The following project showcases some of my works in Yota as a CMF designer. Yotaphone 2 is the next generation of its first predecessor. It maintains the dual-screen signature: OLED front display and EPD (Electronic Paper Display) rear display, housed with the industry standard Corning's Gorilla Glass covers. 

Above (1st image) was the mood board that expresses the emotions and feels of the designer's intention in an abstract way. There were several mood boards with various directions that we explored, this one was the one that we decided to pursue due to its versatility reason. 

 

The next (2nd image) was the specific translation of the CMF direction. The key intentions were to have shades of dark values (i.e: dark gray) with a hint of blue tint, and a matte finish with some details of high gloss/polished to create some contrast. The main reason of having predominant matte finish surface over high gloss (as commonly used on other mobile phones) was due to the organic form factors of the device itself. The organic design language was inspired by the river stones with rounded edges, making it convenient to touch as well as sleek looking, thus the matte finish will not only complement the softness and friendliness of this form factor, but also serves the functional reason of the rear display which is for reading purpose.

 

Since the EPD doesn't emit lights (unlike the LED/OLED displays), therefore the only convenient way to view the visual content on the rear display was to use a matte finish glass cover which allows better readibility and minimize the reflection from the glass.

When it comes to CMF explorations, I prefer to redraw the linedrawing that was converted from the CAD drawing and then create the rendering using Illustrator rather than using 3D rendering applications. To me the process of redrawing the lines helps me to get connected and better understanding about the essence of the device and its details. 

 

This is of course just my personal preference, and in order to do this it is very crucial to get familiar with the shortcuts, understand all the relevant features and also having a personal assets library for the all standard parts (i.e: camera, side keys, logos, etc.) 

One of my favourite details are the side keys. They were made of PVD coated stainless steel with laser-etched satin finish and polished diamond cut chamfers. These details look exceptionally stand out against the matte finish glass fiber reinforced plastic main frame.