Corensis® Medical Kiosk from Arçelik is a medical measurement terminal. It offers automated hospital registration and medical measurements. This is enabled with high precision medical sensors, advanced algorithms, and AI assistance (Artifical Intelligence).

Omuus created the concept design, CMF design (Colors, Material, Finishing), industrial design, and visual UI concept (User Interface) of the Medical Kiosk.

Medical Kiosk improves efficiency when medical staff can focus on healthcare. It provides contactless interaction, a new demand raised by COVID-19. Antimicrobial materials and sanitation of the contact surfaces were part of the concept from the beginning.

In detail

The medical measurement process is guided on a large touch-screen, where an AI assistant shows the actions. In the concept, life size real people were considered most approachable. The screen may include private information. Sidebars and handles block the view from others, and private information can be found at the bottom of the screen, blocked by the user.

Medical Kiosk is used by people of different sizes and ages, including users with physical disabilities. Users sit and stand at different stages of the medical measurement process. These requirements set a challenge for ergonomics design. Manually adjustable settings would be too complicated. Automated adjustability was considered expensive and fragile to implement. Therefore automation was considered only for a blood pressure monitor that needs to stay at heart level. Side handles and ECG handle bar on the front help to sit down and get up, as well as to rest hand while blood oxygen is measured in the finger hole on front.

Medical Kiosk includes several sensors for the medical measurement. Their positioning for different users was concepted and tested with the client. In the concept, the floor and seat were a combined weight scale, so a disabled user does not have to stand up for weight measuring if it is difficult. Measuring the length of the user requires momentary standing. Fixed seat with arched front enables medical measurements while seated, as well as the standing position. There are grooves in the seat to prevent slipping. Backrest was considered, but without it is easier to sit down.

Use in hospital also regulates materials. Medical Kiosk is not used in invasive care, yet it has to be easy to clean, and stand strong detergents. Antimicrobial materials and sanitation of the contact surfaces were part of the concept. The materials used in consumer products were considered more approachable than clinical materials. New natural and natural imitating materials were studied during the design process. Materials with a softer appearance were implemented in the seat and as accent materials.

Medical Kiosk has a long service life. The design and materials are expected to be long-lasting. Timeless geometric forms are created with extruded aluminum pillars on corners. They are created from one mold. Sheet metal is used in the maintenance door and below the screen to ensure privacy while seated. Maintenance door on the back of the Medical Kiosk can be used as an information board. Sheet metal on the floor is textured to avoid slipperiness. Side handles are also created from one mold. Parts are replaceable and economical to manufacture.

Collaboration between Arçelik and Omuus started in 2016. Together we have created products like Smart Assistant speaker Arçelik Asista, awarded Point-of-Sales device Beko Sardis, webdesign for Token Inc., as well as Research and Marketing.

Corensis® Medical Kiosk has received multiple awards:

 A’ Design Award & Competition – Bronze A’ Design Award

Medical Devices and Medical Equipment Design Category

• The World’s largest, most prestigious and influential design accolade, the highest achievement in design. 

 Doktorclub Awards 2020 –  R&D / Innovation Practice of the Year

• The Pioneer of Digital Transformation in Healthcare, and the Leading Phycisians – Only Platform in Turkey.

 MedTech Breakthrough Awards – Best IoT Healthcare Platform 2020

• Recognize the top companies, people, platforms and products in the health, fitness and medical technology industries today.

Arçelik works for a sustainable future through technology, human resources and production power. As Europe’s fourth-biggest white goods company, Arçelik operates in 146 countries with 12 brands (arcelikglobal.com).

Omuus is a strategic, material driven technology design agency based in Helsinki, London and Beijing. We are rooted in Nordic design sensibility with knowledge of global market preferences with sensitivity to business.

Inquiries: info(at)omuus.com

OMUUS is a CMF design agency (Colors, Materials and Finishes). The volume 1 of our article covered impacts to the China market and how the situation has affected the product and service design.  

In the volume 2 we have a look into how has the epidemic changed the emotional and psychological behavioural aspects of people’s lives, and how the color design can have profound comforting, soothing and relieving impact to consumers that are in the search for new rituals for their everyday lives. We also share about the impacts to the material technologies, what are the winning recipes, what should companies invest to their future material portfolio, and what materials are perfect for product development. 

