HP Innovation Journal Issue 05: Winter 2016 | Page 20

travel light without sacrificing power; and with technologists’ visions of a world with only one device. To realize this dream requires an enor- mous leap in how a phone interfaces with other screens. On the software side, Continuum makes this possible. Continuum is a scalable interface and computing experience which transforms a Windows mobile device into a full-desktop PC when docked and attached to a larger display, keyboard and mouse. Very early in the design process, the HP team recognized a unique opportunity to leverage Continuum and established it as a cornerstone in the Elite x3 experience. As we thought about the hardware... Applying design thinking to the “One Life” user led HP to create the Elite x3 ecosys- tem with the Lap Dock; this innovative pe- ripheral resembles a notebook computer but is actually a client device for the Elite x3, enabling mobile professionals to stay productive while on the move. Enterprise, consumers, and the future The underlying premise of the “One Life” trend is that the end-users we serve in the commercial segment are consumers too. In other words, while the engineering teams enabled the functional needs of the professional, we were also aware of the engagement of the user at an emotional level. Color and finish serves as a good example of this effort with months of de- velopment investment on key chassis components consisting of metal alloys, soft touch coating, and non-conductive vacuum metallization finishes. No efforts were spared to en- sure CMF “color, material, HP Elite x3 puts the power of a PC in the palm of your hand. 20 Innovation Journal · Issue 5 · Winter 2016 finishes” looked and felt just right on the product. The same level of attention for design and materials was also applied to secondary accessories such as the wireless Desk Dock and Lap Dock. The design team was also involved in the design of secondary periph- eral and accessories such as the wireless charging dock and a series of cases—one of which sourced fine Italian leather from the fashion industry. There is a generally held misconception that Industrial Design is a narrow disci- pline that addresses the aesthetics more than creative problem solving. A solution such as the Elite x3 could not have been possible without the orthogonal thinking and collaborative efforts of the multi-dis- ciplinary design team consisting of human factor specialists, mechanical engineers, researchers, color and trend designers, and material scientists. Even as this article is being written, this very team is working on the next generation of x3, building on the philosophy of “One Life”, Microsoft WM10 Continuum, and HP’s innovative mobility ecosystem. We are confident and optimistic of what the future will bring.   1 Ernst and Young Global Generations Survey, 2015 2 PWC Millennials at Work Study, 2011 3 Ernst and Young Global Generations Survey, 2015 4 IDC Consumerscape360 Survey, 2015; Ipsos/ Huddle survey, 2015 5 HP Ecosystem Pain Points Research, 2014, 2016 6 IDC Consumerscape360 Survey, 2016 7 HP Elite x3 foundational customer research, 2015/6 Eric Chen as Global Design Director, Business Personal Systems, HP has been involved in leading HP’s award winning commercial industrial design organiza- tion—infusing consumer aspirational qualities into commercial products. Todd Horvitz is responsible for customer insights for commercial mobility. He has held various research positions in the US and Asia, most recently at the Walt Disney Company.