Based on materials from blog.htc.com
In this article, the company's industrial designers HTC, Chris Lin and Ocean Ou will talk about their brainchild, RE Camera. These guys will tell you how the device went from concept to implementation.
Chris (left) and Ocean (right) at the industrial design studio HTC in Taipei, Taiwan
What was the original idea behind Re Camera?
Chris Lin: We wanted to make the process of shooting easier so that the photographing does not force you to 'drop out' of the moment. Our idea was to create a personalized accessory that could be held in the hand, as opposed to wearable ones such as action cameras.
Ocean Ou: We also wanted to make the filming less intrusive. When you have a large DSLR in your hands, people see what you are shooting and tense up. And RE Camera looks and feels friendlier. Children respond to her perfectly.
Chris: They like to touch and press a button even if they don't know what it is for.
What design challenges did you have to solve?
Chris: We needed to figure out how to give people the functionality they want with a minimum of iron.
Ocean: We worked closely with the user experience designers to address the responsiveness that a camera without a display could provide. Sometimes we just used a sound or light to indicate this response. It was very important and rather difficult to create all these behaviors for the camera.
Chris: A lot of people have asked if we could add a little screen. It would simplify a lot, but at the same time, it would destroy the simplicity and the experience we were striving for. The camera connects to the phone, so we had the opportunity to bring a number of functions to it, including the viewfinder.
How were your roles distributed in the project?
Chris: I worked on the project from the beginning and was responsible for the design of the camera itself. Ocean took over the development of accessories and everything related to the possibility of mass production of the device. Our roles were equal, being important at different stages.
Re Camera in natural habitat
What part of the project are you most proud of?
Chris: I would say simplicity. There are no seams on the camera body, it feels great in the hand. But this simplicity was a challenge for our engineers, who had to cast and assemble all this. It took a lot of work.
Ocean: The seamless hull was important for water resistance as well. We asked our partners and engineers the same problem. The result is a compromise between a plug-in personal accessory and a secure camera.
This project taught us a lot. We both have developed smartphones before, and for both of us this was the first time we have created something like this. It was cool.
Let's talk a little more about you personally. Where are you from, what is your education?
Chris: I was born and raised in Taiwan and my major is industrial design. I got my master's degree in the UK and when I returned I was designing lighting and sports equipment. I have been working in HTC for about eight years.
Ocean: I am also from Taiwan, but I was born in the south. I completed my Bachelor's degree in Industrial Design here, then completed my Master of Arts in Applied Arts. HTC is my first job and I have been working here for about 9 years.
Did you think about becoming designers as a child?
Chris: In the beginning, I really wanted to design airplanes, transportation and all those big things. But I realized that in this industry you are just a small cog in a huge process. For example, you can, for example, design a part of a seat. And with a smartphone or camera, you are involved from start to finish.
Ocean: At school, I always had a peculiar way of thinking. I liked decorating the class – the blackboard, the windows. When I was young, I chose industrial design because the name had the word 'design' in it. I didn't know what that really meant. I only knew that I was interested in art, crafts and aesthetics.
What's the strangest thing you've ever had?
Chris: When I was in Osaka, I accidentally ordered a raw duck. I can read a little Japanese because it looks like Chinese and I recognized the character for 'duck'. I didn't know what the rest meant. And when she did not chew, I had to swallow it whole. It was peculiar.
Ocean: I had a similar experience in Paris. I wanted to try the most French dish and thought sausage would do. But the French sausage is different. I don't know what was inside, but it gave off a specific smell. I think it was called Andouille. I do not recommend trying.
What do you do in your free time?
Chris: I've been sitting with my newborn baby lately. I like traveling, motorsport, cars. I love cars with a long history, so now I have a VW GTI. I wanted this since childhood.
Ocean: I love designing furniture and every year I participate in several design exhibitions. It is interesting to experiment with materials that we don't use in smartphones, such as thread, iron, bamboo. I also ride a bike and snowboard.
Well, it was great to meet you. Hopefully there will be more news about RE Camera to discuss soon.