Yes, the world has fallen in love with Apple’s clean and sophisticated designs, but is making an Apple flashlight going too far? You bet it is. Still, designer Myoshimasato has developed a concept piece that attempts to illustrate what an iLight would look like if it actually existed. I’ll admit, it does look like something Apple would design (or Nintendo for that matter), but the functionality makes what should be a simple device unnecessarily complex, and there is no real software component to speak of. Two qualities not generally associated with Apple products. For starters, the light is touch sensitive. You can turn the light on and off with a single tap, or increase the brightness by flicking your finger forward. Double-tapping locks the device and the glowing Apple logo indicates battery status. You can even tap on the logo to automatically flash “Help” in Morse code. While that last part is definitely interesting, it may not be all that handy unless you are lost at sea or your neighbour has been stationed on a battleship or something. Would a product like this be useful or useless? Discuss. [Yanko Design]
Reckless
December 4, 2007 at 2:08 PM
I’d like to see what Myoshimasato would create if he designed a flashlight.
Though if he did, it might not be white with round corners, losing him a number of credibility points.
Report PermalinkAnonymous Dork
December 4, 2007 at 3:36 PM
Are we just making fun of Apple? Or are we actually thinking about what an Apple-designed flashlight would look like? If it’s the latter, think about this:
The USB icon is way too big (and likely would not be there at all had Apple really designed it.)
The Apple logo is yellow-green? Horizontally oriented and not centered? I don’t think so.
If the logo is an indicator, Apple would have placed it on the same side of the device as the control.
The word ON under the logo? In CAPS? Come on.
And what’s the purpose of the horizontal grey stripe?
Would a real iLight be touch? No, of course not. It’s not the right application for touch.
I actually have a point. There are too many people out there thinking that all you have to do to make something look “Apple designed” is make it shiny, white, and as rounded as possible. That’s not what Apple is about at all – it’s about form following function; it’s about not adding things for no reason; it’s about designing a thing to be quintessentially the thing that it is. It’s the substance that makes Apple design special, not the superficial attributes “white”, “round” or “touch”.
Myoshimasato doesn’t get it. He’s aping all the superficiality and none of the substance.
Report Permalinkeric Davis
December 5, 2007 at 2:02 AM
If Apple designed a flashlight it would be able to download “watered-down” music tracks from the itunes music store and the commercial would show silhouettes people with dreadlocks dancing in stiletto heals and spandex outfits. Why does apple do that?
Report Permalink