Interviews with Mudita

As a tech brand, we put an emphasis on, not only the overall aesthetics of our products, but even more so on the technological solutions which go into creating a superb experience of using a phone characterized by its slick design, ease of use, and security, and safety it provides.

Mudita’s origin and mission were inspired by the modern aesthetics of the Far East. From the very beginning, the idea behind our products was to make them as understated and simple as possible. All with the aim of allowing people to unleash themselves from the absurdly immersive technology.

Our main aim was to make a phone understated. To make technology understated. That was a great challenge to accomplish. The main inspiration for the shape of Mudita Pure was a river stone. We loved its roundness, structure and what it represents: a balance between man-made structures and nature. That became the basis of design direction which was to introduce that feeling of balance between the man-made and nature into electronics.

The design will definitely not be hidden in a drawer. We are at the stage of ending production. We want to make our award-winning product available to people who need it and might be interested in trying out the approach that Mudita promotes - "Enjoy Life. Offline" in their lives.

The award-winning Mudita Pure phone is now available for pre-order on our e-commerce site. It will be available for direct sale in the first half of 2021.

During the design process, we’ve explored a wide variety of shapes and colors, paying close attention to every detail. While carefully selecting and designing functions, we kept our main goal in mind - to create a phone that is non-obtrusive. The simpler and cleaner we made the design, the more difficult it was to manufacture. It took us around 18 months and over 40 different proposals to achieve the final look. Some may say we overdid it; we just think we’re perfectionists.

The founder of the Mudita company is Michał Kiciński. In the world of game developers, he is known as the co-founder of CD Projekt - the studio where the "Wiedźmin" game saga was created and where Cyberpunk 2077 is currently being created. The personal experiences of Mudita's founder, Michal Kicinski, had a major impact on the decision to establish the company and on its mission.

His dream was to apply the values ​​he believes in the world of new technologies. One of the biggest problems of the modern world is that new technology became inhuman. It has two sides and sometimes we only start to notice the darker one after some time. In the beginning, we are fascinated by technology and the side effects or long-term consequences come much later. We’re not always able to use it in an intentional way so that technology supports us and doesn’t become an addiction. Most companies profit from keeping the users in front of screens for as long as possible. Limiting our world to a five-inch screen steals us from experiencing the world fully.

Michal created Mudita in order to design products that would allow us to use new technologies without experiencing those negative effects for our physical and mental health. And our first project is Mudita Pure - a minimalistic phone

My project was made in cooperation with the Mudita company, where I am the Head of Design. We do not intend to resell the product to other companies. As the Mudita company, we are already preparing for the mass production of the phone I designed, as well as other projects that I cannot talk about at the moment.

It all started with the idea for the company that our founder, Michał Kiciński, had (I mentioned him a moment ago).

Michał was looking for solutions that would allow people to "free" people from excess information and dependence on technology.

In 2013, he started working with Przemysław Kitowski, who created and patented an antenna with an ultralow SAR coefficient. And so Michał came up with the idea of creating a minimalist phone with ultralow electromagnetic radiation.

Then Michał started working with me. My task was to design a teak device. And that's how it started.

Mudita’s origin and mission were inspired by the modern aesthetics of the Far East. We really appreciate the work of brands like Muji and design studios like Nendo, Jiyoun Kim Studio.

We’d like to find a deeper and more stable peace of mind, clarity and focus. We’d like to build authentic relationships. We want to simply appreciate a walk in the park without our phones constantly demanding our attention. We believe that without constant distractions, it is easier to make room in our lives for amazing things! Our mission in Mudita is to make mobile phones and other devices that put your physical and mental wellbeing first.

We’ve reached a moment, where we refuse to be bombarded with more digital distractions, irrelevant information and excessive functionalities. We also should have the option to use a phone that is less invasive, a device that will help us to create a calmer environment. Enabling us to make wiser choices without needing to rely solely on our self control. Technology is not bad but it’s created with addiction in mind, algorithms that know exactly what to show us so that we continue consuming digital content. Our target client is the movement of conscious technology users who do not want to be manipulated by solutions that serve the interests of large corporations. Our products are intended for those who focus on health and well-being.

Smartphones help us in many ways but too often they become a time-consuming burden we carry with us all the time.We decided to build Mudita Pure to deliver:A premium feature phone,which we couldn't find in the current market.Our goal was to give the world mobile phones that help people make space for the things that matter to them the most. It was clear to us that the design had to reflect this message.We decided not to add anything to our products that would be useless.No decoration.No needless elements. Form follows function - that’s all. We wanted our products to be friendly in both appearance and touch.

