Culture Shock

The first post from Rodd in a little while and this time it is courtesy of our latest addition to the team, Hiroyuki Tanaka. ‘Hiro’ is a visiting designer from Japan who is working with us on a project.


As you would expect we are continually trying to unravel the intricacies of our respective cultures and this is a great offering from him which highlights some of lesser known facts about Japanese life.



Japan - The Strange Country (Japanese ver.) from Kenichi on Vimeo.

USB recharging now via the wall socket...

guess it was only a matter of time and a cute little startled expression to boot!

www.rodd.uk.com 

'Tie' by Rodd & TTP. Wining mobile phone security solution to be unveiled in Barcelona

Figures suggest that 228 mobile phones are reported stolen in the UK every hour. As handsets become increasingly sophisticated, we’re carrying more personal and business information around with us, much of it unsecured. Experts in cybercrime believe that criminals will seize on this as a new opportunity in much the same way that email and online banking spawned the ‘phishing’ phenomenon.

As part of Design Out Crime; an initiative from the Home Office Design & Technology Alliance Against Crime and the Design Council. Rodd were selected alongside 3 other agencies to Challenge the next generation of phone theft.

Partnering with TTP a technology group with a history of developing technical solutions for the GSM market our solution would focus on making stolen handsets unusable and the data inaccessible to a thief.

Before a design solution could be identified it was important to understand how a thief operates; how and why the phone is stolen, what happens immediately after theft and the extended life of a stolen mobile phone. We discovered that a stolen handset is quickly separated from it’s SIM card, reflashed, sold on (more than likely exported) and combined with a new SIM. Currently there are few barriers to stop valuable / personal data being stolen, used in identity theft or to access bank details. The challenge was apparent, create a solution that would deter a thief, negate downstream criminal activity and enable a user to protect the data on their phone.

There would be two parts to our solution; antitheft (securing the handset) and data security (protecting the data on the phone). To deter theft of the hardware we had to protect the handset and SIM, the solution: to create an inseparable bond between the two that criminals cannot break making the handset and SIM worthless to any potential thief. To prevent data theft we would encrypt the data with a user controlled 4 digit PIN, and use the same encryption system to enable a remote lock feature.

With the technology principals confirmed we began by immersing ourselves in usecases; exploring how our system could be integrated with current use patterns. Engaging with potential users we set out to understand how they valued security, what they understood as a security threat and their own potential risk. From this it quickly became evident that the winning solution would be a perfect balance between convenience, understanding and security.

The solution would have to be flexible; catering for different mobile platforms, variation between business and personal use and the value of the data on the phone allowing for perceived risk in a variety of situations.

We set about creating mobile security that that was clear, concise and visible, engaging when it needed to be and gave a reassuring presence that the system was active. By taking security from the settings menu and bringing it to the front of the interface; we raised the profile allowing the user to make their own decision as to where and when security is relevant to them.

We created tie a clear and simple brand. The strong identity gives the user a familiar visual language to follow when creating and managing their security.

The first time a phone is turned on the user is taken through a simple 1 – 2 minute setup, giving them a brief introduction to tie, security is now created and the hand set and SIM are tied. Once set up the user has no active engagement with this part of the solution other than the visibility of the logo displayed in the header bar. As part of the setup the user enters a username and password and has the ability to securely add multiple SIM cards to a list of trusted combinations.

For data security the solution was a small change to an existing process. Adding a choice at the keypad lock interface, the user would have the option to continue as normal or lock with tie. This no fuss approach gives the choice to use a PIN or not when locking their keypad. This choice would be presented every time they locked their keypad and would be controlled by a single button press; allowing them to use their judgement based on the perceived security threat at that time.

Tie is an appropriate solution that addresses a serious social issue with a simple interface behind which is a highly sophisticated and innovative technical resolution. Alongside TTP Rodd are currently looking at ways to develop the project and bring tie to market.

The working prototype will be on display from the 15th to the 18th of February at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the mobile industry’s annual trade show.

http://www.rodd.uk.com/

Postcards from Asia...

This is the second half of the "Postcards from Asia" gallery redirected from Core77 , featuring great images of bamboo and ceramic manufacturing places in Vietnam. it hard to imagine just how many small facilities there must be producing great quality craft items.


hit the link for the rest of the images and links to the producers.

www.rodd.uk.com

Colour, glorious colour.

Inclusive Design - Makes sound commercial sense...

BT is inviting businesses to attend a free seminar in London which will set out the business case for inclusive design, and provide hands on advice through practical workshops on how to start implementing inclusive design principals. Stephen Timms MP, Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Minister for Digital Britain, will give the keynote address at the event (February 2 2010), which aims to explain the how and the why behind inclusive design.

