, aiming for something that felt structured yet expressive, technical but personal. It sets the tone for the entire experience.
The lockscreen continues that rhythm with a dot matrix-style clock — a subtle nod to retro tech, bringing back that tactile, digital nostalgia in a fresh way.
For colors, I looked to the streets of Tokyo — the way Japanese fashion uses pops of color to break the monotony and inject personality. That’s where the blue, orange, and yellow came in. They’re bold, but not loud — they work together to create contrast, rhythm, and a sense of movement. It’s not just color for color’s sake — it feels like it belongs.
Widgets and More
Widgets have always been a big part of the Nothing community — people love them, customize them, and ask for more. I brought back a few from one of my earlier series: the Battery Widget, designed to be clean, intuitive, and full of personality. There’s also the Memories Widget, which connects with the Nothing Gallery and highlights your favorite photos in a simple, elegant way.
One of my personal favorites is the Screen Time Widget — a fun little glance into your usage, with some character. And yes, for the Nothing X app, there are a couple of secret ones too: a Noise Cancellation Widget and the Boom Widget — one tap to boost your bass. And of course, the most requested one from the community — a Calendar Widget — finally makes its way in.
Another idea I’m really excited about is emoji-based widgets — specifically black-and-white emojis that can live on your lockscreen or home screen. These could become a whole new way to personalize your setup.
The lockscreen clock uses a custom dot matrix font, designed to feel unique — it’s a fusion of different styles, fitting right into retro-future vibe.
Moving on to the fingerprint animation, It’s inspired by how layers of software build up — each element interacting like ripples on water, stacking up into something beautiful and functional.
And while I didn’t get time to design the wallpaper yet, I had a solid concept in mind. Inspired by the drift marks left on race tracks, the idea is to tell a story through abstract motion — showing the tension, control, and chaos behind every mark. It’s not just a visual — it’s a reflection of effort, movement, and identity.
Mood Board and Creative Process
This moodboard captures just a part of the vision — honestly, there were way too many ideas to fit into one frame. But each element here reflects a key part of the journey.
The bold color palette is inspired by Japanese streetwear — where color isn’t just aesthetic, but attitude. Those strong blues, pops of orange, and subtle yellows bring a sense of energy and individuality that felt right for this project.
The tube clock reference is a small tribute to London — a place known for timeless design and structured chaos. And tying it back home, the square matrix digital displays commonly found in India played a huge role too. Their raw, functional, pixel-style layout sparked the core idea for the lockscreen and clock typography.
To the right, you’ll spot some wallpaper inspiration — textures and motion pulled from real-world ideas like drift marks and movement lines. They’re still evolving, but they hint at what’s coming next.
There were so many concepts floating around during this process, and not everything made it to the board — but what’s here tells the story pretty well.
About the Designer
Yeah, this is my submission for the Community Edition project. I really wanted to create something that not only looks cool but means something — something that reflects a bit of Nothing’s DNA. I genuinely had a blast designing this.
Sure, I know there’s more I could’ve done — maybe even built a 3D model — but I see that as part of the journey. I’m still growing, still learning, and pushing myself with every project.
If this concept resonates with you, if you think it stands out — who knows? Maybe this could be the start of something bigger. Maybe Nothing could have their youngest designer on board, either way I had a lot of fun working on this and I really think you would also enjoy reading this, and yeah, thats pretty much it.
peace out!
