I haven’t bought a new phone since my pink Razr v3 in 2007. Even then, it was a free phone from my family’s new contract with AT&T. I currently carry a Nokia E61i that I received from my internship at Nokia in 2008.
The current state of mobile devices
It’s not that I don’t care about the phone I use. In fact, most of my days are spent on Engadget waiting for the one day my dream phone will come out. I almost purchased a Pre, an Evo, an Aria, and an iPhone4… but I didn’t. Every time I am dissatisfied with some element of it:
Android?
Sloppy visual design; boring; slow response due to its nature as an open source OS.
iOS?
Tired; limited; aesthetically wonderful, but old.
WebOS?
Aesthetically great, but dismal support; old hardware.
I’ve put my future hopes for mobile UI in Windows Phone 7. It has garnered much anticipation, as well as hatred. “It’s ugly.” “I don’t like the type.” “It wastes so much space on the home screen on the right.” Yes, the visual design and type hierarchy could be better, but they’re trying something new. I think Metro UI has great potential, and the hardware quality is maintained by Microsoft to ensure a fast & responsive experience. Based off of the previews I’ve seen, it looks to be pretty promising.
Tablets are also quickly growing market with large potential, but so far poor execution (yes, even the iPad is just okay).
My senior project: a new device + OS
For the past few months I have been deciding what I want to do in my immediate future. I narrowed it down to two projects this past week, and finally chose to move ahead with the mobile device and OS.
Note I am not using the word ‘phone’. I believe that as technology and interactions become smaller and smaller, phone will soon become just another feature of a mobile device, like a web browser or email reader.
I am firm on remaining in both ID and UX disciplines. I believe we are coming into a time when you cannot separate the two roles. The onslaught of devices with poor integration of hardware and UI is a huge problem. There is often some brand confusion, as well. Device manufacturers and service providers all want to impose their brand onto a product. The end result is usually a horrible, ugly monster of a UI that doesn’t fit the industrial design. (The one exception to this rule is iOS and to some extent, WebOS). Even the upcoming WP7 seems to have fallen into this unfortunate mishap.
The plan
My fall semester ends in December. I will be participating in the iF concept award and will attempt to create a product (line, if possible) that will address people’s mobile needs through a brand, physical hardware, and UI interactions.
- I will implement my knowledge of user centered research and design to find the most appropriate form and functions.
- I will create beautiful products with my experience in aesthetics and designing consumer electronics.
- I will utilize the principles I have learned in the HCII to design intuitive and clear interactions.
- I will create a cohesive, compelling brand that expresses my philosphy on mobile design.
Preliminary schedule
To focus my efforts, I need to define my project through several means:
Brand philosophy: What does it feel like to use this device? What words and images can express that? I need to name this project.
Market + User research: What is out there, both realized and conceptual? Design for the user, not for myself. Find volunteers to record mobile habits.
Product specification: What components are needed to create this mobile experience, both physical and digital?
Social outreach: As this is for the Design Out Loud studio, I need to define methods to reach out to the community and engage them in the design process.
