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About a week ago, Nokia India invited us to the Nokia Digital Design 2009 event over at the Oberoi in Delhi.
(Click the Image above to see the entire set on Flickr)
The evening was one of the most informative (and really fun) events I’ve been to in a while. We got to learn a lot about Nokia’s Digital Design Process, the amount of work that goes into Icon Design and the thoughts that go into various Phone Gestures. We basically got a look at the inside story of Nokia’s Digital Design.
And the best part was, we got to talk and interact with Nokia’s whole Digital Design Team, who are creating new ways for us to use our devices. They shared some of their latest research and prototyping on new forms of interaction and how these will influence the way we use devices in the future.
I could tell you more about the event, and what we learnt, but why do that when we got the whole event recorded on Video for your viewing pleasure ! Each clip has been broken into 10 minutes each, so get cozy in your seat, get a cup of coffee and check out the Nokia Digital Design Event 2009 from Delhi.
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First up, the event started with Nikki Barton.
Nikki is the head of Nokia Digital Design and spoke about the vision of Nokia’s Digital Design Team.
First up, here’s a short Interview with her :
What are the challenges you currently face as a designer?
One of the biggest challenges in designing for digital right now is ensuring information is displayed seamlessly and as consistently as possible between platforms and devices. With such a multitude of formats and services it’s key to create the best user experience possible for each audience. It’s also a design challenge to keep things simple and understandable so that features enhance rather than distract people’s experiences.
Where do you look for inspiration?
What inspires me now is that all the things we talked about and envisioned some 20 years ago are now becoming part of everyone’s reality. Being able to use technology to control and
organize your life really helps to simplify things in a society of information overload. It also inspires me how, although our friends and work colleagues are spread all over the world, we can stay connected. Digital technologies and communications bring everyone close to one another again.
How would you describe your approach to design?
It’s important to think at the highest levels, using the widest views possible when approaching a task. It goes without saying that managing a project well and ensuring project plans take into account the design process, is essential. Then by iteratively designing over time and focusing in on the desired final result, you can create something that is truly beautiful to use.
How would you define good design and what do you think customers look for in design of mobile solutions today?
I try to focus on making sure that digital design and interactivity don’t only appeal to the technology geeks. I want it to be able to be helpful and delightful and improve everyone’s lives.
How is the internet changing or influencing what and how you design?
We have been designing for the internet for over 15 years now, and during that time the internet has been through many different theoretical and practical design approaches. Now more than ever data, or information, is driving design more than it has done in the past.
Also given the multitude of ways we can connect to this information it is essential that the designs we create should be appropriate to the platforms that they are displayed on.
Favorite Nokia design and why?
My favorite Nokia design is the Nokia E71 because it feels so good in your hand and is always very impressive to use.
Favorite Nokia icon and why
I don’t have a single favorite Nokia icon, but love the feeling they have together. They have a strong design and an identifiable look that is very Nokia.
And here’s her presentation from the Nokia Digital Design Event :-
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Next up was Rob Williams.
Rob is a Design Manager at Nokia, and spoke about Nokia’s Icons and the amount of intricate work that goes into creating each one.
Here’s a short Interview with him :
What attracted you to design?
I was originally attracted to design because I have always liked creating things that get into people’s hands. Trying to understand people and how we can make things that improve or enhance their everyday lives is really interesting to me.
How much of your design aesthetic stems from your own culture or experiences? How does your background come through in your design ideas?
Quite a lot of my design aesthetic comes from my own experiences. But I think that more so I look at and design for people all around the world. You can’t only use your own experiences to design, but rather you must look at the wider experience of humanity. You really need to understand who people are around the world and what makes them tick.
What is it like to work in such a dynamic industry and what are the challenges you currently face as a designer?
I find it incredibly exciting to work in such a dynamic industry. The environment for which you are designing is constantly changing. You are constantly pioneering by using what is available and creating what is needed.
The challenge with this is trying to keep track of what is going on around the world, and new developments that are happening all the time. It all comes down to connecting people. Of course, it is challenging because there is so much variety on a global level. The way that I manage that is by going out and meeting people no matter where I am in order to understand what their needs are. The biggest challenge is to deliver an experience that is personal, but also universal enough to be relevant to everyone.
Where do you look for inspiration?
I tend to look to my design team for inspiration– the people that I share space with. I love to see how other designers innovate and how they successfully create experiences that people respond to. I am also inspired by technology where things are always progressing. But maybe most I am inspired by children and the way they seem to learn things so quickly. My little girl is 2.5 years old and already knows how to take a photograph on my Nokia 5800 XpressMusic. It’s amazing.
How would you describe your design aesthetic?
I try to be relevant and solve the problem, and style comes after that.
How would you define good design?
Good design is something that clearly and simply solves a particular problem. Good design keeps the user at the center of everything. As designers, we need to ensure that whatever we do is relevant and answers their particular needs or solves the problems of our customers.
What do you think people look for in design of mobile devices today?
I think that they are looking for ways to enhance their everyday lives through the connection they have with their device, as well as the connection with others that it offers them.
