I started listing out the features I thought of associated with phones and what hardware was associated with those features.


 

I circled the different types of hardware that was used in each feature.


 

I then looked at how those features could be realized in the phone. Both as builton and removable devices.


 

I started to make a persona. However, I realized it was hard to think of all the things imaginary people want. I am limited by how I view my mobile phone.



Design your own phone PDF

I decided to make a form to ask people what features they would want. I hope this will bring up features I have not thought about.

My goal when designing the form was to first make people think about current features before asking them to think of new ones. I am hoping that this will limit the need for examples because examples tend to funnel people’s thinking in one direction.

The form must encourage out of the box thinking. The language must lead people away from drawing their favorite phone and into more abstract thinking.


After testing the first form only once it was clear that the language needed to change. I remade the form with a different headline in a wacky phone. The second form better reflected these desired results. However, I fear the examples were funneling the way of thinking.


Design a futuristic phone PDF

Current form.

Possible additional questions to help people think outside the box: “Think of problems that your current phone does not solve. Draw a futuristic phone that solves one of those problem.”