Open Studios seems a new way to approach design, what was the ethos behind the project?

Before we go into Open Studios specifically, it’s important to understand the changes that have happened when it comes to design research. Traditionally, designers assume the knowledge about design is based on objects. More and more, especially when it comes to communications, it’s a question of why we are designing. It’s becoming much more about human behaviour and social relationships, and also their environment. Mobile phones have now been around for two decades. In the early days, it was very much about what was technically possible but now it’s becoming much more about lifestyle.

When we started the process in 2007 we wanted to look at people whose lifestyle is more or less emerging. When we started, we assumed that we didn’t know everything or even anything. The theme for the research was urban migration, or urbanisation, which is a trend whereby people are moving from rural to urban areas. We had to assume that they were going through a number of changes and were facing issues regarding identity, and we wanted to look at what role mobile technology could have in this.

Basically, we came up with it because we wanted a new approach to involve people in our research process. We needed a way that we don’t assume too much and we don’t miss out too much. Traditionally, if you only use ethnography, your designers are left with the complete responsibility of making the interpretation between how people relate to technology but forget that some don’t use technology. If you’re coming from an ideation approach, you’re putting your own ideas upon people by asking questions such as “what do you think of this”. We wanted to find a way that we would involve these urban migrants in a much more meaningful way. So, with Open Studios, we came up with a competition on what the ideal mobile phone would be and the format seemed to lend itself to the research quite well.

How did you go about selecting locations for Open Studios?

The three areas we chose were in India, Ghana and Brazil. It’s always a big dilemma when it comes to choosing a location. Brazil and India and Africa were obvious choices when it came to increased urban migration, but when it comes to the microscopic level of choices there are several factors to consider such as language and history, but also what kind of local contact we have.

The length of time a community has been established is also a factor. In Mumbai, the community we chose was established more than 100 years ago. The Brazilian favela in Rio was over 40 years old and the community in Ghana was 17 years old. In each and every place, we had a contact from an NGO or independent contributors who have worked in the community before. These communities are not very well-known outside and so without the human connection it’s quite difficult to get a meaningful network inside, which is quite important for us.

Were you surprised by any of the findings from Open Studios?

When we first chose this research method, the biggest risk we faced was that we couldn’t predict the level of elaboration people would bring because it was completely left to them. What was most surprising to me was how people personalised the topic and told their own stories through an object. People treated the opportunity as a way to tell their life story in a much more elaborate way than I would have imagined. A number of the stories are beyond mobile phones, but the project became a vehicle for them to express themselves, the problems they have in their lives, the hope they have and ways they would like their lives to change, in the future.

In a way, we could attribute these finding to two major reasons. The first would be that we gave them enough time to think about what technology really means to them. One particular episode was a lady who didn’t have electricity in the house, and would go out every evening under the streetlight to think about what she’d have and sketch under the light. This time to think wouldn’t have been possible in an interview situation. The other is that the project became social. Within the communities we would be chatting with people on the street and they would talk to us about what their plans for the project would be. As we engaged the whole community to a certain extent it became a topic of discussion. So when people got together, they would discuss ideas in their own private time.

A number of people who came to us weren’t intellectual workers and this was a new and unusual assignment. I remember quite a few participants saw this as a form of entertainment, especially when they were doing it together on a social level. The fact that this was the first time they had been involved in such a project also played a part. Members of the community wanted to show others what they could do.

The whole process was a rich learning experience. Why did we choose mobile phones? It wasn’t really about getting the final idea, it was the reasoning behind it. We learnt so much about communities, how word spread around and how gossip happened and what social relationships exist. Negative issues were also brought up by the research, for instance some of the ideas were about preventing people to lie. A number of them have no legal mediation as they are living illegally on that land. A number of them wanted the function to find out where that person was calling from, or who that person was with, or to take a picture of the scene to record a business transaction such as when they agreed to borrow money.

How did you get women involved in the project?

