Oct 27
2009
Dialtone
This is too good an idea not to share. Sorry if everyone already knows this, because apparently it was reviewed by CNET in 2006, but Samsung's phone for the elderly called the Jitterbug actually plays a dialtone when the clamshell phone is opened.
Open the phone and you'll notice the first thing that makes this phone so great for seniors: An actual dial tone. With this simple innovation, you immediately know that the phone is active and ready to go, similar to a landline phone.
It's a really elegant solution to what I can only imagine is a big usability issue.
i've been a fan of jitterbug since i first saw their ads. i can't, really, think of any other new proposition that i've encountered that so holistically approached the challenge of both brand and product. almost no real mention of barriers or problem-solving in it, it is a beautifully resonant brand with real innovation focused very tightly. this particular detail just cements the attentiveness that went into it's development. pretty damned cool.