U.K. -- Information Appliance Development Wins Top U.S. Award

July 11, 2002, A Bristol, U.K.- based company, The Appliance Studio, has achieved a top U.S. award after just two years in business.

In the Industrial Design Excellence Awards (PRWEB) July 13, 2002 -sponsors Business Week magazine, The Appliance Studio won a Silver Award in the Digital Media Interface category. The award recognised The Appliance Studios success in turning an innovative idea into reality and was given alongside joint development partners, U.S.-based Steelcase and designers IDEO.
The award was given for the companys role in developing Steelcases RoomWizard product. This internet enabled touch-screen device acts as a room sign and room reservation system for offices, and allows co-ordination of room use via a companys intranet system. From an initial innovative concept The Appliance Studio perfected a practical, robust technology solution that is being used by British Petroleum and other large organisations.
The Appliance Studio, a spin-off from Hewlett Packards research laboratories, is an innovation services company, developing ideas in partnership with clients, of which the Steelcase RoomWizardä is just one example. The award places the company amongst the leaders in the development of 'information appliances -- simple everyday devices that are pleasing to use, with technology to allow interaction with other devices, yet free of unneeded features or over-complex functions.
Unlike ideas such as 'talking fridges and other gadgets that are typical of much industry hype around forthcoming technology, The Appliance Studio practises user research approaches to innovation to produce devices that have very real and practical benefits in everyday situations. Currently it is prototyping a range of new appliance ideas, including new smart signage applications for the web sign concept that underpins the RoomWizardä.
These include a bookstore application that links store-based shelf signs with books via tags or bar codes to allow customers to simply scan in a book they may be interested in, to see a range of reviews, other books by the same author, and suggested reading lists based on their interests. Users can also download information or order books not in the store, via PDA, mobile phone or other Bluetooth devices.
The system could even automatically alert customers, via their PDA when their book has arrived the next time they are near to the store.
Commenting on the Awards, Bill Sharpe, Chairman, The Appliance Studio, said; The Award underlines our ability to work with 'bricks and clicks concepts to take innovative concepts and produce practical information devices that use technology to empower people in everyday situations, and open up new opportunities for our clients.
It is sometimes easy to loose sight of clear and simple values when developing innovative concepts; our success has been in turning ideas into working, practical solutions that are a delight to use, uncluttered by unnecessary features," he added.    
The Appliance Studio now hopes that the award will highlight its skills to other potential development partners or organisations wanting to exploit the advantages of information appliances.

ENDS

Download press photographs from      www.appliancestudio.com/photos
About The Appliance Studio            www.appliancestudio.com
About the Awards               www.idsa.org
About Steelcase and Wizard WebSigns      www.wizardwebsigns.com
About Ideo                  www.ideo.com
Need more information?            marcus@cobalt-media.com

Information issued by Cobalt Media, Bristol, UK, on behalf of The Appliance Studio