April 24, 2006

Physical Personalisation

What motivates people to customise their phones? Where are they customised? Why? And how can this influence the design of future devices?

The slides for a recent short presentation to NIFT Delhi is now online on research.nokia.com. Entitled Physical Personalisation of Phone Covers in Japan can be downloaded here [1 MB]. It's an example of quick-and-dirty research project (an afternoon collecting data by reviewing 6477 phone covers in a recycling plant) with a limited but interesting enough scope (document any physical customisation), that eventually led to researching a number of more meaty topics. It's also an example of something that would never make it to an academic conference, but has proved relevant in day to day work. There's a lesson there somewhere.

Captive audience here and related posts here.

Posted by Jan at 09:44 PM | Comments (0)

April 19, 2006

Attention To Detail

Ash-tray in cafe somewhere around the back of Harajuku - text says 'Caution', small print says 'Smoking may cause your nasel hair to grow'. This level of attention to design details is fairly common in Japan.

Posted by Jan at 10:06 PM | Comments (0)

March 19, 2006

When Understanding Doesn't Matter

"Please refrain from the following acts in the store"

Many of the Japanese customers to this store will be unable to read with understanding this text, so what's its purpose?

Posted by Jan at 07:18 AM | Comments (5)

March 15, 2006

Double Wrap

The smallest example range of distribution of objects that I've come across during behavioural research was interviewing a vice-squad policeman in Berlin. He discussed drug dealers double-wrapping their product in clingfilm which was then carried in the mouth. At the point of sale one item is taken from the mouth and handed over. If the police tried to bust them they swallow the produce and since the drugs take time to clear the digestive tract it meant putting dealers behind bars at least overnight for what often amounted to a small bust.

The range of distribution more affected the consequence of discover by the wrong person (in this instance the police), rather than risk of theft per se.

Do I know the origin of the Double Wrap shop name (half way between Harajuku and Shibuya photo above)? I do not.

Posted by Jan at 08:20 PM | Comments (1)

March 13, 2006

Slip, Grip

Deck mats as stair grips - leading up to skate shop.

Posted by Jan at 08:17 PM | Comments (0)

January 22, 2006

Touch & Go Reservation, Payment

Advertisement in Harajuku station showing passenger of a Japan Railways Green Car (first class carriage) using mobile phone touch and go interaction to pay for a seat. Passengers normally have to queue to get a seat so one of the perceived benefits is in by-passing queueing. Mobile phone is equipped with Mobile Suica.

Posted by Jan at 12:52 AM | Comments (0)

November 14, 2005

Exploratory Exposed

KDDI, the number two carrier here in Japan has obviously invested a large sum of money on their KDDI Designing Studio in Harajuku to show off all things KDDI. The 5 story cylindrical building devotes space to their product line-up, a creation space, a stage for live events, a collaboration studio and on the 5th floor a 'relaxation studio' which is, um, another branch of Wired Cafe. It's unfair to judge from one visit but it was notable how empty the space was, and how little interaction it had and invited from the otherwise teeming Harajuku.

The building devotes some space to future technologies from KDDI R&D Laboratories most memorable of which is the break-dance robot. No that's not it's official name, but the demo from the studio staffer could have come straight out of my highschool playground - only needing a cardboard mat and cheering onlookers to complete the authentic break-dance experience. (Though how much time did the staffer need to have on her hands to hone her bust-a-move-robot-breakdance-skills?)

The serious-fun question in all of this is why and how to engage the public with what's coming out of the research lab?

Wireless watch has a video tour.

Posted by Jan at 10:34 AM | Comments (2)

October 20, 2005

Touch Interaction

Poster extolling the virtues of proximity touch interaction.

Posted by Jan at 09:36 PM | Comments (0)

October 17, 2005

Custom Covers

For 3,400 Yen (24 Euro or so) in downtown Tokyo you can get yourself a custom phone cover design completed in 30 minutes. Choose any number of truly tasteful designs from samples on the shelf or from a booklet most are simple patterns, a scary number of cigarette company logos, fake Gucci, YSL, whales a-jumping, cats a-lookin cute that kind of thing. He prints the design on sticky film, carefully folds it onto the phone. 20 seconds with a hair dryer then spends the next 15 minutes cutting holes for the display, buttons and removing access film.

The quality of the final result is not particular inspiring - though this is due the resolution and colour caperbilities of the printer rather than the process itself.

The bling-my-fone option looks like being more interesting.

... and if you're wondering about the lightly clothed punters, these photos were taken about a month ago. You'll be happy to hear that today it's raining hard in Tokyo and I forgot my bike rain gear. Whoopy do.

Posted by Jan at 10:57 PM | Comments (3)

April 22, 2005

@ Mo

@Mo is another concept store in Harajuku. 'Custom' FOMA P901is are placed in the context of clothing, chill-out leather sofas, tees and the ubitquitous Be@rbricks.

Its difficult to bring a custom and exclusive purchasing experience to mobile phones, which are largely the most mass of mass produced products, with a few exceptions of course.

This store leaves me cold - its all too template to be original. In a year it will be gone, but by then it will have already served its purpose.

Posted by Jan at 04:25 PM | Comments (0)