From TV controls to medical scanners, things have become more complicated to use as feature sets and capabilities increase. In an effort to reduce the stress of life, and make these things less of a chore to use, the Sense And Simplicity initiative aims to make more things simple to use.
That sounds easy enough, but when covering everything Philips makes from those medical scanners to light bulbs, it may not be immediately obvious how that achieved. The Simplicity Advisory Board then is made up of everything from a fashion designer to a radiologists and a computer scientist/artist and advises on approaches from the conceptual to the practical in achieving the stated aim.
Not just some inflated sales concept, the tenets of the new direction have been taken to heart in the corporate culture too. Gerard Kleisterlee, president and chief executive officer of Philips, said “It’s much more than a slogan. In fact it’s a business driver. Simplicity isn’t just about the products and solutions we send ‘out there’. It’s about what we do ‘in here’ – as we go about our daily business.” As an example in all meetings at any level Philips have limited Powerpoint presentations to ten slides or less. The top brass were all out to speak on the initiative, now in effect for some time, and to high light the changes.
Dividing their concept and offering range into a number of headings, Philips has applied some existing and some new technologies to many areas. In the Care section there is an Air Tree. This object looks like a modern art sculpture and functions as a humidifier and air cleaner. With indicator lights and unobtrusive controls, it would be unobtrusive in most modern homes. Another home focused product was the herbarium. It is a small device that takes compacted pellets of soil and nutrients and seeds and nurtures them to provide fresh herbs in the kitchen. Each pellet has a chip embedded for identity and monitoring. It indicates when water is needed but the device itself monitors and adjusts light levels and irrigates from an onboard tank that you top up.
Perhaps among the highest impact devices were under the Glow category. A range of light bulbs and light devices allows you to set moods in your home, office or garden. Though it sounds unimpressive, the effects are stunning. For example, there are light chimes that act when they detect a breeze. They change colour in reaction to ambient temperatures or pre-programmed settings. There were flexible lights shades that changed colour due to embedded LEDS, while the Chameleon allows one to place an object beside a sensor that changes the light out put to that colour.
For entertainment, under the play heading, there is a TV that hides in plain sight as a full length mirror till required. A simplified remote control, a wand with one button, allows full control of it. Wall speakers remain tastefully hidden as wall hanging until needed when the turn to envelop the listener. The wand remote senses motion to control onscreen menus.
In the same manner, under the Play heading, the Music Explorer is controlled by a tablet type device that has a circular screen. Rather than browse folders for files, music files appear as illustrated objects on the touch sensitive screen. To change the menu, simply rotate the tablet through 90 degrees in either direction.
A potentially disruptive technology is the Tunein. It is a personal music player with a difference. If set to broadcast and share, it allows you to listen to someone else’s Tunein if they are in range. A Radar type display shows other devices in range, their share status and their music genre and song playing. It makes hanging around in train stations almost attractive.
With the simplicity drive in concept for some five years and product lines for a year or so, Philips says that it is seeing the benefits. Sales are reflecting the drive and the internal changes in procedure is leading to efficiencies and increased productivity. In a world tired of slogans and campaigns, this one seems a bit different. Captivating, it leads on from the simple premise of products with usability “as simple as the box it comes in”.
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