I think in all locations, except Rio, we had problems with getting women involved.  In both other communities there was a local taboo, whereby by unmarried women were not allowed to leave the house without a purpose. They could travel to temple or a local shop but nowhere else without a chaperone. Also, because population density is so high, your every move would be observed by your neighbour. I think in Mumbai, because it was a known community, it was a motivation for them to come and participate. We also arranged with the local team to conduct house visits to explain what the project was. In Ghana, it was the local team that came up with the slogan ‘women are motivated to participate” and printed this on the pre-research material handed out to the community. Having said that, female participants were much lower in all the communities.

What are the main hurdles when conducting a project such as Open Studios?

Setting-up and gaining trust within the community is the most important part. It’s not a hurdle per se, but it is a requirement. In terms of gaining trust, it’s quite important to balance and to respect participants’ intellect and avoid being patronising. Another challenge was the need to mediate expectation. We’re a big corporation and we’re there to ask their opinion. On the one hand, people are flattered. On the other hand, they would ask questions about when their idea would appear as a product. Looking back in retrospect, I also wonder how many times could we go back to a community. Once we’ve exposed them, do they lose their innocence when it comes to ideas? It’s a challenge that I’m yet to face, but it’s something we have to think about.

Have you noticed a shift in the impact technology has on people’s lives in developing countries?
I think the interesting part is when it comes to comparing rural and urban areas. The difference is quite significant. Although those living in the slums are from rural areas they’re quickly exposed to what’s available. The majority are aware about what is possible with technology and if they have a certain amount of knowledge and money they would have access to technology. They can almost set goals. Opinion-wise it’s a rich environment in the way that they know what technology can do for them. On the other hand, whether they are able to overcome the threshold that exists between now and their aspiration level is another issue. Even the notion of the Internet is not uncommon. These communities have internet cafes and with this information, they can form a clearer idea about what they would do if they had a mobile connection. One inspiring story from the favela in Rio was that someone used the Internet to search for a scholarship. It’s an example of how information technology can change their path of life rather than just making a bit more money.

What are the next steps after projects such as Open Studios?
Projects never really finish. We still use a number of the research methods we discovered here and it’s always ongoing. We learnt a lot about the dynamics of engaging communities and this will enrich our research in the future.

How did the exhibition in New York come about?

The curator for the ‘Prosperity’ section of Cooper Hewitt exhibition, Cynthia Smith was doing research on the topic of why design now. When you look at the exhibition catalogue it’s all about specific objects, our offering was completely different as it was design research work. It was the idea behind how we wanted to engage consumers that was interesting and caught her attention, as it was a different story to tell. It was good that everyone else in the exhibition showed the object and we showed the story.

This week’s big news was the launch of the Nokia X3 Touch and Type. You’ve seen the launch video and the chat with Marko Ahtisaari, Senior Vice President, Design at Nokia, now our very own Phil Schwarzmann talks to Mary McDowell, Executive Vice President, Nokia Mobile Phones. In the interview, Phil and Mary chat about the new product offering, innovation within Nokia and Mary’s new role. Watch the video for all the latest news.

Next up, it’s game-on. We’re big fans of gaming here on Conversations and what better way to spend a few minutes than to get a full run-down of the top games available on Ovi Store. The Ovi Blog managed to grab a video with game developers Breakdesign from Joe Teh’s TechieLobang blog. The video features a full rundown of the developer shack’s games including The Roach Game, Ninjani and Monsterzilla.

We’ve seen Nokia stars before, but this is the latest one and I, for one, am excited. Yes, Nokia has made it into the pocket of Bruce Willis in the latest Die Hard movie. You ready to get nasty? Watch this trailer for a sneak peak at the movie and Nokia’s starring role.

From one star to another, this time Tim Kring, Heroes creator. If you’ve been following the blog you’ll know all about Conspiracy For Good. It’s the multi-platform social experiment that’s been taking over Ovi Store, London and most of our phones. All good things have to come to an end, and sadly, that includes CFG. If you missed the whole thing, here’s what you missed.