How is the internet changing or influencing what and how you design?
The internet adds another layer to what we need to consider as designers. It offers many new ways to communicate. As a designer, you aren’t in control of everything on the internet but it is a doorway into a whole new world of ways to communicate.
Favorite Nokia design and why?
I like the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic because it was the first to have the new Nokia iconography I have been working on, and I like the screen. I also like all of the services and functionalities that are packed into such a small device, like email, Nokia Maps, Sports Tracker, and it is good at taking photos.
And here’s his presentation from the Nokia Digital Design Event :-
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Next was Juliana Ferreira.
Juliana is a Design Manager at Nokia, and spoke to us about the different Homescreen designs. We even got to design our own Homescreen at one point, which was really fun !
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Last, but certainly not the least, was Younghee Jung.
Younghee’s presentation was definitely my favourite, since I’m particularly interested in the whole Gesture bit.
Here’s a short interview with her :
What attracted you to design?
When I started university, I studied general science. I was good at mathematics and asked to join the math department. It got me thinking, and I realized I wanted to be closer to everyday life and people. I switched to the industrial design department after that semester. I have always been a very curious person. Being close to and able to study various aspects of human life is what drew me to design.
How much of your design aesthetic stems from your own culture or experiences? How does your background come through in your design ideas?
It is difficult to say where my own design aesthetic comes through in my work. I have lived in Korea, the US, Finland, Japan, and now in the UK and travel often. My friends are from all over the world; so are the art and design works I get exposed to. I don’t think about country or cultural borders much. I am fascinated by everyday ideas and wisdom that I observe from people and environment wherever I am, like how taps are designed and understanding why. Finding commonalities as well as differences is of course an additional joy.
What is it like to work in such a dynamic industry and what are the challenges you currently face as a designer?
I find the mobile industry to be without boundaries and that is very exciting to me. My work is mostly about speculating the future, so naturally my work is more focused on people. People’s behaviors and motivations not only change slower than technology, but also provide an anchor point for guiding the development of technology. In a way, what I do can be described as adding flesh and personality to new technology so that the product developers understand how it can be made useful, desirable, and adaptable by people. The challenge for me is how confident we are in presenting such stories about the future, which cannot be prescribed as formula. I am keen on ‘designing’ better ways of how we involve people in our design process, which is essential to the quality of work we deliver.
Where do you look for inspiration?
I have always been a bit of an observer, and I pick up things quite quickly. I get inspiration from the practical realities of everyday life and making connections between things that are not obviously related. I am addicted to new experiences and trivial knowledge about everyday living. Whenever I travel in new places, I spend a long time at grocery stores, markets, back streets, and people’s homes if possible.
How would you define good design?
I think that good design makes people happy. The experience of the design can be short, long, internal or external. But if something is designed well, the overall experience of the user will be a positive one. The ‘overall’ experience is the key word here as it takes a great deal of effort for designers to consider various factors surrounding the use of the product beyond the object itself. As an easy example, if you are designing a cup, you will consider how it will be shopped, used, washed, and stored as a singular item or in a group of other cups. It gets substantially more complicated when the product is used for many purposes like mobile phones are.
What do you think people look for in design of mobile devices today?
I think personalization and convenience is the key. Being connected is still the most important feature, but the definition of what ‘being connected’ means is really changing. Mobile phones have become ‘the’ digital device that is carried all the time. People will want it to fit their lifestyles more closely and intimately, ranging from expressing their personal style to customizing the ways in which they want to be connected.
How is the internet changing or influencing what and how you design?
Internet is one of the key influencers why our definition of ‘being connected’ is changing. It has
expanded the ways in which people can communicate. Internet introduced much more diverse communication tools to the mass well beyond real-time voice communication. Soon, very few people will be virgin to such digital communication experience. In thinking about the future scenarios of our products and services, it is crucial to understand how people’s existing behaviors will evolve and change with them.
Which device do you use today and why?
I use the Nokia N95. I have had this phone for so long and feel it is so personalized to me with over 4,500 messages. My next phone will probably be the Nokia N97.
And here’s her presentation from the Nokia Digital Design Event. If you watch closely you’ll spot the moment where my Cellphone rings (I could have sworn I had it on Silent !) and Younghee likes that I used the “Turn Phone upside down” gesture to silence it :-
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After the Designers completed their Presentations, we had a short Q&A to get to find out more about Nokia Digital Design.
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And that’s it. As you can see, the event was definitely interesting. We hope Nokia has more of these events here in India (and more importantly, invite us to it !).
Nikki, Rob, Julianna and Younghee, if you’re reading this, Much Thanks for coming out here and giving us the inside story into Nokia Digital Design !
Clinton is currently based in New Delhi, India and is executive editor for UnleashThePhones. He is responsible for all editorial decisions, and covers all forms of Mobile and mobile-related accessories.
Cj is addicted to caffeine, social media, and technology. Always up for a good conversation, you can reach him through the contact form, his website, on Google Plus 
or on Facebook or Twitter: Follow @clintonjeff
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