CONCEPTUAL PRODUCT
Skypeline is an internet-enabled landline, capable of switching seamlessly between audio + video calls, simply by docking the handset into the screen.
This conceptual product was designed to enable elderly people to connect remotely with loved ones unaided, based on a brief from the RSA.
IN DETAIL
The brief for this project came from the Royal Society of Arts, who were looking for a product to improve everyday well-being. From there, I focused on reducing loneliness and social isolation in the elderly.
As we've now all experienced over the last year, video calling is an ideal way to connect with other people when you can't physically be together - so it's a shame that a disproportionate number of the least mobile and loneliest people are also the most elderly: a group who are not typically 'tech savvy'.
To me, this was an unusually perfect design opportunity: to make video calling accessible and intuitive to those who are still uncomfortable or unable to use the internet.
The overall feel of the product had to be familiar, reassuring and intuitive to use, whilst at the same time delivering a much more sociable experience than a typical landline.