Last week, we brought you the Nokia N900 packing the game-gripper. This week, the multimedia mogul has gone into the third dimension. This great hands-on video shows the talents of the phone as a 3D viewer. Don the glasses and get watching.

ESPOO, Finland – This morning, the new Nokia X3 Touch and Type landed. The new and improved incarnation comes with a touchscreen and a traditional 12 button phone keypad, a 9.6mm thin case, 5-megapixel camera with 4x digital zoom, and the usual offering of Ovi services. You’ve heard the news and now it’s time to watch the videos. After the jump you’ll find the launch product video of the Nokia X3 Touch and Type, but the exciting bit is the video with Marko Ahtisaari, Senior Vice President, Design at Nokia.

All the details: Nokia Lumia 800

All about our stunning new smartphone.

The specs; the price; the facts

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

To get us on our way, we have ViewRanger GPS. ViewRanger GPS turns your Nokia Symbian OS, S60 3.0 and 5.0 device into an enormously powerful tool for exploring walking paths. It uses the GPS capabilities of your Nokia device to keep track of your location, and to compare it to your route on a detailed terrain map. ViewRanger also lets you download walking routes that have been taken by others, or establish your own routes. It gives you warnings when you stray from the route that you are following, as well as letting you associate photos with points of interest along your route. It gives you a directional compass for following the route, charts your speed and distance in walking the route, and tells you the correct heading and elapsed trip time.ViewRanger is available in Ovi Store for £4.00. Here’s a handy walkthrough video from Rafe Blandford, AllAboutSymbian.

Sticking with our inner explorer, up next we have Explorers Tracker. Explorers Tracker from London-based CEALogs is a combination outdoor guide and expedition log book, all in an easy-to-use app for your Nokia Symbian S60 3rd Edition (keyboard) or 5th Edition (touch) smartphones.  It’s not an inexpensive app — the full version costs £12.99. However, the functionality goes above and beyond your basic GPS recorder, and it is available as a free 30-day trial. If Explorers Tracker sounds interesting, download the trial version a week or two before your next outdoor adventure, play with the app around the city a little so you know what it can do, then test it yourself during the trip. Explorers Tracker is available now and anyone can sign-up to the 30-day free trial.

Last, but by no means least, we have OpenTable. The concept of this app is pretty simple, it’ll book a table at a restaurant for you. When you first start the application – after a quick initial log-in process – you have the option to find a “table” based on either your current location or a city of your choosing. You can also begin your search finding a restaurant by its name – which may be the quickest path, if you know exactly where you want to go.

Just as easy is to search by your current location – the app knows where you are, based on the GPS data available from your mobile device. Based on the time of the reservation you are seeking, OpenTable shows you three options that are within 30 minutes of your original request. So if you want a 6:00 p.m. reservation, it will also display 5.45pm, and 6.15pm – assuming all of those times have availability.

With each listing, you will also see some quick details like the type of cuisine, general location by city or town, distance from you, and price range. When you click on a specific restaurant, you will see more details, including a full description of the place, and those three time options once again for your reservation. Best of all this app is free to download from Ovi Store. Here’s an interview with Josh Garnier, product manager at OpenTable.

Join us after the jump to find out if you, the Conversations’ readers, are a sharing bunch.

One thing’s for sure, from the poll results, you guys like sharing. Over a thousand of your answered and the top thing on the lists of thing you like to share is pictures. 22 per cent of you voted pictures as the one thing you would share on line.

A close second is status updates. 16 per cent of you happily divulge to the waiting world your thoughts on politics, what you had for breakfast and when someone annoys you on public transport. Could this be down to how easy it is to tell other what we think? Or are we just an emotional bunch?

In third place we have links. Do you guys find this result surprising? Links used to be the one thing that we could share online, now only 14 per cent of you rate them as content you share.

The rise of services like YouTube has been dramatic, and it seems we love to share all those animal, blooper and parody videos. 11 per cent of you voted for videos as the sharing fodder of the internet.

Next up, we have both location and emails on eight per cent each. Are we all happy now to let everyone know where we are? Are you guys using location based services regularly?