How does the situation affect to colors in design?

Grace Boicel, Omuus creative Director & Applied Colour Psychology specialist

 ‘Colours have a profound psychological influence on human emotions and behaviour.

Most of us can remember looking at a rainbow appearing on the sky filling us with hope and wonder. We can also remember a day where everything isgrey and the sun seems to be far away.

In these difficult times many are looking for comfort and safety. Not all of us can enjoy looking at the sky and even be outdoors as much as we want anymore.

Did you know that colors can make us more active or calm us down?

Colors help us feel uplifted or calm down anxiety by positively influencing our mental wellbeing. Whether it is in the way of surrounding ourselves, visualising or dress in colors. Colors can be stimulating or smoothing depending on the intensity and saturation of the color. The stronger stimuli the stronger effect on us.

In Omuus we use colour psychology as the foundation of our work. Color is an incredibly powerful phenomenon used to influence us every day of our lives. It can influence our mood, behaviour and feelings; making us move quickly, feel relaxed, take action, eat more and spend more.

Simple changes in colors, can lead to big changes in sales, conversion rates and much more. If you are working with colors within your business it is important to get this right. We are happy to help if you would like to know more.’

How materials are changing and developing due current situation?

Anne Taitto, Omuus Materials Director

Certain type of materials have had increase in the demand due to the virus impact to product expectations from consumer or businesses. For example materials used in medical equipment, protective clothing and gear, as well as materials that are being used for leisure activities and hobbies. In addition to these, the production of plastic sheets for the protective shield has massive increase in demand.

Many companies have transformed their production to answer to the demand, and now produce above mentioned along with their original products. From OMUUS supplier network some of the fabric suppliers and sewing factories have started the protective clothing production and chemical producers have started to produce hand disinfectant under the emergency conditions. It is great to see companies being able to be flexible to meet the demand, and also new collaborations emerging, working together to find solutions.

The demand for easy to clean, anti-bacterial and anti-viral material has risen. Beside health care, the request for these health promoting materials is for high traffic locations to protect passersby and shoppers in public transportation and market places. Due to the virus impact globally, I believe this direction in materials will have long term impact and become an expected hygiene factor across industries.

Another material and supply chain impact with the lock down has been that production has moved from the world back to country of origin. For consumer electronics this will increase the need for suppliers to be able to produce high quality specialty finishes to be able to meet the standards.

We want to thank Grace & Anne for sharing their thoughts about current situation and how it has affected to their world.

Interested of future market specific trends? Contact us and let’s discuss more of your needs!

Annina Verkkomäki +358 40 7680127

annina.verkkomaki@omuus.com

Congratulations to our partner HONOR for the launch of flagship series HONOR 30 and HONOR 30PRO! Wonderful to see the success of the long-term development process and the brand experience of the event.

The HONOR 30 and HONOR 30 PRO launch was held 15th of April 2020 in China. Popular Chinese actor Li Xian revealed the product in his Weibo account showcasing the smartphone.​

HONOR camera smartphone 30 PRO+ was ranked second best in DxOMark’s tests according to GSMARENA. ​​

All the tech specs for HONOR 30 PRO.​​

HONOR 30 & HONOR 30 PRO LAUNCH EVENT

HONOR 30 & HONOR 30 PRO LAUNCH EVENT

HONOR 30 LAUNCH MATERIAL

HONOR 30 LAUNCH MATERIAL

HONOR 30 AD FOR BAZAAR

HONOR 30 AD FOR ELLE, ELLE MEN & MARIE CLAIRE

HONOR 30 AD FOR VOGUE, GRAZIA & YOHO

We at OMUUS believe design has an important role to solve challenges globally. The impact of Covid-19 has changed our daily lives for good, only time will tell what are the most successful scenarios. The virus has accelerated the trends that we have predicted – digitalization – this is the largest digital education program the world has ever seen. The acceleration of the need to design with empathy – the importance of supporting your community and find innovation that is truly helping in saving lives. We believe in the creative community to work together, to keep inspiring each other and creating new ways of working with the possibilities that these changes brings. WHO and The United Nations are asking design community to join to find solutions.

