MOTOROLA, one of the major players in the information and communication technology industry, has been recognized with one of the world’s foremost industrial design honours, an iF (International Forum) product design award for its APX 7000 portable multi-band two-way radio.
The company said the gadget was lauded for its innovative dual-sided design and compact, rugged form factor – purpose-built to address the unique requirements of government and public safety users.
“Motorola has embraced design as a key differentiator for more than 30 years,” said Bruce Claxton, senior director of design integration for Motorola’s Government and Public Safety business, adding, “Communication tools are lifelines for emergency responders and the lives they are saving. Public safety professionals depend on tools built to meet their unique requirements and work intuitively, which begins with thoughtful, purpose-built design.”
Developed under a user-centered design integration process that blends the art of design with the rigors of social science, the APX radio consists out of a variety of applications including integrated GPS, text messaging, intelligent lighting and user-controlled radio profiles.
It was designed specifically for first responders by applying the science of High Velocity Human Factors (HVHF) and features a slip-free T-Grip with raised, slanted knobs and buttons made especially for gloved hands.
The gadget was hailed for its design quality, workmanship, choice of materials, degree of innovation, functionality, ergonomics, visualization of use and universal design – all tenants of the iF evaluation platform, Motorola said.
The iF product design award was introduced in 1953 and is conferred annually by the German-based iF International Forum Design.
Attracting nearly 3 000 product entries worldwide, the iF product design award is one of the world’s oldest, best-known design competitions.
This year, the iF judges reviewed 2 808 products submitted from 39 countries and awarded 802 products in a total of 16 categories.
“We were once again pleased with the keen response throughout the world this year to the iF product design award. Not only were there a great number of entries, but also the diversity within the individual categories increased. Technical innovations come to us from diverse countries, guaranteeing quality and a broad range of competition,” said Ralph Wiegmann, iF managing director–ITNewsAfrica.