We borrowed Mudita from Buddhist philosophy. It’s the third of the four brahmaviharas, the most essential virtues, called the “Four Immeasurables”. In simple words, Mudita can be explained as an unselfish joy of happiness of others.

Pure - it's simple, minimalist, exactly as out flagship, awarded product - Mudita Pure phone.

From drawing and sculpting in clay, cutting and sanding the prototypes in foam to CAD modelling and 3D printing.

User and ergonomic research on each stage.

Designing Pure was about defining the look of a phone created not only to serve as a reliable device but also, to make a statement. With an ultralow SAR head value of 0.08 W/kg, a sleek design, an E Ink display, and a battery that is estimated to last up to two weeks, Mudita Pure encourages its owner to be less dependent on technology and more immersed in the present moment.

We created Pure with a team of mechanical, electronic and certification engineers, antenna engineers as well as UX and UI designers and OS developers which we all have onboard in Mudita.

We are using a lot of specialized laboratories and injection molding factory. Consultations with material specialists have also been frequently done.

The project we are talking about is the design of a minimalistic mobile phone Mudita Pute with an ultralow SAR. In this particular case, technology goes hand in hand with design. We cannot divide it. Both complement each other - the design takes care of the appearance, and the technology cares about the right interior of the project.

Almost each of the person working at our company could observe among the closest people the smartphone addiction. This is scary when comes to teenagers and parents not capable to manage it.

We started collecting data. Statistics are horrifying. To have a big picture.

- 86% Of smartphone users check their devices while speaking with friends and family. Source statista.com

- 29% Would rather give up sex than a smartphone. Source Digital Habit Survey 2016 Delw.

- 2617 times a day average user will tap, swipe, click their phone. Source bankmycell.com

We also collaborate and consulate with people who are experts in the field.

We created at work a library of resources that are a great source of knowledge.

We also did a Kickstarter campaign which was a great learning showing that there is a great potential for that kind of product. People have a deeper and deeper need to stay off-line. Off-line has become a luxury in the modern world.

Observing our competition - the growing amount of products of that type on the market also indicates the potential.

We visit yoga schools, go to mindfulness workshops and search among friends to find people who would be potentially our target group. Our designers conduct in-depth research with them based on Design thinking methodologies to gather insight or test our ideas and prototypes.

Initially, we wanted to use eco-materials, some biopolymers but during our research and trials it turned out none of the biomaterial meets technological requirements…

The more we wanted to make a form clean and soft the more difficult it got in the production.

Each component wanted to take more and more space in the product, we were struggling on the field x specs - it became a beautiful art of compromises.

Making a physical keyboard with proper haptics and good looking backlight is an unbelievable amount of trials and adjustments.

We are a small company and our planned volumes don’t necessarily meet the suppliers minimums. It’s challenging to find partners.

We also strive to produce and develop as much as possible in Poland. However, it sometimes turns out that our ideas are ahead of the technological possibilities of the present day. Therefore, one of the main problems we encounter is finding solutions that allow us to create a designed product.

We also try to cooperate with various companies on the development of currently available technologies. Step by step, we introduce new innovative solutions for which we also have patents.

We decided to verify our design in such an event to get the confirmation if we do our design work well. We also saw an opportunity to get a little bit famous in case of winning the award and add some reliability to our product for our potential customers. We want to make the trust we do and sell great designs.

It was the first time when me as a designer worked so closely with a big group of engineers from different fields so I discovered a lot about reliance between our fields and how to find together a sweet spot between our requirements.

I deeply broaden my knowledge about the materials and greenwashing surrounding us. Visiting many injection molding factories let me observe the process really closely and get to understand it thoroughly.

I think no. Thank you!

My dad who is a self made designer was a main inspiration to follow that path.

I was raised in Poland in the 90's where just after the fall of communism there was not much choice of the products, not talking about the good looking well designed ones. People didn’t have much choice and they couldn’ afford a lot. As a small kid I've always admired what my dad created - that among all the gray concrete reality the beautiful objects made by him occurred and I could have associated and admired them. My grandpa was an architect therefore my grandparents’ home where I spent a lot of time was also very thoughtfully arranged, full of clever and neat solutions.

Designer’s path was rooted in my family. It was natural that at some point I started attending drawing classes and as I found design more interesting than architecture to eventually apply to Academy of Fine Arts to become my adventure with design.

Mudita

We are a new kind of tech company. We care about freedom, joy and living in the present moment.

We believe that great things happen when we’re fully present. We’d like to find a deeper and more stable peace of mind, clarity and focus. We’d like to build authentic relationships.