People are seeking for safety and hyper hygienic material solutions to promote public health to stop the pandemic from spreading. We gathered thoughts from our specialists for two articles, their insights to our new ways of working and the market changes.  In this first part we will talk about the impacts in China market and how this situation has affected to product and service design.

How has the COVID-19 changed China market?

Jenny Cui,OMUUS China CEO:

‘The impact for China & Chinese market is huge:

China as the first place of virus outbreak, we were shocked suddenly. The most terrible period was right during the Chinese New Year, which made people’s mood over sad compared with previous peaceful & happy new year atmosphere. The original hopeful New Year felt hopeless, which lead to an overall emotional impact of all local people.

From daily life perspective, everything online like teaching, working and shopping are blooming, while offline economy has had a terrible hit. Especially for restaurants, who had to start finding ways to delivery rather than eat-in options. This caused a huge request on the food packages. Also, many super markets had to start selling semi-finished food rather than raw materials, which creates need for packaging. The material needs behind the increased consumption are huge for both for anti-bacterial & eco friendly materials.

As long as the virus keeps spreading worldwide many local companies, especially the manufacture & foreign trade companies businesses dropped terribly. Many of them quickly changed their business from original into Medical supply manufacturing & trading to ensure their business. A large number of new mask production lines has been built up shortly, and the “Melt-blown fabric” and “Tyvek” materials for mask and medical protective clothes are urgently needed. At the same time the price of these materials is getting higher and higher.

The intent to buy clothes & accessories for regular consumer has changed into materials, that can provide protection, like TPU jacket & PVC gloves for their daily commuting protecting, as well as the resins for goggles.Since people are having more time to stay at home, the pajamas & slippers needs are raising increasingly, as well as the in-house fitness equipment, such as yoga mats. From daily necessities perspective, since people keep washing hands, liquid soap & hand creams needs growth significantly as well as masks & room fragrances.’

How the situation affects to product or service design?

Jarkko Saunamäki, OMUUS Principal Designer:

‘Coronavirus is a dark horse expected to affect on megatrends. Health and wellness were already a strong trend, and in the crisis aftermath it will likely intensify further. A demand for related products and services is expected to continue the growth.

Physical products may approach the requirements of clinical products in materials, cleanability and use cases. Remains to see, if this will affect on the trend of sharing economy, due the fact that social caring has increased. Cleanability and antimicrobialwill become a marketing argument, such as ergonomics, usability and sustainability were.

The usage of digital services boomed in the crisis, and revealed the bottlenecks in usability and reliability. New virus specific applications and services are already launched.

The economy moves in cycles. Research and Development often predicts the upcoming change and budgets are cut down in the economic downturn. The product development may take years, and investing only in the economic upswing may lead to wrong timing with the market entry. In a crisis some freeze, others see opportunities for new products and services. ‘

We want to thank Jenny & Jarkko for sharing their thoughts about current situation and how it has affected to their work. In the second article we will cover the topics of CMF in this changed situation, and material technologies answered by our specialists. Stay safe & tuned!

To get to know how Team OMUUS work during the quarantine, we will share some home office inspiration to our Instagram stories in upcoming days, go check it out!

How would you describe your work at Omuus?

I am one of the founding members of Omuus, all the way since the beginning of 2011. At the beginning my work was more related to finances and business strategy. Through the years it has evolved into my current role as CEO of the company. Today my typical day involves client relationships, taking care of our personnel as in the HR role and future strategy planning with our team in Finland, China and UK. I also frequently cook for the team here in Helsinki. As a family company this is very important for us as families eat together.

Can you tell us about your journey to Omuus?

I am actually an airline pilot. I’m here by accident.

Jokes aside – the other two co-founding members of Omuus, my wife Annina together with her sister Janina had careers at Nokia, where they were working as CMF designers. After Nokia they wanted to start up their own company offering CMF expertise, and I was there to support them in their mission. In a few years the company has grown from the CMF design origins to offer full range of design services, and I have had a chance to grow together with it.

