Portal One Lub Cwj Mem Rau Pob Ntseg by Zhenghao Huang

Portal One Lub Cwj Mem Rau Pob Ntseg by Zhenghao Huang is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2024 A' Design Award Tooj in Tsim Khoom Siv Suab thiab Khoom Siv Mloog Competition Category.

ToojKhoom Siv Suab· 2024

Portal One Lub Cwj Mem Rau Pob Ntseg

by Zhenghao Huang

A' Design Award Tooj Winner in Khoom Siv Suab Category

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Verified Award Winner

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View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Portal One Lub Cwj Mem Rau Pob Ntseg

Portal One yog ib khub cwj mem rau pob ntseg (headphones) tsim los siv rau cov chaw ua haujlwm thiab kawm ntawv sib koom. Muaj ib daim phaj teeb uas tso saib pom cov duab dhia zoo li tab tom hloov hloov, qhia tias tus neeg hnav xav tau lub sijhawm tsom mus rau ib yam dab tsi. Cov xim siv yog xim xiav (blue), xim tsamxem (purple) thiab xim ntsuab, uas raug xaiv vim lawv txhawb kev nyob ntsiag to thiab kev tsom ntsoov. Lub teeb pom tau meej meej tab sis tsis ua rau txav siab lossis ci heev. Sab phaj sab xis kuj siv tau ua chaw kov (touch area) rau kev hloov lossis tsawm khij (swipe thiab tap) cov yeeb yaj kiab. Yog nyem ntev me ntsis, nws yuav pib qhov "focus time mode" uas siv tau ib teev, thiab tseem xaiv tau los ntawm daim app hauv xov tooj ntawm tes.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Tooj

Portal One Lub Cwj Mem Rau Pob Ntseg yog tus yeej ntawm A' Design Award Tooj, ib qho kev lees paub muaj meej mom heev uas muab rau cov qauv tsim tshwj xeeb uas txawv los ntawm kev tsim tshiab, kev txawj tsim thiab kev ntse. Cov neeg yeej Tooj yog cov khoom muaj txuj ci heev thiab tsim tshiab heev uas ua pov thawj txog kev paub ntau, kev xav thiab kev txawj ua ntawm cov kws tsim qauv. Portal One Lub Cwj Mem Rau Pob Ntseg xav tias yuav yog ib qho khoom uas neeg hwm, qhuas thiab hlub, uas tshaj lij heev thiab tsim tshiab. Cov qauv tsim yeej A' Design Award Tooj no siv cov kev coj ua zoo tshaj plaws ntawm kev kos duab, kev tshawb fawb, kev tsim qauv thiab thev naus laus zis thiab zoo heev vim nws saib xyuas cov ntsiab lus. Portal One Lub Cwj Mem Rau Pob Ntseg ua tau raws li cov kev xav tau zoo kawg, kov cov kev xav, ntxias cov kev xav thiab txhawb kev xav paub.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: Portal One is beyond a pair of headphones; it is a unique device designed to express a concentration signal through a lighting display. By lighting up in distinctive animated visuals, Portal One serves as a non-intrusive communication tool, signalling to others the wearer's need for focus, thereby avoiding disturbance in the work and study environment. The abstract pattern is noticeable without being distracting or overly bright, which is important in shared spaces.
Dimensions & Packaging: 203.98mm x 82.01mm x 218.37mm
Tags: Headphone
Production Technology: Color psychology plays a pivotal role in this communication strategy. Shades of blue, purple, and green on the Portal One displays are chosen for their associations with tranquillity, focus, and creativity. Blue and green, in particular, foster a calming ambience conducive to productivity, while purple hints at creativity and insight. These colors not only convey the wearer's current state effectively but do so in a manner that's subtle and non-disruptive to the surrounding environment.
Design Challenge: How we let people understand the signal? Historically, we explored past uses of color and light in communication to create an intuitive signal. Socially, we conducted many user researches to ensure our design would be universally understood across different cultures, considering the varied interpretations of colors and light patterns. This approach helped us create a visual signal that resonated with a wide audience, bridging cultural differences effectively.
Research: How can we express the concentration and do not disturb signal for the headphone users who demand it to others in an effective and gentle way? We studied existing practice of visuals and analysed why they are not suitable for the context of workspace by secondary research and interview. We studied color psychology and abstract visual communication to create the proposals of the visuals. We invited people who work in the office and studio environments to have a perception test of our proposals.

Finally we came to the result:

Abstract Visual Communication: Lights are a clear and non-verbal way to communicate. In a work or public environment, others can easily see the lights and understand that the user is concentrating and prefers not to be interrupted.

Color Psychology: Blue, purple and green are often associated with calmness, focus, and creativity. These colors can subtly signal that the wearer is in a state of deep concentration. Moreover, those colors are more suitable for office etiquette.

Dynamic light, Obvious Yet Non-Disruptive: Dynamic lights are more obvious than static ones, making it more likely that others will notice and respect the user's focus state. At the same time, the abstract pattern can be noticeable without being distracting or overly bright, which is important in shared spaces.
Inspiration: Globally, wearing headphones has become a universal signal for do not disturb and concentration, a non-verbal cue used by millions to communicate their need for focus and privacy. Despite this widespread understanding, it’s also common for people to communicate with each other while wearing headphones. Thus, the message often falls short of being clearly and effectively communicated, leading to confusion, and resulting interruptions in the context of open offices, studios and classrooms.
Project Duration: The project started in Dec 2023 in Pasadena, CA, US and finished in Feb 2024.
Operation Flow: An app on mobile phone could be used to activate the focus time mode that turns the light on as well as other basic functions. The rightside light panel functions as a touch control area, accepting swipe and tap guestures to control media. Long pressing will activate the focus time mode for a default duration of 1 hour.

Portal One offer a unique solution for users looking to focus without interruptions. It also introduces a social code for the modern workplace. This focus Time feature fosters an environment of mutual respect and understanding. Ideal for open offices, studios, and more. By balancing individual focus with collaborative engagement, it promises to enhance workplace harmony, boost productivity, and reduce stress. Whether engaged in deep work or seeking privacy, Portal One users can maintain focus while implicitly communicating their status, paving the way for a more inclusive and respectful working environment.
Image Credits: Zhenghao Huang
Weiqi Sun