The event will mark the introduction of a lengthy collaboration between BT, Helen Hamlyn Research Centre and Cambridge University. For more information and to register your interest in attendance make the jump below

http://www.btplc.com/inclusion/Events/seminar2010.htm

Rodd & TTP wins slice of the £400,000 Mobile Phone Security Challenge

Rodd has been announced as one of the 4 winning partnerships in the £400,000 Mobile Phone Security Challenge, a national competition to create ‘crime proof’ mobile phones.


http://www.rodd.uk.com/news.asp?nID=81

Apple make iphone security part of the user experience....

Damn their good! 

The latest iphone combined with a MobileMe account brings mobile phone security up to date....

Follow the link below and watch the video....

http://www.apple.com/mobileme/whats-new/

Why do we shrink wrap a cucumber?

94% of consumers feel that shops should help them reduce wastage and save money at the same time.

63% of consumers believe that packaging affects their choice of product and 66% believe that products are over packed.

Just two stats from of a staggering array of evidence that supports that we consumers think the junk that gets wrapped around the products we buy really must change. This link to a piece of ethnographic research carried out by the Guardian makes for fascinating reading.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2006/jan/29/shopping.conservation

New from Japan...

Building on from Marks post about KDDI and their new Ply look mobile concept....

This is a refreshing take on the 'dog' of the mobile phone user experience the humble power charger. Ever wondered what would happen to this neglected area got the love and attention of the designers of the phones themselves? New from Japanese giants Iida (KDDI) is this playful and delicate AC charger called Midori....

Take a look... http://iida.jp/english/products/mobile-pico-projector/concept/

Philips Intimate Massagers - The ultimate user experience project!

We are thrilled to announce our involvement in one of the most hush-hush innovation projects in our history!

Philips has recently entered new and exciting territory with its Relationship Care products - thats sex toys for modern couples to you and me!

Follow the link below to understand what the buzz is all about!

http://www.rodd.uk.com/news.asp?nID=79

Inclusive?

In the bizarre surroundings of Frankfurt's 'other' airport we came across these rather strange seating signs. Do wheelchair users feel they need to sit in a plastic seat while waiting for a plane? I suspect they simply remain empty with lots of passengers having to stand because they are too polite to sit in the disabled seats. Hmmmm, is this the opposite to inclusivity?

Landmine detecting flower

I came across this amazing idea in this weeks DesignWeek.

Red Detect is a landmine detecting flower. Finally a case for positive genetic engineering – the flower is modified to change colour (from green to red) when its roots come into contact with nitrogen dioxide – an explosive ingredient used within landmines. The project is developed by Danish innovators Aresa – originally posted to Worldchanging.com

http://www.aresa.dk/

http://www.worldchanging.com/

Rodd win Tokyo 48hr Innovation Challenge

Ben has returned victorious (and knackered) from this years Tokyo 48hr Inclusive Design Challenge. Rodd were invited to lead a team in this years design challenge following three successful years as finalists in the UK DBA Design Challenge.

The challenge was organised by Julia Cassim (Royal College of Art Helen Hamlyn Centre, London) Nikkei Design and Tokyo University and held there as part of the Design Innovation Forum 2008. 

Three British design professionals (all former finalists in the DBA Design Inclusive Challenge) were invited to each lead a multi-disciplinary team of Japanese designers from leading companies Cambridge University engineering postgraduates and their counterparts from Tokyo University. 

The theme of this year’s event was natural disasters in dense urban environments and the teams were asked for innovative and inclusive design responses to the theme. A disabled design partner joined each team to provide a contrasting viewpoint while disaster survivors and relief organisations were invited to give their input and critique the design solutions as they developed. 

Each team had just 48 hours to research, identify and incubate their ideas before making a presentation to a capacity audience of design and disaster professionals and company representatives. 

The teams each addressed different aspects of urban disaster, ranging from a LED crowd management system, a highly visible logo to encourage forward thinking and Rodd’s submission of a water bottle concept that addresses two survival basics - hydration and sanitation. Elixir: Is a Universal redesign of a water bottle that could be deployed to cities in the first 72 hours of a disaster. Beyond its primary function the bottle is shaped to provide a makeshift disposable toilet for both men and women. 

The supply of clean water and management of human waste were cited as key objectives by the disaster experts. Elixir was voted overall winner by the audience and was selected for the Design prize by Professor Seiichi Onobo of the Tokyo University of Fine Arts and Music. UK Team leaders Hazel MacMillan of Wolff Olins and Jim Dawton took Best Technology and Best theme prize respectively.