The Una Corda Piano design departs from the traditional concept of acoustic pianos that consist of the technical piano surrounded by a furniture casing. The Una Corda design strictly focuses on the functional aspects of the instrument, the sound quality and the mechanical properties. For amplifying piano strings only the soundboard is relevant, stripping the instrument of a case allows the sound to travel freely to the listeners. The mechanical parts being visible adds to the educational experience whilst playing the piano, offering an insight into how the audible tone is actually created.

Klavins Piano stands for new, non-traditional design of acoustic pianos. The aim of the company and its founder David Klavins is to inspire pianists, composers, and listeners alike by musical instruments that offer new types of sound and design, strictly applying the principle of "form follows function". Besides having created the light-weight Una Corda Piano, Klavins Piano is the only company world wide to build Vertical Concert Grand pianos of 4,5 meters height, meant to be integrated in building structures, offering a variety of different visual design options, suitable for concert spaces as well as private homes.

Nils Frahm is a Berlin based pianist and composer, who is constantly searching for new sounds to express his music. His compositions are based on the sound characteristics of each particular instrument he is utilizing. Being foremost a pianist, Nils Frahm was intrigued by the idea of having an acoustic piano that sounds different from traditional pianos and commissioned David Klavins to create the Una Corda, after they had discussed the potential merits of such an instrument.