One Vision: Peter Griffith on Microsoft Lumia Design
Peter Griffith came to Nokia at the end of 2005 and at first worked on the design of premium devices, but soon he headed the entire industrial design division.
Today, occupying a similar position in the mobile division of Microsoft, he is sure that it is the design that distinguishes good products from excellent ones. Our colleagues managed to talk to Peter, and we cannot but share this interview with you.
Being the only person responsible for the design of Microsoft Lumia, Peter explains that he does not aspire to technology in the name of technology. He believes that it is important to help people do the things they want, to let them work more productively.
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You are one of those who determine how the Lumia mobile devices will look like over the past 10 years. Has it become easier to work after combining Nokia Devices & Services and Microsoft? Is cooperation between device and software development now faster?
In fact, integration has been going on for a long time: do not forget that for several years we worked in close cooperation with the Windows Phone team. Now that we are all one company, we can collaborate in a new way, on a larger scale. And if our ultimate goal is a person using a device, then we need to understand how to make all the elements of this device work as a single entity.
Do you think the software component will ever dictate the terms of industrial design? For example, many users want to use the capabilities of Bing Health when playing sports, but not everyone wants, say, to mount a large Lumia 1520 on hand. Is there a compromise? In general, what now determines the whole design concept?
We do not repel software or hardware. The main principle for us is the feasibility of the idea. The tools that the team has at their disposal are constantly replenishing and expanding (quite recently we didn’t suspect that we could implement all of today's technology in the field of fitness).
Appendix " Health and Fitness "
We must implement any changes as quickly as possible, because now it’s almost impossible to predict which way technology will go further. But besides this, we must also follow what we have already done to see how and how quickly people accept these innovations.
Does the past design experience of shops, museums, interiors and furniture in Lumia design help you today?
Highly. He gave me the breadth of looking at things. When I studied at the Royal College of Art, I liked the mix of everything in the design department. I worked with everything that I could, from glass and ceramics to printing and architecture. I am lucky that I can use a combination of all this when creating mobile phones, which I now understand well for ten years in the company.
Royal College of Art / Royal College of Art, London, UK
Our consumers want to have the maximum number of functions in a smartphone, which also has good quality and an attractive price. How does this reflect on the design?
This is part of the amazing task ahead of us. Nevertheless, it seems to me that consumers still do not want literally everything that can be contained. For them, a smartphone is a specific set of things, unique and individual.
When developing the concept of our products, we have to decide which things need to be left behind and which ones to include, trying to get the most out of the needs of the end user. And, again, this is due to the understanding of modern trends and what people want from the new generation of devices.
And how would you like to see the further development of smartphones?
The information revolution that the world is experiencing in our days opens up new horizons for us. Nevertheless, a smartphone as an object, at least in the near future, will not lose its significance, and well-equipped and well-thought-out devices will remain in priority.
What do you think about handheld mobile technology, wearable devices?
It seems to me that the term “wearable devices” is rather a buzzword. Bluetooth headsets and watches have been around for many years, and after all, it's all wearable devices. Nevertheless, we understand that people like the convenience of wearing gadgets on the body. Therefore, one of the fundamental tasks for us now is to understand their real advantages and create something amazing.
But do you still see the key role of smartphones in implementing “wearable” technologies?
Yes. The most powerful technological device that we carry with us everywhere is a smartphone. And while the reality looks like this: people complement smartphones with smaller and less powerful devices, making the functionality of the latter even more impressive.
Microsoft Band
If we talk about the sphere of the material world, which product had the greatest impact on you? It does not have to be a telephone.
One of my favorites of all time is the Alessi Espresso Stove-top Coffee Maker from Richard Sapper. (Laughs.) For several decades now she has been standing on my desk, and I still enjoy using it every day.
At that time, most of the devices of this kind were made of aluminum, and my coffee machine was made of stainless steel, which determined its shape. This is exactly the case when the design and function perfectly complement each other.
In general, as a consumer, I simply adore her. There is nothing superfluous in this technique. But I also like it from the point of view of exploitation: it really makes good coffee and makes it no worse than in the first days after purchase. In my opinion, these are the main reasons why people are so fond of any technique.
It turns out that the subordination of the form of functionality is extremely important. Do you think the same can be said about the design of mobile phones? Or does this concept lose its meaning due to the fact that smartphones are developing so quickly?
Making coffee is quite simple, and this occupation has not undergone major changes. However, the world of mobile phones is a fast-growing industry, and over the past decade we have all seen the changes it has undergone.
