Welcome back to Design Story–where we give you an insider’s scoop on HTC’s latest innovations with our own designers. Let’s dive into how the Desire 820 went from concept to creation with Industrial Designer, Hannes Harms.
Walk us through the story. What’s the Desire 820 all about?
Hannes Harms: The Desire 820’s 5.5″ screen presented us with a clear design challenge: how to make a large-screen device feel like a friendly and approachable object. With the Desire line, we’re limited to plastics for cost and construction reasons so we have really been pushing ourselves to look at new, unique ways to mold plastics.
Over the past several years we’ve been investigating a two-color molding process. The way it works, basically, is that you have two plastics that you mold in the same form. They bond together, so there aren’t any gaps.
Purely from a design perspective, we had a lot of fun creating the two-tone color palette. Using this process, we were able to frame the most important features (such as screen, buttons, camera) with a darker shot and therefore create a sense of functional hierarchy within the design.
Does the plastic have to dry in between the shots?
Hannes: The first shot of plastic is cooled down in the form and therefore solidifies. Then, the part is transferred to another mold, so it basically rotates on one machine where it gets the second shot of plastic.
From a build-quality perspective, this process ensures rigidity and strength on a very slim plastic body by injecting an additional layer only into the sidewall of the phone while keeping the back of this piece of plastic as thin as possible.
How long did it take to come to this double shot solution for strength and aesthetics?
Hannes: We started to look at it a long time ago. We always have a couple ideas in the back of our heads that we want to try at some point. Since this design hasn’t been done before, it was a bit of a challenge. We had to engage closely with our engineering teams.
Let’s hear about your background as a designer. Where are you from, where did you study and what got you into design?
Hannes: I’m originally from Germany and I studied design at the Royal College of Art in London. After I moved to the U.S., I started working for One & Co., which has become part of HTC.
What’s your favorite part of the design process?
Hannes: I’ve always been interested in materials and processes. It may not be something that every consumer sees, but it feels very honest when a design is related to how it’s made.
Hannes, it’s been fascinating talking with you. Hopefully we can check back soon about the next bold design from HTC.
Stay tuned for more Design Story interviews coming soon. In the meantime, learn more about HTC’s smartphones.
The post Design Story: Hannes Harms on the Desire 820 appeared first on HTC Blog.
by Teresa Basich via HTC Blog
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