Smartphone Concepts:
Shaping Hardware and User Interfaces

About the Project

A range of innovative smartphone concepts was explored for a leading manufacturer, introducing cutting-edge features such as curved edge displays and the ability to capture still and moving images simultaneously—an idea that later evolved into Apple’s Live Photo technology.

 

Related Services
Future Vision Work
Interaction Design
Visual Interface Design

Role
Interaction Design Director

 
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Exploring A Range of User-Centered Concepts

Extensive user research informed the design of a range of smartphone form factors and features. Some phones were optimized for multitasking with split-screen functionality, while others addressed the need for managing both work and personal phone lines. The solution featured a dual-SIM phone with a rotating display that revealed either work or personal content, offering seamless separation between the two.

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Continuous edge screen provides glanceable information that can be viewed discretely.

Seamless Edge Display Integration

The Ticker concept explored edge-to-edge, supplementary displays that enhance the user experience. The primary display, with its edgeless design, immerses users in engaging content, while secondary displays seamlessly integrate along the edge of the phone. These secondary displays provide users with discreet, dynamically updated status indicators, allowing them to stay informed on news feeds, notifications, and other essential updates without interrupting their primary activity.

Spaces for All

The Spaces smartphone interface introduced “spaces” that contained content tailored to specific events, people, documents, and groups. Users could navigate between spaces using a capacitive touch bar, sliding their fingers left or right to swipe across the interface. Scrolling was achieved by flipping the metal touch bar up or down, with a press action used to make selections, offering a seamless and intuitive navigation experience.

 

A Fresh Perspective

The Ticker concept featured a parallax scrolling interface, allowing users to navigate by simply rotating the phone from side to side. This motion-driven interaction revealed dynamically updated “living content” modules, seamlessly integrated into the main interface, keeping users engaged with real-time information.

A New Spin on Things

The Spin smartphone concept allowed users to effortlessly switch between two separate SIM cards by spinning the display with their thumb. This innovative feature addressed the need for a clear separation between business and personal phone use, offering users an intuitive way to manage both without compromising on functionality.

Leading Smartphone Manufacturer Concept Gallery