Out of the Box

I managed this year long research project to enable older people through mobile technology for Samsung in partnership with the Helen Hamlyn Research Centre. While investigating the pain and frustration of older people using mobile phones aged 55-75 in the UK, Italy and Norway, much pointed to the out of the box experience the difficulties in learning mobile technology, not in the technology itself. The three solutions our team researched and created all reflect this idea.

Out of the Book was the design to reinvent the often overlooked manual into something precious, making the box and manual one process that gently and deliberately takes the user through the setup process.

Magic Cards were a design to take out the confusing menu systems which older users have so much trouble with and utilise tapping RFID enabled cards to use applications and functionalities of the phone in a real and physical.

Menu Map was teach phone navigation and functionality by providing a real interactive map which would lead the older person through the process.

"Out of the Box: access to mobile communications for older people" from the Helen Hamlyn Research Centre

With Adrian Westaway, Clara Gaggero and Mikael Metthey.