Dial ‘l’ for lifestyle: A phone to shout about

Tokyo – How can a mobile phone stand out in a technologically driven market? This was the challenge for Studio Conran, which was commissioned to create a new handset for Japanese manufacturer NTT DOCOMO.

‘We’re surrounded by visual noise and objects that clamour for our attention,’ says Hugo Eccles, creative and managing director at Studio Conran. ‘In a market full of people shouting, the idea is not to shout.’

Rather than including dozens of apps and endless functions like many devices in the Japanese market, the phone adopts a leaner approach. The minimal handset features a slight incline for added comfort when held to the head. It is also designed to last longer than most mobiles. The phone is dyed rather than sprayed, which means paint doesn’t chip off when it gets dog-eared. Such a lifestyle approach is a great example of Leanomics design.