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Weekly Design Inspirations #6 — Phones that You Press Plastic Keyboards to Dial
In 2007, when Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone, he first criticized UIs of smartphones in the market back then — physical buttons that were not flexible for all applications. The inflexibility also forced designers and engineers to select the most important keys for the product. A decade after the iPhone was introduced and changed how people engage with phones or even computers, many designers also reevaluated the simplicity of feature phones. With carefully selected and placed keys and their physical qualities, I wanted to explore what designs or design concepts there are for phones with physical keyboards.
1 — INFOBAR Series by Naoto Fukasawa
INFOBAR is one of the most beautiful mobile phone series; designed by Naoto Fukasawa, it elevated mobile phones to a stylish fashion item with its iconic patterned keys, and the series all started with this rectilinear first generation.
2 — Digital Detox Phone by Mike George
Post smartphones, many designers like industrial designer Mike George have put the spotlight on feature…
