Trend: Conceptual Design for Mobile Phone Manners

Designers have created mobile phone concepts that force us to consider how our mobile phone usage affects those around us

Mobile phones may be ubiquitous in some countries but the social protocols concerning their usage are still evolving. At the recent “Design and the Elastic Mind” exhibition in New York, MoMa displayed conceptual mobile phones that assisted people in learning how to use their mobile phones within the boundaries of established social etiquette (in Western cultures, at least).

Cases

Doffing Headphone (UK)

Synnove Fredericks struck upon the idea of the Doffing Headphones after a visit to mobile club, where groups of friends dance together while individually listening to music on their portable music devices. She noticed that dancers would remove one earphone to greet someone but take both earphones out to signal deeper conversation. These actions reminded her of the English gentleman’s tradition of doffing his cap when greeting ladies, and inspired the Doffing Headphones, earphones attached to a gracefully curved rod that allow for easy doffing. The rod is similarly reminiscent of old-fashioned English etiquette and class, although holding one all night could hinder one’s dancing style.

(Image Source: Design and the Elastic Mind, MoMa)

Social Mobiles (UK)

IDEO in London designed five conceptual mobile phones to prompt discussion about the social impact of mobile phones.

The Electric Shock Mobile warns loud talkers by delivering electric shocks to the listener. The strength of the shocks vary depending on how loud the voice is. This prompts the receiver to insist on the caller lowering his or her voice, and stops voices from escalating.

The Speaking Mobile substitutes voice with individualized, expressive sounds, a little like when we say “mm hmm” for yes and “mm-mm” for no.

The Musical Mobile is a musical phone on which the caller must dial a number by playing a tune. Usually, the caller’s willingness to play the musical melody depends on the public space and how acceptable it is to make a call there.

The Knocking Mobile relays knocks, rather than tunes, to indicate how urgent a call is.

The Catapult Mobile pings sound interrupts into the conversations of loud talkers, letting them know that their conversation is bothersome to the people around them.

(Image Source: Design and the Elastic Mind, MoMa)

Trend Impact
Silent mode, text messaging, and hands-free protocol all enable more socially-acceptable mobile phone etiquette, but there is room for a wide variety of other services and options that encourage societal harmony.

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