Our mission at Mudita is to make products that bring balance and quality to people’s lives. We’ve reached a moment, where we refuse to be bombarded with more digital distractions, irrelevant information and excessive functionalities. Instead, we need to make space for discovering and embracing who we are and what makes us unique.

Most people say design is about observing, noticing and solving problems. I absolutely agree, however as the word “problem” has a negative connotation I don't like describing it that way. I prefer to describe design as making life easier. Helping people become better, helping them to make progress.

What I personally like is creating objects which are closer to handcraft. On the borderline with art which does not have to be produced in thousands.

Their function might be to start discussion, raise questions, give something for thought and start a change by their appeal.

It was a faucet I designed for a competition for some polish company. My first designer’s success. Afterwards there were few more faucets designed in different circumstances. And I loved them all, thinking it was my niche for a moment and I liked that space - more of a sculptural thingy.

When I’m in the right environment with inspiring people without too much pressure and lot’s of intersecting, independent topics.

Pleasure. Excitement. Self development. It’s great to have challenges and get to know new things.

Happiness, sense of accomplishment, relief but also uncertainty, kind of fear.

When people are fancy to use it and it brings them joy and relief in the way. When it makes life easier and the user doesn;t have to think about it.

Usually, sight is the first sense that meets the design therefore the look is the first layer of judgment.

Creating mindful products which have a deeper sense of existence. It’s important to look at the whole product life cycle.

It’s great when design not only fosters some activities but also shapes peoples’ behaviours and attitudes.

In my opinion what we can observe in Eindhoven during Dutch Design Week every year is the most developed state of design we are watching right now and I think that’s where we are going - innovations in materials, in processes, in systems like education, design questioning our state as a mankind.

We will help companies in what they are doing by teaching them design process, problem solving and user-centered approach.

People. Nature. Data. Observation.

I live and work in Poland. The cons is that as a nation we are still not surrounded by pretty, functional things in our daily lives. Poles have a very specific taste and we love to criticize it, therefore, it’s not pleasurable to satisfy the average polish customer or rather most of the polish brands targeting the Polish market.

The cons is that poles will always have the approach “nothing is impossible”.

I work internally for the client and I’m really happy to be a part of whole brand development.

1)Art deco glass carafe and glasses I heritage after my great-grandma

2)Metal pendant lamp which is a danish classics - looks like a flying saucer

3)Classic Chemex made out of glass and wood

4)Moonshine distilling table which was my master’s project

5)MUJI aroma diffuser which distribute the smell perfectly and has a very cozy light

Be organized in each field - it’s a key to success, everything has a cause and effect sequence, design is a talent is not enough.

Be flexible. Have a strong opinion that you are not afraid to express. Search, question and verify things.

Negatives - people like coworkers, clients, think that they know how to make products that they know how to make great things. Sometimes it’s difficult to persuade them to your solutions. You have been a fighter in the way.

It’s a great book How I Stopped Loving Design by polish graphic designer Marcin Wicha which explains all the struggle designers come through. Positives - it’s an exciting job! It’s never boring, you learn new stuff with every single project.

Reduce when you can.

Minimalism is my middle name. :)

In question 25.

I mainly use Sketchbook

Also Basic workshop with plywood, foam, acrylic, laser and 3d printer, Fusion 360, Solidworks. as well as Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator.

I find inspiring books according to projects I work on, I especially like books which show design methodologies.

I got a lot of tricks and tips from my superior while working as a team leader. I make plans which I guess is one of the hated tasks to do. I try to establish 3 goals for the week/sprint and then 3 smaller tasks to do daily to accomplish weekly goals. I track my time, I try really hard not to switch between tasks too often.

Really depends on the object type.

What I’ve been doing now for almost 3 years: being ahead of design and a team lead at Mudita. We’ve built an amazing design team with very skilled people I can learn from and we work on the next exciting products.

What I really like at Mudita is that we create mindful products for mindful people. Products which have a bigger sense - we want to change something. Show people calmer life in current hectic times.

What I love about that work is that it’s natural that designers take part in product development from the first ideas, research, creating a brief, then all the development process and finally production.

As a designer, I also find in Mudita a great balance between creating consumer electronic and more lifestyle “soft” products.

Currently not thinking about it.

As a team in Mudita.

There are a couple of designs my team and I are working on right now. One of them is a minimalist alarm clock Mudita Bell. All in Mudita's philosophy. However, at this moment I can't reveal the details.

The best way is to write an email to hello@mudita.com.

I think at this moment we covered most of the things that I can talk about. Thank you!