Design Matters

The votes are in, tabulated, and results posted for the Cooper-Hewitt’s People’s Design Award. This years winner was the Zon Hearing Aid. Congratulations! Instead of an unattractive necessity, the Zon looks more like a luxury fashion accessory. I think this is a great breakthrough for the hearing aid industry. Most hearing aids usually look more like a displaced clump of ear wax rather than a design jewel.

The ThinkPad X300 came in 14th, a very respectable showing. It was the highest ranked computer nominee by a very wide margin. The closest computer was the MacBook Air which came in 56th, maybe it would have done better with a few more ports and features. The X300 notably received more votes than the Obama for president logo, the iPhone, Converse All Stars, and one of my favorites, the Fender Telecaster electric guitar.

Thanks to all who voted for the X300, and congratulations again to the Zon Hearing Aid. Well done.

David Hill

It’s not often that the design of our ThinkVantage software gets specific mention in a product review. It seems that in general reviewers are far more intrigued with hardware than the included software. The latest version of our Access Connections for the Vista operating system changed that. It was singled out in a recent review of the W700. Chris Connolly at Hothardware.com wrote the review. I never would have guessed that Access Connections could challenge the W700 beast for attention. I was very glad to see the recognition for one of my favorite ThinkVantage Technologies and the hard work that went into the design. I use it everyday to make connecting easier.

Here is a quote from the review:

“Typically, OEM-created software to handle network connectivity is far below the quality level of Windows’s native Vista Wi-Fi software suite, which means we usually disable the bundled connectivity software. Lenovo has done some really great stuff on this end, though. Through their “Access Connections” software, you can see in a visual manner which Wi-Fi hotspots are the closest and giving you the best signal, along with which ones are locked. It’s an amazingly simple but useful way for connecting to Wi-Fi hot-spots.”  Chris Connolloy

Typically when I write about our offerings, I focus on what we have done, not how we got there. I thought why not take a peek into the development process and let Design Matters readers see the thinking that went into the new GUI. This is best seen by showing some of the early sketches that were created along the way. Design is very much a journey, not just a final destination.

Our design goal was to take advantage of some of the new Vista GUI features to both enhance the visual appeal and usability. We were proud of the 3D model we introduced a few years back, but were convinced it could be enhanced.

Original Design

We decided to retain the  3D connectivity design model where the ThinkPad is at the center of the universe, but we wanted to increase the visual richness and improve overall clarity. The following sketches show a progression of ideas aimed at just that. You can see how we created a continuum of 3D experiments leading up to the final design. The first sketch seemed too flat in appearance and a little too cartoon like, we dropped the second idea because it looked too much like a wedding cake. I don’t like my ThinkPad that much. There are many more sketchs, I chose to show these two.

We also adjusted the design of the TrackPoint inspired ThinkVantage red dot icons to increase the visual appeal. They now look more 3D and are simpler in terms of color. They almost look good enought to eat.

This is the final design for the find wireless application that showcases what we did. I really like where this ended up. Great to see others like what we did. Thanks to my graphic designers Karen Kluttz  and Yamato’s Shigeyuki Kimura, and to Neil Ganey who provided critical human factors direction. I think they got this one right.

Oh by the way, they also really liked the W700 hardware  : )

David Hill

I recently got confirmation from the design team in Japan that we have been awarded a total of seven JIDPO awards for good design. If you aren’t familiar with JIDPO, it’s Japan’s only comprehensive design evaluation and commendation system. This system itself has its origins in the “Good Design Selection System” (generally known as the “G-Mark System”) instituted by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry in 1957. This is truly the design “Oscar” for Japan. Here is the award list:

ThinkPad/Lenovo 90W Slim AC/DC Combo Adapter

ThinkPad X300

ThinkPad W700

ThinkPad X200/X200s

ThinkPad X200T

Access Connections GUI

ThinkPad Long Life Design Award

I am especially proud of the  Long Life Design Award for ThinkPad. This is a new special award category this year. The Good Design Long Life Design Award recognizes designs that have received longstanding support and regular use by their consumers. The screening considered products nominated by actual consumers. In total there were only 19 Long Life awards granted.

This special award now puts ThinkPad in the same company with the iconic Honda Super Cub originally introduced in 1958. This is the bike that made Honda a household name. You may remember the famous advertising slogan that launched Honda in America ”You meet the nicest people on a Honda.” To date the Super Cub has sold over 60 million world wide. Like ThinkPad, they just keep selling and selling.

Congratulations to the entire ThinkPad team on this wonderful accomplishment.

David Hill

The Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum is once again running their People’s Design Award program. The winner for 2007 was the TOMS shoe. For every pair purchased the company donated a pair to a child in need. You may remember that last year ThinkPad finally ended up in the fourth position beating every other computer design nominated. We topped the iPhone, Brooklyn Bridge, the Corvette and even the pyramids.

This year one of our fans has nominated the ThinkPad X300.  There are currently over 150 nominations. The voting concludes October 21st, 2008. This could be the most interesting vote you cast this year.  When they pass out the envelope with the 2008 winner lets hope the X300 is in it. At least we all know it fits.

Here is the official announcement:

Every year, Cooper-Hewitt gives out design awards chosen by a jury of distinguished design gurus—but do you agree with the experts?

Now you can make your design voice heard by voting for the 2008 People’s Design Award. Whether it’s handmade or mass produced, high end or low brow, if it’s an example of good design, we want to know about it! On this site, you can browse and search for designs that have already been submitted, or nominate something new.

Cast your vote for your favorite design before 6:00 p.m. EST on October 21, 2008, and check back on this site on October 23 at 10:00 p.m. EST to see the winner announced live at the National Design Awards gala in New York City.

David Hill