The designer of the Ophone explains that the average person may spend up to three hours each day on his smartphone, and therefore at least one entire waking day each week fixated on his touchscreen. With this in mind, Marko Lazic has proposed a new design that is deliberately missing some of the most impressive, hi-tech features of contemporary handsets, in favor of people spending more time interacting directly with the people around them.
Upholding a priority for immediate and easy human contact and communication, the Ophone enables only phone calls and texting. The interface is labeled with universal symbols so that people of all ages and languages can navigate it intuitively. And with so few actions available on this credit-card-size smartphone concept, the user will pay more attention to his surroundings and engage in more one-on-one conversation.
Reductive Handset Designs
The Ophone Is Stripped Down to the Basics to Refocus Energy Elsewhere
Trend Themes
1. Minimalist Handset Designs - Designing simple, stripped-down smartphones to reduce screen time and increase direct human communication and interaction.
2. Universal Symbol Interfaces - Creating phone interfaces that are easy to navigate for people of all ages and languages with simple, universal symbols.
3. Attention-focused Smartphone Design - Designing smartphones with very limited options to make users focus more on their surroundings and engage in more one-on-one conversations.
Industry Implications
1. Smartphone Industry - Creating a market for minimalist smartphones that reduce screen time and promote positive, meaningful interactions.
2. User Experience Design Industry - Incorporating universal symbol interfaces into design practices to create more user-friendly products.
3. Telecommunications Industry - Developing attention-focused smartphone designs that promote more positive and meaningful interactions between users.