Thursday, June 17, 2010

Curious about the Windows Phone 7 platform?

People use and enjoy mobile apps for a wide variety of reasons. Some entertain us while others become invaluable tools. Apps are here to stay and we see a paradigm shift coming with the new Windows Phone 7.

Ergonomidesign have been invited by Microsoft to partner with them in the design of Windows Phone 7 apps. We embrace the personal, relevant and connected Windows Phone 7 design principles (Metro) which promise an engaging ecosystem of experiences. Ergonomidesign has always believed that any meaningful designed experience stems from understanding the physical, cognitive and emotional needs of people. We unveil latent needs of diverse user-groups and translate our insights into meaningful and enjoyable mobile experiences; creating ‘tangible’ bearers of the brand.

Our interaction design team have sketched up a series of possible concepts, utilizing the crisp and concise Metro design language. The content is presented and consumed in an authentically digital manner. Experiences are interwoven with the user’s lifestyle in ways that make the apps intuitive, emotionally rich and fun to use. In these concepts, we have probed various possibilities within hubs, tiles and pivots for the different apps we propose.

 

My Commute

Commute in a big city is often a mash-up of a variety of urban, human networks and transportation services. Sometimes it is about finding the quickest way of public transport, getting you from A to B efficiently. Other times it could just be the most scenic or interesting path to a destination - paths that have been traced by other people. There is no one way, but many – and a user should be able to choose the most appropriate one.

‘My Commute’ is an app for Windows Phone 7 through which users re-discover not only the city but also the joy of travel. It works as a hub that mashes together various local transportation services, maps, other services and social networks to create a personal travel experience that is unique to each individual. Typical route choices could involve biking, taking a bus, a cab or just walking to a destination.

 

The Games 2012

The Windows Phone 7 app for ‘The Games 2012’ in London is your way to stay constantly updated with your favorite Olympic sports. You get real-time at-a-glance info on how your favorite teams are doing without having to stay glued to the TV.

The clean and motion friendly Metro style has been beautifully treated and the philosophy of sticking to the essentials has been a core value while developing the Olympic game concept. You are in control of what you want to put in the hub - your interests and content.

Wine Guide

 

The ‘Wine Guide’ illustrates how the Windows Phone 7 hub concept can be used to make information from large databases easily accessible. While being a convenient tool for the user, it can for instance simultaneously serve as an added sales channel for a business. The app is a great example of how hub views can be triggered from inside apps to quickly present an overview on selected objects. Through the app, backgrounds can be used as an informative element in UI as opposed to as pure decoration.

Cocktail Bar

 

Not all apps in Windows Phone 7 need to look exactly the same and inorder to demonstrate this we developed the ‘Cocktail bar’ app which pushes the graphic and brand language to another extreme. The ‘Cocktail bar’ app boosts creativity at parties and social gatherings by making tasty suggestions based on your current liquors at home and friends’ favorites. Using this app, you can access comments from other users or professional tips from bartenders. You can also order drinks to your table at a club when the waiter is too busy, create your own drinks and share with others.

Does your business wish to develop services or applications for Windows Phone 7? 

Read more about how you can get started by downloading our concept offer.

Or contact: Director of Interaction Design, Lennart Andersson at +46 733 611 258, lennart.andersson@ergonomidesign.com or Director of Marketing and Business Development, Niclas Andersson at +46 733 611 254, niclas.andersson@ergonomidesign.com

Also, read about our Microsoft Surface projects here.