This is the fifth post about a cell phone design project that started here.
Materials and finishes.
As much as the shape of an object, materials and finishes determines its personality. Stiffness, reliability, simplicity should then be the attributes of the material used in this case. Economics are usually also driving the choice of a particular material over another, but as this is some sort of a dream project, we'll stay pretty vague and just say that that a thermoplastic is the most appropriate material for this kind of object.
The last track chosen in the form factors part of the project was born considering the portability of the object, and the answer was to give a rounded shape to the object so it would be adapted to be carried in pant pockets for example. Materials can also respond to the considered context and induce a solution. At least it's what happened here when I realized that in the objects that I carry around, a lot of them use leather : my bag, wallet, notebook,... Personal taste is of course involved, but leather reaches the attributes cited above, is soft on touch and shape, gets nicer when it gets older, smells good and speaks of good craft by its own. A cell phone made of leather first got me to think of these oh so nice phone cases with a belt clip, but it sure could be better than this. Anyhow, the leather track was on.
