NOKIA XS-2437X

Wifi 7 Fiber Gateway

2020
Status Produced
Role Industrial Design Lead
Design Direction
Anton Fahlgren|Axel Meyer

Fragile cables remain a key challenge for fiber connectivity in home environments.

Fragile cables remain a key challenge for fiber connectivity in home environments.

Fiber optic cables enable high-speed connectivity but are fragile. Left unmanaged, they are exposed to everyday hazards, often causing damage, service disruptions, and costly repairs.

Shaped through iteration, a tool to guide intuitive fiber management.

Designing for fiber meant working within strict limits. Bend radius and fragility defined the design. Iterative prototyping shaped a form that naturally guides correct handling without instruction.

Balancing Expectations, Improving Experience

From a user perspective, one question matters: am I connected to the internet? A single multi-color indicator communicates this clearly. Aligning this view with the teams desire to express technical capability required strong advocacy. Through clear argumentation, the solution evolved: a single, user-facing LED for essential feedback, while additional indicators were moved to the back.

What began as a point of friction became a defining feature, shaping a unobtrusive product experience now used as a key selling point.

From a user perspective, only one question matters in daily use: is my internet connection working? A single multi-color indicator communicates this clearly. Aligning this with internal expectations required strong advocacy. Product management and engineering initially pushed for multiple front-facing LEDs to express technical capability. The risk, however, was a visually intrusive device, often leading users to hide it from view. Through ongoing discussion and clear argumentation, the solution evolved: a single, user-facing LED for essential feedback, while additional indicators were moved to the back.

What began as a point of friction became a defining feature, reinforcing a calm, unobtrusive product experience now used

as a key selling point.

Silent Performance

Alongside cable management, thermal performance became a key design driver. Fiber components generate significant heat. Seamlessly integrated ventilation openings provide enough airflow for passive convection cooling.

The Beacon 2 relies on passive convection cooling, requiring continuous airflow through the enclosure to dissipate heat from the internal heatsink. Alongside antenna clearance, thermal management became one of the primary drivers in the design process. The challenge was to integrate sufficient ventilation area while maintaining the calm, minimal appearance that defines the product.