Today I speak fluently design while still flying part time airplanes. I love both of my works as they nicely balance each other: my work as airline captain has trained me in decision making and to trust your people when the going gets tough. These principles apply to my work as the CEO of Omuus – fly, navigate, communicate.

Please describe some highlight of your career?

Omuus is a people business. We believe having the right people on right positions and enabling them to do great design will bring success to the company as well. The summer of 2016 Microsoft announced massive layoffs and end mobile phone business. The very day I told Annina to pick her phone and call through the best designers she worked together with during her Nokia time. Today those people are working with us at Omuus. I am proud to say our employees are our greatest asset.

Which are customers most frequently asked questions and how do you answer?

We don’t design only aspirational things. Some clients have said that our designs look expensive. We say that we possess the capability to create beautiful designs that are massproductionable with cost effectiveness. This is doable with our experience.

Most expensive product is the one that does not sell. Design really means business.

What excites you about the future of your field?

The boundaries of design are blurring. We started our company from CMF design and today along with CMF we offer industrial design, animations, service design and marketing, into studying the principles of science to the design methods. The field is expanding all the time, because brands need holistic services for their brand experience.

The evolution of design.

We started 8 years ago – almost nobody knew about CMF design. Today this discipline is mandatory for companies that want to succeed, whether in business to consumers or business to business.

The system thinking is growing as a trend, brands realize they need more than just a beautiful design – they need brand, portfolio and design strategies that address the needs of the future consumers who challenge our thinking. Omuus design is in evolution all the time, we continuously seek to evolve in our methods.

Future consumer groups.

In the next years the Millenials and Generation Z are the most influential consumer groups. During Omuus last years we have hired young talents and that has proven to be a strategic decision as we need to have the combination of expertise and understand the future consumer behaviors that influence innovative design.

Future of Omuus.

Today we work in the Europe and Asia markets, and are strongly investing in our China operations. Nordic design today is very aspirational globally and we are proud ambassadors of Finnish design.

In January and February 2019, we attended two shows in London – Surface Design and Architect@Work. What links them together is that they present future, contemporary, advanced and innovative materials for all areas of design. The strong influence of Biophilia and Bio-Design is visible when creating new design, materials and production techniques.

We attended a talk by Oliver Heath Design – an architectural and interior design practice. They use the science and style of biophilic design by improving the human connection with nature. The benefits of optimising daylight in classrooms can increase the speed of learning by 25%, improve attendance by an average of 3.5% per year and improve test results up to 14% – Analysis of The Performance of Students In Day-lit Schools (Niklas Bailey 1996). Biophilic design in hospitals reduced stays by 8.5% and reduced post-operative medication by 22% Oliver Heath human spaces.

Future material inspiration

MaterialDriven was invited by the international trade show Architect@Work to curate the theme ‘Future-Proof Materials’ – showcasing new vegan leathers, to responsive facade-skins, to carbon-sequestering paint, and advanced bioplastics. The show spanned from premature idealistic design work to realistic projects already out on the market, tested with documented assessments. https://www.materialdriven.com/future-proof

Future Proof gives a bright light in the era of post industrialism issues we are experiencing in the world right now. Today’s problems become tomorrow’s possibilities. Turning air pollution into design products for everyday use.

Made of Air is a radical new biochar-based material designed to combat climate change made of 90% atmospheric carbon. The material is a sustainable alternative to use in construction, interiors, furniture and more. http://www.madeofair.com/

The company Graviky Labs use harmful air pollution particles filtered from exhaust pipes of vehicles to create ink for pens, markers or spray ink http://www.graviky.com

Future trends predict less conservatism and a more flexible approach for next year in colour and material wise. Is this something that we will see in politics and economics with lightness and sense of community? At Surface Design show trend magazine Colour Hive presented The Trend Cluster future trends for Spring and Summer 2020 Kinship Care & Share, examining ideas about flexibility and the importance of community. Kinship rejects traditional values in favour of freedom and sharing.

The Greek company PHEE is using the dead leaf of the vascular sea plants that are annually washed up in abundance on the Mediterranean shores and disposed as waste. PHEE-board is a flat panel made from the leaves of seagrass Posidonia Oceanica and biological resin.

