Conceptual Design Meeting
Minutes by R Lindgren

4/2/05
14:20

Agenda
• Opening
• PM = secretary (minutes)
• 3 presentations
• Decision on remote control concepts
• Closing (we have 40 minutes!)

Review of Minutes from Functional Design Meeting
• Target Group- focus on who can afford it
- International appeal
- For all age groups
• Objectives:  Simplicity and Fashion
• Functions
-   Something to keep remote from getting lost
- 	Large buttons for essentials
- 	Possibility for extra functions (sliding piece)
- 	Long-life battery or charging station

Three Presentations
• Conceptual specification of components, properties and materials 
• Conceptual specification of user interface 
• Trend watching

Components Design
Alima ID
* Examine each element separately- while keeping as a functional whole
o Case
* Flat, curved, couble curved
* Plastic- elements of wood
* Extra latex, titanium, rubber
o Buttons
* Scroll wheel- with integrated push
* Push
* LCD screen
o Circuit board
* Simple, regular or advanced
o Battery
* Basic- AA batteries
* Kinetic battery- just have to move it a bit to recharge the battery
* Solar battery- but can't use latex case
* Old torch style- old flashlight style
* Personal Preference
o Fashion
* Case- curved or double curved
* Variety of design elements (titanium, wood...)
o Simplicity
* Push buttons
* Scroll might be interesting
* Kinetic battery
* Solar not such a good idea
* Simple or regular chip
* Keep costs down
* Only need advanced for LCD
* Questions
o What is double curved?
* If have double- can't have titanium
* Titanium used in space
o Weight of different elements
* Kinetic battery- not much
* Titanium pretty light

User Interface
Iain

* Method- Simplicity and Fashion
o Determine the essential functions
o Choose a concept that supports these
o Design features around this concept
* Number of different features...
* How is this device going to work
* What kind of model for user interaction
* Once get concept- then design the features
o Must look cooooool!
* Simplicity
o Example of an iPod
o Only four buttons- can still access all features
o Can use scroll to access additional features
* Fashion
o Weemote 2
o Lots of colors, very fun
* Personal Preferences
o Very few buttons:
* Favourite channels (five or so)
* Volume
* On/Off
o Other features accessed through display
* On-screen
* Or LCD?
* Need to be included somehow
* In a menu system (either on device itself or a menu display on the television)
* Keeping small and simple set of buttons
* Questions
o Would you prefer an LCD?
* Bad- would be v. small, need a backlight
* Good- would be simple and useful
* Alternative is an onscreen display
o *Communication is one-way- can't have television sending back to the remote


Marketing Expert
Jessie

* Method
o Executive Summary
* Remote control market investigation
o Ranking of importance
* Research urges move from functional to fancy remotes
* Technological innovation
* Ease of use
* Fashion Watch
o Paris/Milan
o Top trend- fruits and vegetables
o Spongy materials
* Personal Preferences
o Fruit and veggie pattern
o Doesn't trust Real Reaction
* Likely to favour fashion over functionality
* Disagree with ranking preference
* Questions
o How could we use these ideas?
* Latex?  Get rid of RSI- so maybe soft rather than spongy
* Fruit and veggie buttons?
o What other ideas?
* Mobile phone type- be able to touch everything with your thumb
* Discussion of using iPod design
o LCD screen good in theory- difficult in practice

Decisions
* Energy
o Yay for kinetic battery
* Chip
o Circuit boards
o Simple chip (no need for more)
* Case
o Latex/rubber- something squishy
o In cool colors?- fruit or vegetable theme?
o Curved
* User Interface
o Type - push buttons
* On, off
* Volume
* 5 pre-set channels
* Menu/select
o Supplements- onscreen menu, manipulated using volume buttons

Closing
• Next meeting starts in 30 minutes
• Individual actions
- ID: the look-and-feel design 
- UID: the user-interface design 
- ME: product evaluation 
• ID and UID work together on prototype using modeling clay 
• Specific instructions will be sent to you by your personal coach.