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RIM’s Head of Design says their team is “in the studio practicing Experience Design”

By on June 22, 2012 at 9:40pm in Mobile News


It’s so incredibly easy to hammer down on RIM as they haven’t released a new flagship device in a year, nor provided any true meaningful OS updates to their smartphones. Plus you could get bogged down by their low stock price and the recent job cuts, but on the horizon is their anticipated BlackBerry 10 OS and the upcoming BlackBerry 10 handsets – which are expected to hit the world later this year.

On the BlackBerry blog there’s an interesting interview with Todd Wood, the SVP of Design at RIM. We met him a couple weeks back when the launch of the Porsche Design store in Toronto. In total there were 6 questions that circled around RIM’s design philosophy. The principles are “3Ds – Definition, Development and Delivery.” Basically they take the standard route of “understanding what the customer’s needs and wants are,” then “map ideas,” followed by testing the “final designs with the very people who inspired them: the customers, the business people, and the technology people.” Wood says this “whole process is actually ‘research in motion’.”

Wood continues to state that he and his team get inspired from “different sources,” including the furniture design industry. In addition, he makes a good point that devices aren’t “seasonal anymore,” and that handsets are global and “people are realizing they are all connected.” RIM has previously communicated that their current BlackBerry phones have an “iconic” look to them, specifically with the physical QWERTY keyboard. Wood notes that people are quick to decide if they like/dislike a phone, first by “appearance and then by how it feels when they touch or hold it.”

As to the future of RIM’s designs – it’s more than appearance, but an “experience.” Perhaps this was the “flow” that CEO Thorsten Heins was speaking of for the upcoming BB 10 devices. In fact, RIM’s design team practices “Experience Design” (sounds very yoga like), but here’s the vision for the next 5 years, one that Wood sees RIM continuing to be a top mobile brand in the world:

“In the next five years, we will continue to grow the team and the capability. Others will try to emulate this model, but in the end I think, like most industries, it will become pretty clear that there are top tier brands. And our goal is to remain in that top tier.”

RIM has over 78 million BlackBerry subscribers and we do know that the first BlackBerry 10 handset will be a full touchscreen device, followed by another iconic physical QWERTY BB10 device. Overall, very exciting times at RIM…

Source: RIM

Related posts:

  1. BlackBerry Industrial Design Team to be honoured at Design Exchange Gala
  2. An interview with Todd Wood, Head of Design at BlackBerry, on the Porsche Design P’9981
  3. Motorola to cut 50% of its Mobile Design Team
  4. RIM’s VP of Industrial Design says 2012 BlackBerry smartphones will be “charming, whimsical and fun”

Discussion

26 comments for “RIM’s Head of Design says their team is “in the studio practicing Experience Design””

  1. idc about this…i want the bloddy release date…my phone is falling apart and i want a new blackberry 10

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 16 Thumb down 11

    Posted by jansen | June 22, 2012, 9:51 pm
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    • Poor man’s version of Sir Johnny Ive.

      Also, what date can I walk into a store and give them money and get a BB10 phone in return? I am looking for a dd/mm/yyyy OR even a mm/yyyy OR even a yyyy.

      When? Never?

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 14 Thumb down 5

      Posted by When RIM, WHEN? | June 23, 2012, 8:42 am

    • ““In the next five years, we will continue to grow the team and the capability. Others will try to emulate this model, but in the end I think, like most industries, it will become pretty clear that there are top tier brands. And our goal is to remain in that top tier.””

      HAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHA – WHO THE HELL WOULD COPY RIM’S CRAPPY DESIGN?

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 10 Thumb down 10

      Posted by Sandusky | June 23, 2012, 11:26 am

    • ..because he mentioned “next 5 years”. RIM won’t exist in the next 5 months.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 10 Thumb down 7

      Posted by Todd must be high | June 23, 2012, 11:28 am

    • BBBAHAHAHAHHAHAH!!!!!!!!!

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 7 Thumb down 5

      Posted by Johnny Ive | June 23, 2012, 11:29 am

    • Sorry Todd Tickles, you won’t get the chance to shine because RIM is dead and will remain dead. Apple and Samsung have now officially eaten, and s**t out your lunch 10x over and over again. You are dead.

      Google, Apple, MSFT – all with better OS than BlackBerry’s MS DOS-like OS.

      RIP RIM

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 9 Thumb down 8

      Posted by Smoke and Mirrors | June 23, 2012, 11:31 am

    • “Wood continues to state that he and his team get inspired from “different sources,” including the furniture design industry.”

