Design Prophecy & Occasional Reflections
A Design Genetic Perspective on...everything.
PC is getting it
The PC guy from the Apple commercials seems to get it. PC Hardware are becoming more and more design oriented. It's so obvious when a company have understood design even in a small way. ASUS is one of those that seem to have understood it, the Apple way. This is one example, the new Asus Aspire Revo. Leaving the stiffness for more soft values in their product design can be one of the reasons it has gone so well one the market. Design evokes emotions and by that becomes more human. And that sells. Like the smoothness in the slightly curved line holding the power switch, and movement coming from the interesting contrast in the soft line and the linear and slightly harsh joining between the black and white area in Aspire Revo. The only problem is that it doesn't come with Mac OS X. I would like to have that opportunity (not a Hackingtosh).
So balanced.
The other day Apple revealed the new iPhone OS 3.0. I'm a Mac user since a long time, but I'm also into Windows XP, tried Windows 7, and Linux Ubuntu. I must say that Apple does things so right. Everything works so smooth. They are able to balance a linear and rigid thinking, like programming can be, with a very emotional smoothness that goes all the way from the machine via the software to me as a user, a human. They are innovative and free, but at the same time very practical. People that doesn't like Apple often claim that they are too design oriented and forget functionality. I don't see that. I see how they put humans in the center. It's all about usability, and that's functionality at its best.
Opel Insignia
Opel Insigna is an interesting new car from Opel. It was a long time ago I was attracted by something from Opel. But this has some nice emotional movements. It's very solid and bulgy, yet so compact and smooth. I like how they slide by details of the car in the Flash movie and by that portraying quality. I think of one of those dark gray, warm, and smooth stones you get on your spine at the spa. Also the silence and tranquility in the discrete but emotional design makes me think of the spa. Do you see what I mean? Maybe that's why I like it.
SAAB's linear problem.
GM is now talking about selling SAAB.Whatever they do I wonder if SAAB is going to make it considering the magnitude of costs and complexity involved for getting new products on the market. Any change will take time to bring results. I'm crossing my fingers and hoping for the best.
SAAB's problems are rooted in their personality, as always. Their product design reveals that they are innovative, and in that sense somewhat free and irrational, but still rather rational and linear. For them design is more a question of innovation and functionality rather than balanced with art and esthetics, making their cars a bit soulless. Indeed very Swedish. They have improved in the last few years. However a distinct characteristic of their cars is that they haven't changed that much, something normal for us humans in order to be ... human. New cars look pretty much like old ones giving a linear design direction. The design is also a bit harsh and simple in complexity, strengthening the lack of "soul". More intellectual than emotional if you like. More engineering than design.
Other attributes of SAAB's Corporate Design look different, especially their advertising and web site design, with a design language being a bit more outgoing, organic, complex and smooth. What if their cars could follow the same path? Keep the innovative spirit but put more soul into it. And implement a more coherent design direction. Look at the sites below. I've never understood why you would try to be different on different markets. People will have a much harder time understanding who you are and you will loose important momentum. Sweden and Italy are somewhat similar, thought not completely, but look at USA. Despite an apparent irrational visual look I smell a rational marketing strategy.
Palm on a new path
Palm Pre is an interesting development on the mobile market. The new phone from Palm is a new bold step to protect Palm's position as a market player. It has a new OS called Palm Web OS, based on Linux but relaying on web standard technologies such as html and javascript. Precisely where I believe Apple is going with iPhone and Safari using HTML 5 for animations and web applications. It communicates a moving, warm and emotional personality with its rounded shape, also in the GUI, leaving linear, harsh compositions, and rigid user interface behind. Despite the resemblance with the iPhone it has integrity.
