KRZR Blog
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Ever heard of Joshua Davis?
Aside from pioneering the use of Flash as a commercial and artistic medium, he's known for establishing a new digital-organic visual design language.
In what he calls Dynamic Abstraction, Joshua uses randomization and mathematical algorithms from Chaos Theory to create kaleidoscope-like pieces of work.
Sounds heavy but looks amazing, and Motorola partnered with him to offer this KRZR experience.
If you live in the U.S., you can create your own kaleidoscope piece of art and send it to your phone.
If you live in Canada or elsewhere, you can create a personalized desktop wallpaper.
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Here's a special krzrbloggers exclusive treat - a behind the scenes peak at the design development of the KRZR. The drawings shown are actual sketches used by the design team.
Be sure to check the 'Stuff' section this week. We'll be adding this image and a few others.
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We have a guest interview for this post with Matt Carr,Creative Lead for Umbra's U+ collection. We had a chance to ask him about Canadian design, hot trends and also tap into his imagination about what he'd like to see in future mobile phone designs.
Q: Sum up Canada's design style?
Matt: There is a Canadiana style emerging that tends to focus on natural homegrown materials. Smart solutions with a bit of a twist of humour and a universal aesthetic which runs parallel to Canada's diverse mix of cultures.
Q: What are the hot design trends for this year?
Matt: We're in a phase of embellishment. Might be the rebel of all of those years living with Knock Down furniture from the Swedes. Mixing old and new for an eclectic looks is a great way to pay homage to some of the best design periods over the past few decades.
The most important movement is sustainable design. As consumers become more aware of the affect of irresponsible design, they will become more accepting of eco-friendly natural finishes and less synthetic applications.
Q: If you could design a mobile phone, what new features would you want it to include that haven't been already?
Matt: I'm currently traveling in Asia, swapping SIM cards from day to day depending on which country I'm in. I'd love to have a dual SIM card option integrated into the phone; it'd save me from losing so many cards.
I like products that are ever-changing - imagine the phone changed
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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.