Caster Afstandsbediening by Mariana Couto and Tiago Correia

Caster Afstandsbediening by Mariana Couto and Tiago Correia is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2020 A' Design Award in IJzer in Consumentenelektronica Competition Category.

IJzerConsumentenelektronica· 2020

Caster Afstandsbediening

by Mariana Couto and Tiago Correia

Client: Telefonica

A' Design Award in IJzer Winner in Consumentenelektronica Category

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Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #102595

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Colors

The Design

About Caster Afstandsbediening

De Caster-afstandsbediening is ontworpen voor gebruik met de Movistar- en tv-service van Telefonica. Belangrijke bedieningselementen zijn het centraal geplaatste navigatiegebied en het zorgvuldig geplaatste symbool voor de geïntegreerde spraakopdrachtfunctie waarmee de gebruiker interactie heeft met de virtuele assistent van Aura. Aan de achterkant van de afstandsbediening zorgt een zachte coating voor extra comfort en een passende grip, wat een bijzonder veilige hantering mogelijk maakt. Door de ingebouwde lichtsensor lichten de meest gebruikte knoppen op de afstandsbediening op als het apparaat in een slecht verlichte ruimte wordt gehanteerd.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award in IJzer

Caster Afstandsbediening is winnaar van de A' Design Award in IJzer, een prestigieuze erkenning die wordt toegekend aan goede ontwerpen die voldoen aan de professionele en industriële eisen die worden verwacht van goed ontworpen creaties. Winnaars in IJzer tonen grote vaardigheid, hoge specialisatie, deskundig inzicht en het creatieve vermogen van hun makers. Caster Afstandsbediening wordt verwacht een hooggewaardeerde, bewonderde en gekoesterde creatie te zijn die praktisch en innovatief is. Dit ontwerp dat de A' Design Award in IJzer heeft gewonnen, integreert de beste praktijken uit de sector en heeft bekwame technische kenmerken die verbonden zijn met knowhow en talent. Caster Afstandsbediening wordt gerespecteerd om zijn grondigheid en is ontworpen om verbeteringen van de levenskwaliteit te bieden die helpen de wereld een betere plek te maken.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties: Caster Remote Control was designed to use with Telefonica Movistar TV service. Important control elements are the centrally arranged Directional Pad area and the strikingly Voice Command button that lets the user interact with Aura, their virtual assistant.
On the reverse side of the remote a soft coating provides additional comfort and a good grip, which enables particularly secure handling. The most frequently used buttons light up when the device is picked up in a dimly lit room.
Dimensions & Packaging: Width 44.3 mm x Depth 22.1 mm x Height 191.8 mm
Tags: TV, STB, Remote Control, Caster, Electronics, BLE, Voice Search, Wireless, Telefonica, Aura
Production Technology: ABS and polycarbonate (PC) plastics are put through injection moulding technique to create the casing of the Remote Control - top, bottom, battery lid and lens pieces.
The keypad piece is casted in silicone rubber with the exact specified hardness to assure an optimal button click feeling. All the graphics are silkprinted in the specified Pantone colour references using custom-tailored jigs to attest quality parameters.
Design Challenge: At ideation phase the main challenge was to keep the end-user at the center of the design language. This would be the first Voice Command device for Telefonica customers, therefore it was crucial to develop a cohesive, high-tech and yet intuitive product.
Research: Firstly, and together with Telefonica, focus groups were performed with end customers to acknowledge: (1) technological preferences, (2) ergonomic requirements, (3) sense of design, (4) emotional response to brand elements. Additionally, an extensive study has been conducted within the Call Centers' Department in order to understand the main flaws of available TV services and respective devices. Those inputs informed the Design team and served as the initial briefing.
Inspiration: The inspiration for Caster Remote Control came from automotive design, well-known by its fluent and aerodynamic lines. Therefore, Caster unique design language is marked by its flowing curves and organic shapes. This product was carefully designed to respond both to the needs of our customer, the TV operator, and to the needs of the end-user. The first ones focus on brand awareness and outstanding functionalities, whilst the latter is looking for ease-of-use and comfort.
Project Duration: Caster Remote Control project was developed in different phases, from requirement research to product release.
First brainstorm meetings were held in March 2018, in Madrid. Until mid-2019 main actions were mechanical, electrical and software development, moulding production, and samples validation. First Mass Production run took place in November 2019, in Asia. The product was made available in stores all over Spain during January 2020.
Operation Flow: Caster Remote Control has a dual-mode interaction, from the most traditional button click to the sophisticated voice search technology. These interaction modes complement each other and provide a complete and intuitive user experience.
For an even higher-end experience, a backlight system with pick-up and light sensors has been added to the device. This allows the end user to perfectly interact with the remote even at low light conditions.
Patents: Copyrights belong to Tech4home Ltd 2019
Team Members: Mariana Couto
Tiago Correia
Image Credits: All images created by João Santos (Chief Design Officer at Tech4home)