      FURNITURE DESIGN INDUSTRY? LMFAO!!!!!!! HAHAHAHA

      NO WONDER FAILBERRY’S LOOK LIKE AN OLD MAN’S ROCKING CHAIR

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 8 Thumb down 7

      Posted by Ashley Long | June 23, 2012, 11:44 am

    • Jonny Ive?
      The man who designed a Faraday Cage to go around a mobile phone?
      Who made it look like a home appliance?
      A man disturbed enough to hang out with Steve Jobs?
      That Jonny Ives???
      Stop it! You’re killing me!!
      He must be a legend! He’s in the book!
      HAHAHAAAA!
      Stop! I’m gonna break a rib!
      “smart phones have problems. ”
      Ooooh! The brilliance!
      The man must be a genius!
      Ahahahahaha!
      Oh,thank you for this!
      That was good…
      Your such a kidder…

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 3

      Posted by G -man | June 23, 2012, 3:23 pm

  2. “Others will try to emulate this model, but in the end I think, like most industries, it will become pretty clear that there are top tier brands. And our goal is to remain in that top tier.”

    I’m pretty sure you are no longer in that top tier.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 18 Thumb down 23

    Posted by Chimp | June 22, 2012, 10:15 pm
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    • Hend he said in the next 5 years. In the future not now, thanks for reading

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 18 Thumb down 8

      Posted by ronll | June 22, 2012, 10:22 pm

    • “to remain in that top tier” – inferring that they currently are in that top tier.

      Thanks for comprehending.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 12 Thumb down 4

      Posted by Chimp | June 23, 2012, 7:15 am

  3. guy is just talking bs and nonsense for no reason. shut your pie hole and bring out the phone.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 18 Thumb down 11

    Posted by animal instinct | June 22, 2012, 10:23 pm
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  4. ***hense and what wrong with u people….. If they release now and its buggy, has s**t battery life and has no apps everyone including you will complain. Let them finish bb10 and get right the first time….

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 21 Thumb down 9

    Posted by ronll | June 22, 2012, 10:28 pm
    Reply to this comment

  5. Seriously? In the next 5 years? Do people seriously believe that RIM will still be around in the next 5 years? BTW, their stocks is below $10 now….Somebody will just buy RIM in the next year or so….

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 12 Thumb down 15

    Posted by Art Vandelay | June 22, 2012, 11:02 pm
    Reply to this comment

  6. BREAKING NEWS BB10 CANCELLED AND ALL RIMS PHONES TO RUN ANDROID

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 13 Thumb down 20

    Posted by BB10EXPERT | June 22, 2012, 11:08 pm
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  7. This article reminded me of all that “nature inspired” design bs Samsung was floating during the SGS3 reveal. And in the end it’s a glossy plastic soapbar that looks identical to a hundred other phones.

    If you want to be unique in terms of design, you have to be bold and show people something new. If you try to get input from customers on what they want, they’ll just tell you things they know: the products they’ve seen or used on the market. You can’t really trust plebs to design your products for you. You can only trust them to provide sane feedback on why it sucks.

    Personally, I want a phone with absolutely minimal bezel, somewhat sharp edges, dark brushed metal. I want my phone to look like a damn tech device and not a makeup kit or tampon. The only time I thought a round-ish phone looked really good was the Galaxy Nexus.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 13 Thumb down 5

    Posted by Soldier Blue | June 23, 2012, 12:17 am
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  8. Just gimme bb10 now. No excuses.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 12

    Posted by The Proclaimer | June 23, 2012, 12:30 am
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  9. Well, at least Soldier Blue offers an opinion and valid observation.
    The crux of the matter is that “design” will have very little impact on the success of any BB10 device (or even any future iPhone). The smartphone has become ubiquitous and are almost indistinguishable.

    The BB10 platform WILL matter, IF their launch is not drowned out by some Apple rabbit coming out of a hat. The design that WILL have an impact will be so innovative, so unexpected, so revolutionary, that we cannot currently describe what it is.

    Personally I’d like some tiny and discreet device that only let me speak and hear; tethered to my tablet so that all the app and Skype features were a satisfying experience.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 2

    Posted by unlockworldwide | June 23, 2012, 7:03 am
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  10. Oh my gosh……..RIM has gotten so low the staff can no longer afford razors!?!?!!?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 11 Thumb down 5

    Posted by OgtheDim | June 23, 2012, 8:48 am
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  11. Should be keeping their resumes hot.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 1

    Posted by ExcessDan | June 23, 2012, 10:09 am
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  12. LOL! Really RIM? You are NO Apple. Who will steal your designs? Looks like it’s the other way around – copying Apple designs

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 2

    Posted by Bobber | June 23, 2012, 11:27 am
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  13. HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAH

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 2

    Posted by Tim Cook | June 23, 2012, 11:29 am
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  14. Even if the greatest band in the world takes too long to get to the stage they will find an empty arena

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 0

    Posted by Supitstrav | June 23, 2012, 12:21 pm
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  15. This comes from the head design chief that came up with Pearl Flop, and clone devices with Curve, Tour, etc.

    He should be fired.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 0

    Posted by Chef | June 23, 2012, 1:14 pm
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  16. SHAME ON YOUR TODD. SHAME ON YOU!!!!!!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 0

    Posted by Aubrey | June 23, 2012, 1:14 pm
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  17. Did he SAY ” NEXT 5 YEARS ” ?

    LOL
    SERIOUSLY ?

    Oh my God.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

    Posted by Nathen | June 24, 2012, 9:59 pm
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