When most people look at a mobile phone, they see only the finished product. Rarely do they realize that hundreds of prototypes are often created prior to what's seen in stores.

For an insider's peak, check out this reporter's interview blog post with Peter Pfanner who runs Motorola's North American Design Studio. You'll learn about the complexities of the design process, how mobile phones have become fashion accessories and glean insights into the development of the KRZR.

In the spirit of design, our next post will feature a guest Q&A with Matt Carr, a designer for Umbra. Matt's going to give you the scoop on the hottest design trends and tell us what he'd like to see in future mobile phone designs.

As creative lead for Umbra, Matt's contributed over 150 designs to date. He's a former 'Form Crafts and Industry Award' recipient, and his work's been featured in numerous editorials in the NY Times and Wall Street Journal as well as in I.D., InStyle and Surface Magazines. Here are more of his designs.