Dutch product SEA gives a new life to plastic litter that’s collected from ocean beaches. LockTiles is a carpet tile shape with laser cut edges – this means that the edges interlock around each other and always will fit together in all directions. A material driven design that is healthy for the environment and humankind.

Wildspitze Organoid is a good example of materials that engage with our senses. It is naturally scented alpine-hay and herbs from the Tyrolean Alps. Hand-cut, customised for smell, touch and vision.

What does this mean for us today?

We see a shift from industrial age to the ecological age. (M.Pawlyn 2016 Biomimicry in Architecture p1.) “We are entering an age in which knowledge is the prime substitute for matter”

If you are interested in the big players of the field and want to know what to expect in the next 10 years, please see previous blog – Bio Design Nov 08, 2018

The big challenge is not to elaborate alone in field of expertise, Penicillin was mould that became a lifesaving medicine, while blue mould became a delicious cheese. (Kinship rejects traditional values in favour of freedom and sharing). The second challenge is implementing a brilliant biomimicry into a reality, from small scale in the lab or design studio into large scale production.

Omuus will keep following these areas of design in future blogs.

We want to thank Per Boicel for his report from Future Proof and Material Driven Design at Surface design and Architect@Work.

First time in Shanghai last November TrendWatching was there as a part of trend tour to provide insights, how to win the hearts and minds of Chinese consumers. Presented by Acacia and Leroy, Asia head of trends and insights, and Nathania Christy, head of global insight network. Trendwatching is a half day deep dive into the best-in-class innovations from all over Asia, that are setting consumer expectations in the region.

“China plans to launch its very own artificial moon to replace street lights in urban areas this year.”

“Apple became the first trillion dollar US company.”

Retail is not dead; “Alibaba singles day 2018 achieved a record breaking 213.5-billion-yuan gross merchandise value, a nearly 27 percent increase from last year.”

First of all, what is a consumer trend? According to TrendWatching, it is a new manifestation of a fundamental human need. Even though the world is changing fast the truth is, people don’t change that much. We are still the same old humans with the same old human needs. As change unlocks new ways of serving basic human needs, trends emerge. One way of spotting such trends is to watch innovations that are happening around, as these are indicators of new ways people are satisfying their basic needs and wants. More importantly, innovations rise from emerging expectations. Expectation gaps emerge when there are no products or services that responds to these expectations. All in all, trends are simply patterns in changing expectations.

An interesting example that reflect a combination of drivers of change creating innovations that meet basic needs is homeworkgods – a Singapore WhatsApp hotline that literally helps with homework on demand. This might seem ridiculous or “frivolous” at first glance, but the trick is to focus on what that innovation could signal about future customer expectations.

Most relevant trends for 2019

Let’s now dive into consumer trends that TrendWatching identifies as being most relevant for 2019. First of all, they pointed out that customers are getting more demanding of experiences to be designed and they have to be easily sharable. The opportunity here is to design your product or service to give customers a story worth telling. Notable examples like the Tokyo-Shimbun, a micro newspaper that implies the voice of the marginalized, and Fortune Pharmacal, a light-hearted campaign in Hong Kong that aimed to remind people that finding their own happiness is the greatest fortune in life.

Second trend point, how consumers will increasingly expect to engage with brands beyond the traditional screens and channels. Case in point is the IKEA Place App that allows customers to “see” furniture in their own home. Also an app called Inkhunter, lets users preview tattoos on their own body before actually getting inked.

Think beyond convenience – how can you delight consumers with magical touchpoints?

As media grows ever-more participatory, people are expecting deeper engagement. And as boundaries between real and imagined worlds are fading, an opportunity for fantasy IRL (in real life) emerges. For example, the Louvre museum launched a tour that is based on Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s music video. Nike embedded a virtual queue for their limited-edition sneakers on Instagram, so fans can create avatars to queue for virtual sneakers drop.

What worlds do your consumers escape to, and how can you blur the boundaries even more?

