The wining design in the Nokia Benelux Design Awards 2005 were won by Turkish Tamer Nakisci. The Nokia 888 is a personal mobile communication device which lets you be free and is a lot of fun. It is light, simple and carefree. You can change its form according to your needs during the day. You can carry it anywhere, in any form. You can roll it, bend it, put on your clothes like a clip. It is tryly a personalized product. Getting in touch with the ever changing emotions of people.
I caught up with Tamer by email and received the answers somewhere in December 2005.
Last September you won in the Nokia Benelux Design Awards with your Nokia 888 design. Could you explain shortly what inspired you to design the Nokia 888?
First of all, the way that Nokia chose to present this competition was really interesting and inspiring to me. They used a different website style which they called ‘oncept lounge’ It was very clear what they were looking for. So that’s how I decided to participate. Then I took the first step. I looked at the world around us, and was amazed by the fact how deep cell phones get into our lives. Ten years ago nobody knew about them and now they are everywhere, we are almost dependent of them. Nevertheless, they are not just regular technological gadgets. We use them to communicate, to talk to someone, to a person. They are ‘connecting people’…That is a very basic human need. So I came to the conclusion that a cell phone should be able to handle the emotional power behind this. It shouldn’t be just something that we carry in our pockets or purses. It should adapt to us, provide us with new ways of communicating, extend the concept of mobile communication while offering high usability and flexibility in function. That is how I started to design Nokia 888…
The design of the Nokia 888 is highly adaptive and clearly exceeds the current options to personalize one’s mobile phone by for example changing the front cover. What do you think will be the biggest emotional appeal of your design?
‘E-motions’ are the electronic motions that can be shared between the Nokia 888 users. You can send and receive forms by this function. For instance, you can send a dancing figure while inviting your friend to the party, or a heart shape to your girlfriend. Some shapes, motions give us a certain feeling, remind us of something. So before you read the message, or even without reading the message you can understand what it is about. Is it bad news or good news? This way you use another emotional level for communicating.
Are human emotions an important factor in the way you decide to design a product? If so, in which way, and how was this for the design of the 888?
As a designer, the human emotion is the first thing that I think about when I start a product. Most of the time the product idea comes out of these emotional ideas. I call it the soul of the product, so without the soul the body cannot survive. This is a very important step for the product design, if you don’t create a strong idea of why this object should exist, what the people will feel when they see it, touch it, then everything else you will built on it will be worthless, and another dull product would come out. In this sense, for my Nokia 888 design, I used the e-motions that I explained before, and also tried to create this feeling of lightness, carefree usage while creating an ‘electronic friend’ kid of relation between the user and the object. For instance it asks you in the morning; ‘what shall ‘we’ do today?‘ rather than a simple agenda or reminder. Also while using the navigation function of the phone, it says: ‘we are here” instead of saying ‘you’ are here’. I think these small details create a precious whole in the end.
Do you think the design of the 888 could be implemented now, or otherwise in a year or in some years?
It was a concept design competition, so I tried to generate a concept based on existing or possible technologies, as Nokia had briefed. We don’t have the required technology at the moment. At least, not at an affordable price. But I am very attached to this idea and so is Nokia, as they describe it as a very conceptual but at the same time as a very realistic design. So I think that at least they would be interested to use some of the principals that I offer.
The interface will be a huge challenge but will eventually form the biggest influence the phone has to provoke emotions and build up an emotional relationship with the user. While designing the 888, did you happen to get any ideas for certain characteristics of the interface?
While designing the 888 I tried a lot of combinations and possibilities for the interface, but eventually, I realized that they were creating confusion rather than creating a calm and simple interface. So I decided to push my project to the conceptual side a little bit more and use flexible touch screen. In a future where these technologies that I mention will be available to use for a phone like this, there will be a dozen of accessories or interface devices like Bluetooth pens, earphones etc. which this phone will be compatible with. So I decided to focus on some other areas of the design and leave it open.
Which design of an existing product is the best example of an ‘emotional design’ - referring to the emotional appeal of it, to you?
I might not name the product itself but I like Karim Rashid’s works in general. Also the sugar cubes by Droog Design, that have numbers from 1 to 100 written on them. The small touch that completely washes away the dullness of sugar cubes
What inspires you (books, designers, environment, etc.)?
