Fujitsu Siemens Computers won the 2009 iF product design award for the ESPRIMO Mobile series professional notebooks as well as for the ESPRIMO MA, a tablet PC design specifically for the health care sector. The awards demonstrate that Fujitsu Siemens Computers' investment in new and groundbreaking product design has been successful.
The iF product design award is a prestigious achievement within the design scene, and demonstrates that Fujitsu Siemens Computers' initiative to create a new and consistent product design for its business portfolio has been effective. It was only this spring that Fujitsu Siemens computers first introduced its new "core & shell" design concept. As part of this design concept, all interfaces are located at the black core of the product - be it in servers, PCs or notebooks as well as in a mouse or an USB stick. Ports or card readers are located at the front of a PC or notebook. The black core is enclosed by a cover that contrasts with the core in either color or material.
Fujitsu Siemens Computers developed the design language for all consumer and business products in a two year interdisciplinary project. Two international design agencies, IDEO and LUNAR, supported the internal design team as external partners. Fujitsu Siemens Computers is Europe's first computer manufacturer to define a consistent design language for all its product lines.
Within the portfolio of professional notebooks, the new design has been executed par excellence in the ESPRIMO Mobile series.
A special challenge was the design conception of the ESPRIMO MA: the tablet PC must meet the tough requirements regarding hygiene and security of a day-to-day use in a medical environments, as well as fulfill the ergonomic needs of the most different user profiles. For this reason, the design of the handle was extremely important, for example, as well as the display position and the functionality buttons.
Toni Koberling, responsible for Design at Fujitsu Siemens Computers, generally believes that product design must visualize the specific purpose of a product. "For us, design is never a value in itself, but expression of a strong product character as well as the perfect execution of functionality aspects. That way, it mirrors our high standard with regard to usability we find in all our products," says Koberling. "The award for our ESPRIMO MA and the ESPRIMO Mobile series proves that we once again were able to meet the professional and very specific requirements of the healthcare sector on the one hand, and the needs of a broad spectrum of business users on the other hand."
The International Forum Design decides the renowned iF product design award annually in November and presents the award to the winners on the first day of CeBIT in March. Fujitsu Siemens Computers has been among the award-winners for years in a row.