Product Design Was Critical to Treo s Success


Product Design Was Critical to Treos Success

Handspring knew that the design of the Treo was very important in differentiating it from all the other mobile communication devices on the market.

Before coming up with the final design, the company developed a lot of different models. They differed in terms of form factors, orientations, input methods , ways of handling the ten-key keypad for the phone, and many other factors. Handspring would start working with one design, discover problems, and then move on to another.

At the beginning of the design effort, Handspring focused on the mechanics and usability of the device. This included things like making the hinge in the lid work and seeing what the unit did when you closed the lid and opened the lid. A lot of time was spent on these mechanical issues. Once the engineers had figured out the basic mechanics of the device, they worked on its appearance. This included things like the shapes , curves, and colors of different parts of the unit. It also included the textures to be used. This design effort was carried out by internal people and by outside designers hired by Handspring.

The addition of the keyboard was a key differentiator for the Treo. The keyboard made it easy for the user to find contacts, dial the phone, type messages, and enter data quickly and easily. The backlit keyboard also let the user do everything in low light conditions. Consumer research made Handspring realize that the keyboard was just as important for the phone as it was for the organizer and Web functions. Consumers also felt that it was better than Graffiti for adding things like calendar events.




Powerhouse Marketing Plans(c) 14 Outstanding Real-Life Plans and What You Can Learn from Them to Supercharge [... ]aigns
Powerhouse Marketing Plans(c) 14 Outstanding Real-Life Plans and What You Can Learn from Them to Supercharge [... ]aigns
ISBN: 735621675
EAN: N/A
Year: 2006
Pages: 172

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