Good design should be for everyone.

 

Out of the Box is the result of a year long research project lead by Clara Gaggero and Adrian Westaway of Vitamins Design  in collaboration with the Helen Hamlyn Center and Samsung Design Europe.

 

Out of the Box is a simple yet effective solution for cell phone users who have difficulties with learning to use their new handset. For older people, this experience can be particularly frustrating as they apply analogue modes of learning to the digital experience - looking in the box for help that simply is not there.

The Book:

 

Most phones come with flimsy manuals with complicated language and jargon. These books, which can live on a bookshelf actually contain the phone.

Each page reveals the elements of the phone in the right order, helping the user to set up the sim card, the battery and even slide the case onto the phone.

 

 

The second book is the main manual – the phone actually slots into this and becomes the center of attention.

Arrows point to the exact locations the user should press, avoiding confusion and eliminating the feeling of being lost in a menu.

 

 

The Cards:

 

Phones have become over complicated and many users are afraid to break them or get lost in menus - so they don’t explore and learn all the things they can do.

 

A set of cards represents every function inside the phone which users can flick through and discover.

The phone is supplied empty, and users add the functions they want by tapping a card onto the screen.

 

Cards can be carried in your wallet so functions can be accessed on the move.

To encourage learning, the back of the card explains what the function does, and how to reach it using the menus.

 

 

 

The Map:

 

Last but not least

 

To encourage users to explore and familiarize themselves with their phones a map was created, which guides users through the meandering labyrinth of menus.

 

Users tests showed that people were quickly discovering and getting interested in new areas of their phone previously buried under layers of menus.

 

 

 

Project in collaboration with Adrian Westaway.

Graphic Design: Jaakko Tuomivara

 

 

 

Following the success of Platforum Playground, Clara Gaggero was invited  to design the new sixth form common room for Villiers High School. The space comprises three areas: a concentration area in which to study individually, a collaboration area in which to work in groups, and a contemplation area to relax and unwind in. In addition, there is an outdoor extention – complete with AstroTurf, deckchairs and wifi – where students can study and socialise in the open air.

The new area of the school opens on the 3^rd of September. 

Platforum Playground was the result of intense workshops with the students and staff at Villiers High School which explored their dreams, needs and aspirations in terms of communal space at the school. The playground was deemed a phenomenal success by pupils and staff alike by reducing incidents of violence at the school.

Platforum Playground statistics: 1,300 students; 35 nationalities; 1,750 sqm; £15 budget per sqm; 12 days to build; 300 sqm of green paint; 40m of climbing wall; 16 builders; 3 teachers; 1 crane.

Design Council case study article

“There are no more broken noses” – Futurelab article

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Photos by Adrian Westaway.

Constant Stream was a digital exhibition of contemporary Chinese art. Clara Gaggero designed show space and organised the build.Exhibit article

The new BBC Media City in Salford, has given the chance to reinterpret and update the current creative learning spaces, using the latest developments in social science, education, technology and architecture.22CC is a futuristic environment that inspires and supports learning by enabling the  students to interact both with nature and technology.

The temporary shop of Berlinerklamotten in Berlin was built in 3 days and lasted 3 months.