PDD futures reimagines the role of the mobile phone

The brief

PDD Futures is an initiative we run to investigate and inspire the development of new products and services. We then take our ideas off the page and create solid examples, so our clients not only get to see the future on paper, but hold it in their hands too. For this project, we set ourselves the challenge of developing a phone that would not just look beautiful, but enhance the experience of using a mobile phone too. 

What we did

The Helix includes all the functionality you’d expect from a mobile: phone, text, MP3 player and camera. However, the twist we added was a literal one – by twisting the facia, users can switch seamlessly from one mode to the next - from phone, to text, to MP3, to camera, in a single, effortless movement. Intuitive to use, it would also remove a layer of software complexity. The easy fluidity of the movement is a triumph of engineering, creating a user experience like none other in the market place today. 

Result

The result is Helix, a useful and differentiated innovation in mobile phone design. Helix combines the best elements of existing clamshell phone technology with a multi-purpose screen that revolves 180 degrees about its vertical axis in a smooth, attractive motion. When open, Helix is a sleek, compact design with a large viewing and control area for voice and text; when closed, camera and MP3 player functionality is revealed. At a recent international telecommunications conference, Helix received wide acclaim and has been recognised as a true innovation in mobile phone technology by the worldwide telecommunications media.