February 11, 2008
Social Mobiles
Social Mobiles was a collaboration between IDEO and artist designer Crispin Jones in 2002. They presented 5 mobile phones - that each in a different way modify their users behaviour to make it less disruptive - to provoke discussion about the social impact of cell phones. [via we-make-money-not-art.com]
The electric shock mobile delivers a variable level of electric shock depending on how loudly the person at the other end is speaking. As a result, the two parties are induced to speak more quietly.
The speaking mobile allows the user to converse silently; a person receiving a call in a quiet space can respond without speaking, using simple but expressive sounds that they produce and intone manually.
The musical mobile requires the user to play the tune of the phone number they wish to call. The public performance that dialing demands acts as a litmus test of when it is appropriate to make a call.
The knocking mobile. The user knocks on this phone to communicate the urgency of their call. The recipient hears this knock through their phone and can be discerning about which call they answer.
The catapult mobile can be used to launch sounds into other people's phone conversations. This provides a direct yet discreet way of invading their space.
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