I read design magazines both in paper and online. I read books, I try to improve myself all the time. But more than that, I observe a lot. I think that is very important. The things going on around us, the small details of life, the nature. So in one second , I realize something that nobody else has seen before out of all these, then I breathlessly get to work and start to design…
Thank you for this interview Tamer. Good luck with all your future designs!
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1 xenia on April 20, 2006:
Hello!
I’m photo editor of Russian magazine “Telephone”.
Could you help me to find photo (hi-res) of the Nokia 888 ( designer Tamer Nakisci «The Nokia Benelux Design Awards» )that you have on your site
Thank youXenia Bondareva
www.spn.ru
2 Marco on April 20, 2006:
Hi Xenia,
I have forwarded your request to Tamer Nakisci himself. He will probably contact you directly about it.
3 fox on May 20, 2006:
Congratulations Tamer!
The 888 has a really creative an excellent feel!
Keep on with your fantastic work and enjoy yourSELF…
fox
Switzerland
4 Paralitick on May 23, 2006:
This is very conceptual model, a think it must be BOOM in mobile world. Nokia will receive many new fans and a big money resourses with this 888. I hope they will take advantage of such opportunity before the competitors.
UA Orel. K
5 Aaron Cooper on June 5, 2006:
I’m very interested in knowing how the interface will be developed (e.g. Flash). Perhaps additional images are available somewhere that would offer views of the 888 hypothetically in-use. I’m curious how the form factor will work within daily life. For instance, could one where it on one’s wrist, or is intended to be folded and placed in a pocket, or sewn into an article of clothing?
I have some ideas, so if the author or design is interested in collaborating, please shoot me a message.
6 Jimmy on June 24, 2006:
It’s ICREDIBLE!!!! I don’t believe thet’s true but after a couples of years i’ll see if it is… I’m from ROmania and can’t wait to see it here…
:D 
7 rocky on May 4, 2007:
Dear Tamer
Its realy wonderful to me i have not thing about this, you are realy realy created wonderful phone in mobile world can i know what is the price of this phone and how can i buy it .
rocky
from INDIA
8 Adi on May 5, 2007:
I will just say one thing
WOW
But i dont think tht it can become true
this will always remain a dream and nothing more thn tht
9 KAMRAN IQBAL on May 11, 2007:
its realllly amazing cell phone i hava no words to say this cell phone how it is buetifull
10 Rahul on May 24, 2007:
hiiii
i wanted to know the cost of this piece
11 felipodrock on June 5, 2007:
muy bueno el sentido de doblaje de el movil, solo falto algo de repreductor de musica, algunos audifonos inalambricos eso quedaria mejor.
soy de chile, espero que un movil asi salga pronto.
saludos.
12 kobe on June 25, 2007:
Good work, was so much impressed about your whole concept i know it could be achieved and it possible.I have some new concepts too planed how do i go about it.
13 sreeram on July 23, 2007:
tell me price of nokia 888
14 Marco van Hout on July 23, 2007:
Sreeram: it is a CONCEPT phone and it is not in production, nor is there any price information. Sorry to disappoint you. Be patient, perhaps it might go into production one day
15 Srini on July 29, 2007:
Awesome!!
16 amit dhimar on August 22, 2007:
its nice to see something that can change the hole worlds tendency for a mobile
17 M IRFAN MUGHAL on October 5, 2007:
hi its very nice mobile
how can Possible
i think its a dream that never come in mobile world
18 Habacuc on November 7, 2007:
esta real mente fantastico!!!! espero que salga muy pronto al mercado.
mis felicitacione por tan novedosa tecnologia en celular son lo mejor.
19 Alex on December 4, 2007:
Nice!!! this Nokia is a very nice phone, this one i have expected to see at the stores long time ago.
20 stynx on January 7, 2008:
its so amazing!!! how to be come true? just send me a real one of that phone?
21 ilhami uluhan on January 8, 2008:
congratulations Tamer, that’s very nice to see your success. Hope to see more…
22 Arjani on January 9, 2008:
It seems to be a phone from another dimension.
23 fatima on January 9, 2008:
it was fantastic.i want to know the price of this item. when we can buy it?
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