Great Minds Think Alike!

It's funny cos, was just browsing the Yanko Design Blog .. and found that Sungwoo Park & Bongkun Shin came up with a concept that is similar to mine! Except their concept layout is way more professional haha :p

The blog editor pointed a question out though: "Many modern cards utilize texture in the design which a screen doesn’t pick up. Many also use front/back layouts which this concept doesn’t seem to address." I think this proposed some interesting improvements that could be further developed - perhaps in the future they'd have OLED screens that are texturally tactile!! That would be qool.

Anys, here are some of their graphic presentations:


Really nice CAD modeeling, very clear and distinct layout of the design object too.

Nice photoshop rendering - but I just thought they should have at least hired a better looking pair of hands... or at least put some moisturizer on!!

This is really professional - the exploded axometric perspective of the design. I also like how they have inserted a search scroll - even though I don't really know how they are going to navigate through the interface if it ain't touch creen (and obviously you can't see any other buttons apart from the mode button); then again, their device is simpler in terms of the software. I just thought, if they were going to enter these contact details into their laptops, they'd have to type it in themselves - whereas what I had in mind was that it could be transferred digitally by means of a USB port.

One more thing though, their scanner is incredibly thin!! This nanotechnology surely won't be happening for another 5 years down the track? Who knows!

Nonetheless, I like their search interface though - very 'Apple', haha!

By the way, Yanko posted this on the 8th September 2008 - just to clarify that I didn't steal their idea!

More images from http://www.yankodesign.com/2008/09/08/digitize-that-stack-of-business-cards/

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Concept Generations

Finally I get to return to design after rehearsing hard for the Kick Up The Dust Dance Competition... by the bye we were 2nd runner up!! :D

Anyway back to topic, here are my concept boards from last Wed's studio...

Client comments:

1) should do something that breaks through a Palm (I think Palm only sends vCards i.e. emails of attached basic contact details in text only, so to take a step forward I was thinking to send more image files such as a portfolio / personal photo / GPS or Google Maps of company addresses directly to each other's devices)

2) what happens when the other person only holds a paper BC (i.e. some sort of scanning system, and I thought of the inlcusion of a function similar to vCard, which after scanning the paper BC, the device automatically detects the e-mail address and sends my Gen X guy's own contact details to that address. This way it diminishes the problem when someone hasn't gotten round to getting an eBC device)

Client Comments:

1) what happens when the thief tries to hamper with the fingerprint wallet by breaking it? (I think this is something I need to think about, some ppl suggested self-destruction, or some way that the cards destroy their strip automatically when any sign of forcing of opening etc. )

2) How is it sealed? If it has so much technology within one small thing - is it possible? (I guess I just assumed that the metal railings around the wallet would be somehow magnitized when it's closed... but more research in terms of security systems and size need to be done)

Client comments:

1) I'ts more a device for gadget people... (Even though I did think smart textiles is emerging and will definitely be a part of our future, perhaps the design itself is not feasible in the next 5 years to make it luxurious and at the same time multi-functional... then again you never know!)

p.s. to Monica: I got the information on nanotechnological textiles from the following website:

http://smartextiles.co.uk/

Hope this will help you get deeper into the ideas of smart textiles!

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