Metal and graphics – Part I

I just love the thinking behind the new Nokia L’Amour range (and what a gorgeous website as well).

For so long we have been conditioned to believe that technology should be sleek, spare, functional and modern, that it seems surprising to see technology decorated just for the sake of it.

Furthermore, I love the way the designers have worked with the media at their disposal – integrating the patterns on the screen graphics and the etched metal casing in a really pleasing way and going one step beyond just sticking a pattern on the box, as with the Limited Edition Sky+ boxes or the Cath Kidston radio (from Cally’s blog). Even the advertising blends in and is part of the concept (thanks to Cally’s blog for this link to the animated online ad ) – the print advertising is also pretty fabulous.

I think the Nokia screensaver is particularly lovely and original in the context of a mobile phone (the etched case is perhaps a bit ornate for my taste). By way of an experiment we resized the leaves from the mirror mirror website and added them to my phone as a wallpaper. Though it’s not as striking as the Nokia design, I think it works pretty well and makes my rather boxy, clunky phone much easier on the eye and satisfying to the girly part of my soul. (I also hate to admit how much absurd girly pleasure I get from my Swarovski crystal phone charm).