IFA Berlin , one of the largest European trade show of consumer electronics, announces the annual IFA 2017 Berlin UX Design Awards. It is a competition that sets up a goal to recognize key added value for consumers in each of the new products, the positive impact it makes on people’s lives and puts user experience above all. In other words, it understands whether creators were able to make their inventions down-to-earth, simple to use and maintain, yet groundbreaking in terms of problem-solving. There is certainly nothing “simple” about these mind-blowing innovations from artificial intelligence to 3D-printed organs. Judges are ratting gadgets, services, environments and other concepts that touch every part of an everyday life. Among contestants, there are hologram technologies, artificial intelligence, speech recognition, 360° optics for a wide range of sectors, including medicine and health, mobility, open data, media, connected living environments, or smart industries.
Choosing the best of the best is not an easy task that can be taken lightly. These strict criteria are set to provide the necessary support and guidelines to the judges. These principals must be fulfilled by contenders in order to be considered for participation.
- Fundamental Questions
What does this product or service help us with, or what problem does it solve? Both the design and functionality of each product must be geared towards making consumer experience intuitive and comprehensible and provide a solution to their needs.
- Use Flow
The entire experience should be self-explanatory to a wide range of consumers, require minimal instructions/learning time and evoke positive emotions.
- Contents and Functions
The functions must correlate with the objectives of use and the quality of the contents used must be compatible with the context and objective of use.
- Design and Service Quality
A possibility to customize the process based on the required end result with the necessary positive user experience throughout the way.
- Relevance and Innovation Value
Opportunity to provide a relevant solution or new added value to the user group is the most important criterion.
All the submitted applications must clearly state the user-friendly approach and demonstrate the challenge the product solves. From several hundred submissions only 48 are selected to compete.
It is easy to notice the majority of these benchmarks are already implemented in the electronics and technology we buy every day. Manuals are getting shorter, with fewer words and more pictures and symbols. Many products offer personalized features and even additional ways to positively impact the world (use of recyclable materials, donations to the charitable cause, etc). That proves that innovations presented at IFA Berlin are not disconnected from the world of consumer technology. On the contrary, they are shaping it. And it is done solely with the consumer in mind.
Among the IFA 2017 Berlin UX Design Awards winners were the following inventions:
- VEYE 360° System i-mmersive.Experience events and events from anywhere in the world – virtual reality and 360-degree cameras transform live transmissions into spatial, immersive experiences.
- Cellbricks – Organ as a Service. 3D printed tissue, built from an organic print matrix and human cells, can already be used to replace animal experiments and make drugs safer.
- BMW i Inside Future / BMW Concept HoloActive Touch. The program is exploring the possibility of fully automated driving. It offers a solution of an innovative interface between the driver and vehicle.