Interface Trends Going Mainstream

All of the product launch seasons are fun for designers, not so much for the big announcements, but to see which early-stage trends are moving to the mainstream. Recently, we have seen a shift in the cutting edge of interaction design; moving interactions off the touchscreen and into the behavior of the product itself.

In some circles, this is hardly new. MIT, CMU, and other universities have been hotbeds of haptic interface and ambient informatics work for the past ten or fifteen years. But this tangible, behavioral interface has been slow to reach the mainstream.

So while our cold-numbed fingers will definitely appreciate using the Nokia Lumia 920's new sensitive touchscreen from the comfort of thick winter gloves, we are especially jazzed by the JBL PowerUp speakers that launched more quietly alongside. The casual seamlessness of dropping your phone onto a charging pad, of tapping a speaker to shift the sound stream to it, is exactly the sort of natural interface that we see people primed to expect. A latent need waiting to be expressed.

The technology impresses us by working invisibly, seamlessly. This effect is not easy to accomplish. It requires talented designers and engineers collaborating closely and treating the physical and digital sides of the product as an integrated whole. Nicely done.

ICFF 2012 - Design Trends

New York City for DesignWeek and ICFF is always an inspiring trip. This year was no exception; we had a wonderful time exploring the great design events around the city. After taking a few days to recover and sort through our photos we identified a few of our favorite trends from this years events. 

Open Frame - An aesthetic that is described by its suggestion of form via outlines and repetition. We particularly enjoyed the the Tweet Outdoor Stool by Ji-In Kim, chairs and light fixtures created by BEND, and the Acapulco Chairs by innit.

Obvious Construction – By embracing the way in which parts of an piece come together many designs brought focus to this intriguing point of juncture. A few examples include the tables by Jones Falls Furniture, which incorporate slivers of red aluminium trim on each leg that break through the top surface forming distinct red right angles. And the playfully proportioned Drop stools by Objeti, which pay particular attention to the detail where the metal base intersects with the wood seat.

Reclaimed Industrial – The growing movement using reclaimed materials and industrial detailing was well established this year with lots of repurposed materials being used in controlled ways. At the Core77 Open Exhibition we enjoyed the Strap End Table by uhuru and later stumbled upon another uhuru gem, the Stitch Table at their 2012 preview in the Phaidon bookstore.

Sculptural Dimensional Patterns – Another established trend incorporating 3D patterns and form on planar surfaces keeps evolving every year. The most exciting work in this category was the wall divider and ceramic/porcelain tiles by Interlam and Kowa. The use of subtle textural patterns was featured on the felt Buzzicube by Buzzispace and carried over to a 2D interpretation on the Hot Mesh chair by Bludot with a familiar 3D hexagonal pattern.

We hope you enjoyed our favorite design trends from NYC DesignWeek. Stay tuned for an upcoming post summarizing some of the colors trends we observed at the show!

A New Way to Shop for an Electric Car

Starting today, Coda a brand new player in the EV market will be creating a whole new car shopping experience for consumers as it opens its first flagship "store" at Century City shopping center in LA. Made entirely of eco-friendly and recycled materials, this store will allow consumers to interact with the brand, the product and the category with these four spaces: 

* The EV Bar: An interactive learning area with computers and tablets for consumers to touch, feel, play and design custom vehicles.
* The Technology Display: Which will feature displays of the CODA sedan technology, including batteries, shifters and other components
* A Test Drive Counter: Where customers can sign up for test drives
* The Test Drive Center: Below the store in a parking garage, customers can test drive the car for the ultimate dealership experience

 From a marketing and design perspective, Coda does a great job at creating end user engagement, while increasing awareness for electric vehicles and new technology.

I'm looking forward to seeing what this business model will do to the traditional car dealership in the future.