Designs that simplify: Master Lock's Speed Dial lock and John's Phone Jan 27 2011
21 comments Latest by Jaime Metcher
Fast Company has a list of 12 of the Year’s Best Ideas in Interface Design. Two neat items there:
Master Lock’s Speed Dial combination lock reinvents an object that’s remained static for decades. It opens on up/down/left/right directional movements which are more intuitive than numbers or alpha-numeric code and easier for folks who are elderly or have disabilities.
In “How Do You Reinvent Something as Common as the Padlock?”, Lea Plato, lead designer of the lock, explains the design process.
Electronics in general hint a lot at directional movement. We use that kind of movement all the time in all different things, whether it’s volume control or play and fast forward. Even way back, the VCR used directional symbols to show what you wanted to do. I think being around technology everywhere—and it hinting at directional movement—played a part in the actual function of the lock. You just remember directional movement more easily. It’s more intuitive than numbers or alpha-numeric code.
John’s Phone is a great example of underdoing the competition. It’s a cell phone that makes and accepts calls. That’s it. The phone even includes a store-it-inside-the-phone paper pad and pen for jotting down numbers.
Obviously it’s a poor fit for most folks, but it carves out a nice little niche for people who just want a phone that gets out of the way. Plus, it seems great for toddlers in a “My First Phone” kinda way. More details at Fast Company.
Got a web design project in mind? Find a web designer on Sortfolio. Browse by visual style, portfolio, budget, and geographic location.
Over 1 million people use 37signals' simple web-based software to collaborate on projects, track contacts, and organize their business with an intranet.
21 comments so far
swilliams 27 Jan 11
I wonder how much stuff will be stolen because of how many combinations will be up up down down left right left right…
Jamie Tibbetts 27 Jan 11
I’m guessing it would be pretty easy to crack an old school video game nerd’s Speed Dial lock. Up-up-down-down-left-right-left-right. ;)
Jamie Tibbetts 27 Jan 11
Dammit! I’ve been out nerd-commented by swilliams! :)
Yishai Knoll 27 Jan 11
The Speed Dial Technology and IP is Knollan’s www.knollan.com It would be better if Master Lock Company, would have declared it, rather than explain the thoughts behind the idea. For the invention story, one may look in IdeaConnection. http://www.ideaconnection.com/invention-success/Keyless-Locking-Mechanism-with-Joystick-00083.html
Nathan 27 Jan 11
I saw one of these in the store the other day I really like the concept but the execution is poor. The toggle you move to enter the combination is really thin and lightweight and feels really cheap. My first impression when I saw it was o cool what great idea, then I picked up and instantly thought, it won’t take long for this thing to break.
Greg Bair 27 Jan 11
Now all the lock needs is B, A, and Start Buttons and my combination can be the Contra code.
Ben C 27 Jan 11
Judging from the comments, seems even the directional lock has its version of “1234”.
David Andersen 27 Jan 11
I think it’s a bit of a stretch to say directions are more intuitive than numbers. For some unknown percentage of people sure but not all people. It’s not like people press up, down, left, left, right, etc. at the DVD player either, so the leap from one to the other is not so straightforward. Plenty of people struggle with games that require the memorization of directional sequences too.
Richard 27 Jan 11
Those directional locks have been around for a very long time. My big sister had one for her bicycle in the 1970s. It was very easy to guess the combination, which is probably why this is the first time I’m seeing it again. I would hope the master lock uses a much longer series of steps.
Benjy 27 Jan 11
I can see the benefit for some (children, elderly) for a simple cell phone, but I think the paper list of numbers is perhaps taking it too far in the works like phones of the past direction. Having to flip through a phone book and then key in a phone # is less simple than scrolling through an address book of commonly called numbers.
Matt J. 27 Jan 11
Contra!!!
Mark Nijhof 27 Jan 11
I love the phone, will seriously consider getting one! I see a few benefits already, one my current iPhone 4 is taking away much attention; like twitter and web browsing. And the other part is training the mind by remembering more phone numbers. SMS is something I would miss as I use it quite a lot to communicate.
Nick Lo 28 Jan 11
@Benjy It does have speed dial but I do agree that the paper list ironically adds a feature that is not present in ordinary phones (and is therefore not just “underdoing the competition”) that puts me off. It’s like they spent a week getting together a really cool minimal phone, then on Friday all went out for beers and someone said “hey wouldn’t it be a laugh if we put in a paper address book”.
To be useful to those that “just want a phone that gets out of the way.” it needs to be smaller, lose the paper address book and the little pen. I don’t want to worry about breaking the feeble looking door on the back, putting the paper booklet down on a wet surface, losing the only pen that fits in the little space, etc.
Another annoyance from what I can tell: No time. How many of us no longer need to wear a watch because our phone has the time. So now that we’ve simplified things with our ultra minimal phone, we have to go and put our watches back on. Purpose defeated somewhat.
Having said all that, once the above is changed, I want one! :P
Davide Alábiso 28 Jan 11
My grandma would kill to have that phone. Neat idea.
Romain 28 Jan 11
The phone looks great. I would buy one right now if it somehow supported SMS .
I think that they took the simplification one step too far as SMS is at least as important as voice. Will have stick with any cheap mobile phone out there which does support SMS and costs half the price of this one.
Pies 28 Jan 11
The padlock seems like a pretty cool idea, but John’s Phone did very poorly in Engadget’s review, so I don’t think you’ve tried either.
Tor Løvskogen Bollingmo 28 Jan 11
Easier to use, easier to crack.
The paper and pencil wrap-on makes the phone idiotic.
Jason 28 Jan 11
The phone is giving me a Jitterbug vibe.
Mark C, Webster 28 Jan 11
I think Greg is right.
You’ll have a great chance on unlocking one of those padlocks by trying up, up, down, down, left, right, left right.
Justin Reese 31 Jan 11
How I wish John’s Phone was any good, but their own website points out the poor quality of the toggle buttons (as does the Engadget review). And the paper phone book really is silly.
Too bad, because there is definitely a niche market out there for a sub-$100 handset that does nothing but high-quality GSM phone calls. Of course, then you have to find an affordable cell plan. That’s where Jitterbug stinks. Their plans are targeted solely at the elderly who conflate cell phone and long distance plans, and think “30 cents a minute to call from anywhere? That ain’t bad!”
Jaime Metcher 03 Feb 11
John’s phone…Is this really in the “underdone” category? I’d put it in the “price premium for style over substance” category. A bottom of the range Nokia is cheaper, better built, and despite all it’s worthless functionality has a better battery life. Given that on non-smart phones the worthless functionality generally stays out of your way, John’s phone is really only competing on appearance.
Comments are closed