But still there are foundations that will not disappear anywhere: the quality of materials, the coherence of the elements that form the final product, and the functionality of the device. It will always be important for users.
Today, occupying a similar position in the mobile division of Microsoft, he is sure that it is the design that distinguishes good products from excellent ones. Our colleagues managed to talk to Peter, and we cannot but share this interview with you.
Being the only person responsible for the design of Microsoft Lumia, Peter explains that he does not aspire to technology in the name of technology. He believes that it is important to help people do the things they want, to let them work more productively.
')
You are one of those who determine how the Lumia mobile devices will look like over the past 10 years. Has it become easier to work after combining Nokia Devices & Services and Microsoft? Is cooperation between device and software development now faster?
In fact, integration has been going on for a long time: do not forget that for several years we worked in close cooperation with the Windows Phone team. Now that we are all one company, we can collaborate in a new way, on a larger scale. And if our ultimate goal is a person using a device, then we need to understand how to make all the elements of this device work as a single entity.
Do you think the software component will ever dictate the terms of industrial design? For example, many users want to use the capabilities of Bing Health when playing sports, but not everyone wants, say, to mount a large Lumia 1520 on hand. Is there a compromise? In general, what now determines the whole design concept?
We do not repel software or hardware. The main principle for us is the feasibility of the idea. The tools that the team has at their disposal are constantly replenishing and expanding (quite recently we didn’t suspect that we could implement all of today's technology in the field of fitness).
Appendix " Health and Fitness "
We must implement any changes as quickly as possible, because now it’s almost impossible to predict which way technology will go further. But besides this, we must also follow what we have already done to see how and how quickly people accept these innovations.
Does the past design experience of shops, museums, interiors and furniture in Lumia design help you today?
Highly. He gave me the breadth of looking at things. When I studied at the Royal College of Art, I liked the mix of everything in the design department. I worked with everything that I could, from glass and ceramics to printing and architecture. I am lucky that I can use a combination of all this when creating mobile phones, which I now understand well for ten years in the company.
Royal College of Art / Royal College of Art, London, UK
Our consumers want to have the maximum number of functions in a smartphone, which also has good quality and an attractive price. How does this reflect on the design?
This is part of the amazing task ahead of us. Nevertheless, it seems to me that consumers still do not want literally everything that can be contained. For them, a smartphone is a specific set of things, unique and individual.
When developing the concept of our products, we have to decide which things need to be left behind and which ones to include, trying to get the most out of the needs of the end user. And, again, this is due to the understanding of modern trends and what people want from the new generation of devices.
And how would you like to see the further development of smartphones?
The information revolution that the world is experiencing in our days opens up new horizons for us. Nevertheless, a smartphone as an object, at least in the near future, will not lose its significance, and well-equipped and well-thought-out devices will remain in priority.
What do you think about handheld mobile technology, wearable devices?
It seems to me that the term “wearable devices” is rather a buzzword. Bluetooth headsets and watches have been around for many years, and after all, it's all wearable devices. Nevertheless, we understand that people like the convenience of wearing gadgets on the body. Therefore, one of the fundamental tasks for us now is to understand their real advantages and create something amazing.
But do you still see the key role of smartphones in implementing “wearable” technologies?
Yes. The most powerful technological device that we carry with us everywhere is a smartphone. And while the reality looks like this: people complement smartphones with smaller and less powerful devices, making the functionality of the latter even more impressive.
Microsoft Band
If we talk about the sphere of the material world, which product had the greatest impact on you? It does not have to be a telephone.
One of my favorites of all time is the Alessi Espresso Stove-top Coffee Maker from Richard Sapper. (Laughs.) For several decades now she has been standing on my desk, and I still enjoy using it every day.
At that time, most of the devices of this kind were made of aluminum, and my coffee machine was made of stainless steel, which determined its shape. This is exactly the case when the design and function perfectly complement each other.
In general, as a consumer, I simply adore her. There is nothing superfluous in this technique. But I also like it from the point of view of exploitation: it really makes good coffee and makes it no worse than in the first days after purchase. In my opinion, these are the main reasons why people are so fond of any technique.
It turns out that the subordination of the form of functionality is extremely important. Do you think the same can be said about the design of mobile phones? Or does this concept lose its meaning due to the fact that smartphones are developing so quickly?
Making coffee is quite simple, and this occupation has not undergone major changes. However, the world of mobile phones is a fast-growing industry, and over the past decade we have all seen the changes it has undergone.
But still there are foundations that will not disappear anywhere: the quality of materials, the coherence of the elements that form the final product, and the functionality of the device. It will always be important for users.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/363857/
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