Portal One Mosebetsi wa Mantlha: Sehedifounu by Zhenghao Huang

Portal One Mosebetsi wa Mantlha: Sehedifounu by Zhenghao Huang is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2024 Moputso oa Boronse oa A' Design Award in Moralo wa Thepa ya Modumo le Lentswe Competition Category.

BoronseDihlahiswa tsa Modumo· 2024

Portal One Mosebetsi wa Mantlha: Sehedifounu

by Zhenghao Huang

Moputso oa Boronse oa A' Design Award Winner in Dihlahiswa tsa Modumo Category

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Colors

The Design

About Portal One Mosebetsi wa Mantlha: Sehedifounu

Mongolo wa Buka: Portal One ke sehlopha sa diheadphone tse hlophisitsoeng bakeng sa libaka tse arolelanoang tsa mosebetsi le tsa thuto. Panele ea khanya e bonts'a litšoantšo tsa maikutlo tse sisintsoeng tse bontšang tlhoko ea moapari ea eketsehileng ea tlhokomelo. Mebala e sebelisitsoeng ke mekhoa ea bolulu, purpol le botala, e kgethiloe ka lebaka la kamano ea eona ea khutšo le tlhokomelo. Khanya e bonahala ntle le hore e sitise kapa e be khanya haholo. Panele e ka le letona hape e sebetsa e le sebaka sa ho ama bakeng sa taolo ea media ea ho swaipa le ho tapa. Ho hatella nako e telele ho qala mokhoa oa nako ea tlhokomelo bakeng sa hora e le 'ngoe, oo hape o ka behoang ka sesebelisoa sa mobile.

The Recognition

About the Moputso oa Boronse oa A' Design Award

Portal One Mosebetsi wa Mantlha: Sehedifounu ke mohapi oa Moputso oa Boronse oa A' Design Award, kananelo e hlomphehang haholo e fuoang meralo e ikhethang e tsejoang ka boqapi, bohlale ba ho qapa le bohlale. Bahapi ba Boronse ke lintho tse nang le bokhoni ka ho felletseng le boqapi bo hlollang tse tiisang boiphihlelo bo bongata, mohopolo le bokhoni ba ho iphumana ba baqapi ba tsona. Portal One Mosebetsi wa Mantlha: Sehedifounu e lebelletsoe ho ba ntho e hlomphuoang haholo, e ratoang le e ratehang, e nang le boprofeshenale bo bonahalang le mehopolo e mecha. Moralo ona o hapileng Moputso oa Boronse oa A' Design Award o kenyelletsa mekhoa e metle ka ho fetesisa bonong, mahlaleng, moralong le theknolojing mme o hlahella ka ho tsepamisa maikutlo lintlheng tse nyenyane. Portal One Mosebetsi wa Mantlha: Sehedifounu e kutloisisa litlhoko hantle, e ama litakatso, e hapa maikutlo mme e tsosa takatso ea ho tseba.

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