Maps appropriate to context
The digital maps found on today’s mobile devices derive from cartographic techniques hundreds of years old. User context, however, has changed. The situations in which users find themselves accessing maps on a mobile device are very differen…
Refining through multi-layered user research
Emporia’s approach to user-centred design is multi-layered. Albert Fellner, founder, began by providing mobile devices accessible to the elderly and others excluded by the technological complexity. Starting with a strong personal motivation prov…
User environment driving technology
Sierra Wireless’ new USB cellular modems show how user-centred design can help differentiate products in a commoditised market. Matt Plested of Alloy, the agency which helped Sierra design the products, explained how they explored user environmen…
Displaying visual quiet
How will our relationship with digital displays change when they can show a fixed image almost indefinitely in low power mode and survive autonomously for weeks at a time in the mobile environment without charging?
Displays are currently the la…
Subtle interaction and sensory engagement
Digital technology rarely inspires emotion. It can be an effective conduit for emotion: transmitting a message to a loved one, for instance, or sharing the first picture of a new family member. However, the medium itself rarely evokes emotion in…
Finally found form factor flourish
It would be easy to despair, as it seems the BBC’s Rory Cellan-Jones did, of finding form factor innovation at a Mobile World Congress dominated more than ever by generic black touchscreen slates. However, an exploration of Fujitsu’s booth reveal…
Consuming devices move to create
Usage of tablets is transitioning from information consumption to more creative endeavours. For a company such as Adobe, with an established base of customers familiar with its desktop products, there is a balance to be struck between moving exis…
Copy fast, fail soon
A brief exploration of the ZTE stand revealed a handset portfolio defined by its lack of imagination and a cheapness of materials. As an example, this Mimosa X boasts some respectable specifications, with an 8 megapixel camera, dual core proce…