The Making of the Concept Phone

Starting at Zero: Designing Without Old Incentives

Designing this phone began with a question: what would a device look like if longevity, repairability, and clarity were the first constraints, not the last? Most phones today are shaped by the opposite logic. This one needed to be different.

Early Sketches: Looking for the Right Form

Before committing to anything structural, I explored dozens of silhouettes — some square, some rounded, some that looked nothing like a phone at all. The goal was to find a form that felt right in the hand.

Early form studies — searching for a shape that feels grounded, balanced, and quiet in the hand.

As these sketches evolved, the device’s identity began to surface: soft geometry, balanced symmetry, and a silhouette that feels familiar without being derivative.

From Paper to Volume: First 3D Explorations

Once the sketches settled into a direction, the next step was 3D modelling — not for final details, but for volume.
You don’t understand an object until you understand its mass.

This is where reality starts pushing back. Curves that looked elegant on paper felt awkward in the hand. Surfaces that seemed simple became complex when transformed into real geometry. Good design is mostly problem-solving disguised as refinement.

Designing for Repairability — Where Everything Gets Harder

The moment we committed to repairability, the entire design had to adapt. It adds constraints most phones avoid — and every constraint affects shape.

• The frame had to open without adhesives

• The battery needed to be removable

• The screen needed to be replaceable without heat

• Internal modules required stability and accessibility

• MicroSD support needed real physical space

• Screws had to be visible, not hidden for aesthetics

This phase took the longest. Because every time a repair constraint was added, the outer form had to adapt.

Material Transparency: Nothing to Hide

Transparency became a guiding principle — not as an aesthetic gimmick, but as a philosophical choice.
If we expect users to trust their devices less blindly, the object itself should signal honesty.

Seeing the battery outline, the module positions, the real screws — it creates a different relationship with the device. You understand it instead of guessing what's hidden.

Essential Mode: A Software Idea With Hardware Consequences

Essential Mode isn’t just a feature — it influenced the physical design.
A device meant to help you disconnect shouldn’t look like it’s begging for engagement.

This meant:

• Neutral colors

• No loud accents

• Calm geometry

• A form that feels at home in low-stimulation use

Looking Ahead

It’s important to be clear: this is a concept phone.
A fully realised direction — but not yet a manufactured product.

The next step is finding the right hardware partner who can help translate this design into something that can be produced at scale. That process will bring its own constraints. Some ideas will need refinement, others adaptation, and a few may need to be rebuilt entirely. That’s the reality of moving from a concept to a factory line, especially for a small and ambitious team trying to do things that larger players often avoid.

Custom design is expensive. Tooling is expensive. Low-volume production multiplies those challenges.
But none of this takes away from what’s possible.
It simply means that parts of the device may evolve as we work with partners, and that every decision will need to balance idealism with feasibility — without losing sight of the principles that shaped the concept in the first place.

We’ll document our progress openly and learn from your feedback, shaping this concept into something that reflects real community needs.