Moving down to the bottom end of the list. It seems you don’t mind sharing some things,  but only 2 per cent of you voted for sharing everything.

Documents, contacts and audio clips, only managed 15 per cent of the vote between them. Are we still behind when it comes to completely working in the cloud?

The other answer, as ever, threw up some interesting points, although only one per cent of you voted for it. A couple of readers noted that they don’t share anything online and others said they share blogs and also apps.

Are you guys surprised by these results? What would get you sharing more online? Let us know in the comments below.

ESPOO, Finland

The Conspiracy For Good pilot – titled “Read the Signs” – focused on literacy as a social cause. The fictional narrative followed the actions of a schoolteacher, Nadirah X, CFG spokesperson Ann Marie Calhoun, and the underground resistance movement, Spira. The movement, which dates to thesecond century, recruited members of the public to help Nadirah X and Ann Marie in their task to bring down evil corporation Blackwell Briggs before it could install an oil pipeline and destroy a Zambian school and library. Online and real-world game play also raised awareness and generated donations for partner charities including Kids Company, Doctors of the World, READ International, and Room to Read and the Pearson Foundation, who partnered with Nokia to provide resources to schoolgirls in Chataika village in Zambia.

It’s not just about the storytelling and game playing. Interwoven into CFG are partnerships with charities. The new approach created unprecedented interaction with the CFG communities and will result in providing 50 scholarships for young women in Africa and establish five children’s libraries in Zambia in association with Room to Read, and the libraries will be stocked with more than 10,000 donated books in association with the Pearson Foundation. It pays to be a good guy, you see.

Here’s a video and some pictures of how it all went down. Did you get involved? Did you head to the event in London? Let us know in the comments below.

We’ve been waiting with bated breath to hear this news and now it’s finally here. Foursquare is available on Symbian devices. For those new to the location-based service, Foursquare is a service that allows you to inform your friends where you are and what you’re up to. The fun comes as you get points for various check-ins and unlock different ‘badges’, all of which are virtual. Currently, Nokia compatible devices are: Nokia 5230, Nokia 5233, Nokia 5235, Nokia 5530, Nokia 5800, Nokia C6, Nokia N97, Nokia N97 Mini and Nokia X6. Here’s how it looks:

UPDATE: You can now download the official Fourquare app from Ovi Store.

If you’re a Twitter fan, we’re sure you directed your mouse to last week’s Q&A with Niklas Savander, Nokia’s head of sales and marketing. Brave Niklas faced over 400 questions on topics ranging from next-gen products to Android and Nokia in North America to Symbian. If you didn’t manage to get a front row seat in your front room, here’s a round-up video with the man himself.

We’re a big fan of Nokia Messaging here on Conversations. The service gathers all your various email accounts into one handy spot and it’s pretty easy to set-up. Nevertheless, it’s always handy to have a help in hand when you’re setting-up your mobile. Nokia’s Messaging blog is here to help. They’ve rounded-up the best tutorials from the web to get you started, whatever you mobile. Here’s one for the Nokia 5800.

Here on Conversations, we like to bring you the stories from inside and outside Nokia. Over on the Ovi Blog, we came across this fantastic story and video. It’s the tale of Carsten, from Germany. Here’s his Ovi Maps story.

The Interaction Design Association has a series of videos for those hooked on the way thing work and the way they look. The latest video is a talk by designer and researcher Timo Arnall. Timo talks about the change in the way we engage with devices. The video is also packed with examples of how designers are now creating engaging experiences between physical and digital services. It’s a bit long but stick with it, it’s worth a watch.

Timo Arnall-Designing for the Web in the World from Interaction Design Association on Vimeo.

We know the Nokia N900 is far from a one-trick pony. It’s a truly mobile mini computer that takes multitasking off the desktop and puts it right in your hands. But, did you know that it can also double-up as a gaming console? Let us introduce you to the Game Gripper for the Nokia N900.

Have you spotted any cracking videos on your world-wide-web travels? What do you think of the videos here? Let us know in the comments below.