Synaptics Incorporated, a leading developer of interface solutions for mobile computing, communications and entertainment devices, and Pilotfish, a progressive industrial design and product development studio based in Munich and Taipei, today announced that the Onyx concept phone received one of the most sought-after design awards world-wide: the red dot. The red dot quality label is awarded annually for superior design quality and innovative design in the international "red dot design award" competition.
"We are proud and honored that the Onyx design concept was selected for a red dot award," says Brian Conner, leader of the Onyx design team at Pilotfish in Munich. "We see this as an important acknowledgement of the fruitful collaboration between Synaptics and Pilotfish and further proof of our belief that close cooperation between design development and technology development paves the way for groundbreaking product innovations and enhanced overall product experiences."
Onyx is a collaborative project between Synaptics and Pilotfish, introducing a next-generation handset concept that enables OEMs to visualize a fundamentally new form of user interface for mobile phones. Based on Synaptics' ClearPad, an optically clear, capacitive touch screen solution, Onyx introduces a fully adaptive user interface that eliminates the need for mechanical buttons and allows for gesture-based input. Utilizing the Synaptics ClearPad technology and interaction design methods, Pilotfish created a cutting-edge user interface and industrial design model that inspires new ways of designing handheld devices.
"The red dot award for Onyx recognizes a new perspective on fusing design with technology in a manner that conforms to the needs of today's on-the-go lifestyles, instead of bending the customer to the constraints of high tech," said Dr. John Feland, human interface architect at Synaptics. "Synaptics' intuitive capacitive sensing technology laid the foundation for the Onyx design and the creation of a unique and user-friendly interface for future mobile phones and other consumer electronics devices."
