The third prize winner of Design & Technology Enterprise Award 2008 awarded by Loughborough University Enterprise Office.

Key feature | Uniquely identifiable keys

Key pad was designed so that all keys are different to each other whilst keeping visual uniformity in order to reduce unnecessary finger movements to locate where the finger is.

Observation and itnerviews with the user group revealed that the ‘blind man’s dimple’ on key5 on regular phones are either of very little help or useless in effectively knowing which key one is touching. Also, interestingly, it turned out that increaing the spacing between each key can also cause confusion. While this improves key recognition, it only informs the user of whether the location he is touching is a key or not and does not inform WHICH key it is.

Key feature | Realtime Audio Feedback

In order to improve audio interactions between the user and the phone, [SÉNS] combines touch sensors and regular mechanical keys to provide real-time audio feedbacks. What this means is that when a user touches a key, the phone tells him what key has been touched without actually registering it as an input. The user may hover across the keys to consecutively gain feedbacks on which key they are touching.

Once the user is sure his finger is on the correct key, he then can press the key just like on any other standard phones. Once a key is pressed, another ‘click’ sound is fed back to confirm the input. This system is essentially just an audio version of what people without sight problems always utilises; visual indications. This provides more effecient interactions and reduces the chance of making wrong inputs compared to current products used by people with visual impairment as they only provide audio feedbacks after key inputs are registered.

Key feature | Tap to toggle input modes

Incorporating touch sensing and mechanical input on a single key provides additional benefit of software flexibility. In this case, a prototype was developed to give easy toggling method. Double tapping a key like double clicking on a mouse toggles the input mode and corresponding audio feedback is given.

For example, if key 2 is continuously tapped at a certain speed, input mode will be toggled and audio feedbacks will be given like so: “2, a, b, c, 2, a, b, c …” In addition, different menu items like [contact lists], [text messages], [internet] etc. can be respectively liked to the dial keys and may be accessed through the same toggling method, in which case the feedback can be “2, text messages, a, b, c, 2….”

Key feature | Integrated headset for better convenience and flexibility

One of the biggest issues with ‘talking’ phones is that the sound interaction can be heard by other people nearby. Using a headset wired or wireless (if Bluetooth is available) can solve the problem, however having a headset integrated to the main phone can offer a number of advantages.

First of alll, it reduces the hassle of carrying two devices all the time. Secondly having the two together reduces the risk of loss and ensures the user where the headset is. Lastly headset can be charged via the main phone thus, again, simplfies the required user actions.

Key feature | Basic yet effective visual cues

Most visually impaired people have some degree of sight although their severity may vary. However, those who can sense light intensity often utilises such information to help themselves understand conditions of their surroundings. Some users I have worked with utilises the screen brightness of their Nokia phones to check if the phone is active or not. By providing large colour illumination on the side, [SÉNS] phone exploits the most basic level of visual capability as well as hearing one to offer better usability for those with some degree of sight.

Different colour illumination can indicate some basic phone status such as low battery indication, incoming calls and messages.

General dimensions

User research, observation, interviews and testings

They provided my university with a brief to design a packaging solution for this brand which promotes sustainability without sacrificing luxury and posh feel to it and approximately forty designs were submitted by students including myself. The packaging needed to include four bottles (shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, body lotion), bar of soap, sewing kit, shoe mit, shampoo hat and vanity kit. This was a part of the university assignment and the whole design was done in seven days.

My submission turned out to be their favourite design and was kindly awarded a prize from the company.

Strategy for sustainability

Cylindrical bottles have the most effecient use of material for a given volume of content, however there will always be wasted volumes around them when packaged. With 27% more material square bottles require 27% less space which converts to approximately 38ml saving in shipping volume for every set of four bottles. This exceeds the volume of another 30ml bottle.

This saving in volume can contribute greatly in making distribution more effecient in large scale

Design features

The main packaging case is designed so that it can be used as a welcoming display by simply opening the box thereby reducing the effort required by hotel staff to prepare a room.

In addition, the way the box opens give an extra room between the products and the box lid, making it easier to take the products out.

The bottles are opaque with see through labels to easily check the content left not only for the hotel guests but also for hotel staff to check if they need to be replaced.

Large type face also makes it easy to recognise and opaque body colours offer better distinction between different liquids than having transparent bodies with different labels.

Development | Graphics and Colour Scheme

I have began the project by analysing existing hotel amenity designs. Over 500 images were gathered mainly from flickr pools (many people like to take photos of things in the hotel rooms of their trips :-) ) and each of them were tagged with two of the four keywords; cheap, posh, old, modern. While looking at the ones that appeared posh and modern, any potential impression of ’sustainability’ was explorered in forms and colours.

The image on the right shows a part of my exploration of colour schemes around some ‘earthy’ colours and cap/body balance.

Development | Logo design

Some Initial Sketches

“Aptus” is a latin word for suitable, appropriate or fitting. The main concept behind the design is essentialism. It is designed for relatively young to mid aged men and women who would not hesitate to challenge old conventions and pay strict attentions to the details of their lifestyle as a whole.

Its unique and elegant form is a result of pursuing pure essentialism of a pen and it combines such appearance with practical functionality and ergonomics.

Just to address some misunderstanding I noticed in feedbacks on the web, the straight shaft penetrating the frame in the middle is NOT the refill pen. It is a very thin hollow shaft accommodating the actual ‘bare’ pen insde.

Essentialism

A. The volume required for a pen itself, purely in terms of its mechanical requirements, can be very thin. While all existing pens accommodate for ergonomics by simply increasing the volume of the housing, Aptus instead seperates volume required for the mechanism and ergonomics and pursued both elements respectively to the extreme.

B. As shown in the diagram above despite its bodyless appearance, Aptus provides large four contact points (three points near the tip of the pen and one supporting point between the thumb and the index finger) when held in a hand so that it gives a same holding and writing experience if not better.

Prototype Development

The stamp creates a mark on paper by embossing it against a cushion material behind the attached cap.

Initial Concept Sketches

One of the winning designs selected for OPUS DESIGN AWARD 2007

Initial Concept Sketches

More information to be added soon.

More description to be added soon.

Initial Concept Sketches

Key feature | Flexible usage with rotational sockets

A single unit has four scokets on its side and one on the top. You can use it horizontally by connecting to regular extension cables or vertically by using the stand shown in the image. The unit can be easilly expanded by connecting another unit on the top as shown in the main image above.
Large plugs such as mobile phone DC chargers can be plugged side by side by simply rotating each socket. This allows the unit to stay compact.

Initial developmet sketches