Third trend point: retail. Truly a big deal in China, currently being the largest retail market in the world. In 2017, e-commerce in China grew three times faster than physical retail did. Interestingly, 80% of retail in China is still dominated by offline, street-side, family-run kiosks. Alibaba has stated that their goal is not to increase the 20% online pie, but to radically transform the 80% physical retail. New retail is about using online data and digital technology to deliver a new model of experience.

What does the best of offline and online look like for your customer experience design?

Last but not least, we are told that in 2019, consumers will embrace the test and fix experimental approach, to fix their way to an optimum experience in all kinds of ways. This includes health, wellness, beauty and perhaps even more unexpected industries like travel. For example, one airline is already offering access to Timeshifter, an app that provides personalized plans to help people recover effectively from jet lag.

What can you offer to self-improvement obsessed customers as they embrace a precise, engineered approach to improving their lives in all aspects?

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR WORK AT OMUUS?

As a colour and material designer, my job is to keep on top of global as well as local design and consumer trends. Based on upcoming trends I create compelling product expression directions for clients, to attract and excite their target consumers. This includes keeping track of new material innovations and supplier capabilities. At the end of the day, feasibility is the key to have the product in market.

I am the only designer from Omuus permanently based in Shanghai China. I am often called to provide trend and design inputs from China’s consumer and market perspective – the pace in China, especially Shanghai is very dynamic.

CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR JOURNEY TO OMUUS?

I have studied Industrial Design in University, but I have always been facinated on the materiarity of a product more than its form. After graduation my first job was actually in fashion industry, as a shoe designer. A job which as a young woman who loved fashion felt more than lucky to have. Upon hindsight, the most valuable experience I gained was to be hands on from the beginning to the end of the process. Starting from a design sketch, then sourcing for the perfect leather in Guangzhou, liaising with the factory to check its build quality and all the way to concepting how it is displayed in the shop.

This paved the way to my now lifelong affair with colours and materials. Continuing to a design agency in Singapore consulting for brands such as Sony Ericsson and Nokia, and then moving to Beijing to join the Nokia CMF team. The experience and exposure I gained at Nokia have pushed me tremendously as a designer as well as a collaborator with R&D, marketing, sales, and designers. Spending extended time in China and working closely with suppliers also gave me valuable insights in the consumers’ attitudes and designing for mass production.

After moving to Shanghai, I was introduced to Annina the founder of Omuus by Minna, my previous manager from Nokia. They offered me an opportunity to work with a team that had the same work culture that I’ve enjoyed and have experience with. Since then, it has been a journey of co-creation with a talented and family-like team that inspires me everyday.

PLEASE DESCRIBE SOME HIGHLIGHT OF YOUR CAREER?

I remember sitting in a bus in Nepal a few years ago and seeing a young man holding a mobile device in his hand that looked really familiar. With a closer look, it turned out to be the first device that I designed for Nokia, Asha 206. Being able to witness someone enjoying something that you designed, across the globe when you least expect it, was truly an amazing feeling.

Another highlight is when I got the opportunity to go on stage at BMW Welt in Munich to accept an iF gold award for Asha 501. It feels exceptional to have your design appreicated by other design professionals.

WHICH ARE CUSTOMERS MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND HOW DO YOU ANSWER?

FAQ1

WHERE DO YOU FIND INSPIRATION?

This is probably the most asked question to every designer. My answer is kind of cliché but true: Daily observing the people and different interactions and conversations with objects and people around me are the most valuable source. Visual and mental stimulation from articles, magazines, books, exhibitions and movies are also indispensable.

FAQ2

HOW IS THIS (LOOK & FEEL) ACHIEVED IN MASS PRODUCTION/REALITY?

When we present design concepts to clients, beautiful renders are neccesary to capture their imagination. We also know that being able to realise the same level of visual quality in production as promised in the renders is as important. So production feasibility is something we always keep in mind and look for material solutions as daily bassis.

WHAT EXCITES YOU ABOUT THE FUTURE OF YOUR FIELD?

Design is one of the few professions in the world to challenge the status quo on everyday basis. What excites me is that we as designers are given the liberty to suggest innovative approaches to people. It entails the responsibility to challenge product design with the most fitting material and also to colour out of the box in the most elegant shade.