The power of design: Transform your everyday life with excellent conference systems, streaming services and apps
Home office, home schooling and home workouts – the current situation shifts the centre of life of many people into their own four walls. When creating a new everyday routine, good communication design in the form of video conferencing systems, streaming services or fitness apps can be a great help. Last year, the Red Dot Award: Brands & Communication Design honoured numerous digital works that can support people in their everyday lifes.
Awarded intelligent HD video conferencing system
Today, there is a wide range of virtual communication tools to stay in touch with people in a professional or private context despite physical distance. Whether Zoom, Skype or Microsoft Teams –video conferencing systems do not replace personal meetings, but they do make communication much easier. The intelligent HD video conferencing system “Huawei Telepresence” from Huawei Technologies was awarded a Red Dot in the Red Dot Award: Brands & Communication Design 2019. The system displays virtual conferences with several participants in 4K HD quality even with limited bandwidth. The special feature here is that different types of media can be displayed in parallel on the editorially quick fast screen and commented on by the users. The minimalist design of the user interface can be personalisable with dynamic themes, which means that the conference system can be seamlessly integrated into a modern working environment.
“Die Deutsche Telekom” connects people
Good, functioning Internet is essential for the use of video systems. In Germany, this is largely in the hands of the company “Die Deutsche Telekom”. Last year, the company received the award "Red Dot: Brand of the Year" for its particularly successful brand identity.
Particularly in the current situation, the company is living up to its central brand claim “Life is for sharing”. This is based on the human need to maintain contact with family members and friends and to let them participate in special moments. In order to enable people to stay in contact with each other, especially in these times, Die Deutsche Telekom has for example given 10,000 smartphones to old people's homes and nursing homes. The Telecommunications company also offers companies the video system “Cisco Webex Conferencing Services” free of charge for three months to enable people to work from their home office. Die Deutsche Telekom is also providing schools with cloud-based Web Conferencing Services free of charge for three months to enable teachers to exchange ideas with their pupils and students.
In addition to the support for better communication, Die Deutsche Telekom, together with the Red Dot awarded software company “SAP”, is also providing very concrete solutions for containing Covid-19: Both companies were recently commissioned by the German government to develop an app for tracking infection chains. With the help of the corona-warning-app, the smartphones are used to prevent the virus from spreading further.
Stream favorite series and movies from home
Streaming services have long been an integral part of everyday life for many people, and not just since the closure of the cinemas. Especially when the usual meetings with friends and family are no longer possible, series and films on demand are a welcome change. With “MagentaTV”, Deutsche Telekom offers a cross-platform application that was awarded a Red Dot in 2019 – among other things for its uniform design on various devices such as smart TVs as well as PCs, smartphones and tablets. The service translates the countless platforms and channels into a clear and easy-to-use interface, providing user-friendly access to streaming services, media libraries, VOD content and TV channels.
The design of the user interface of the live TV application “Vodafone GigaTV” by Vodafone Kabel Deutschland also received a Red Dot in 2019 for its design, which was created by the agency “COBE”. The TV app is characterised by its personalisable user interface, which combines TV programs, media libraries, on-demand content and streaming services, suitable for different target groups with different user needs. Just like Die Deutsche Telekom's streaming service, “GigaTV” can be used across devices.
The app “Must” could be the right tool for all those who want to directly rate the films they watched or receive suitable film recommendations. The Red Dot awarded app, designed by the company “Must App”, also allows users to connect directly with friends and manage a movie wish list. All films and series available from streaming providers are directly linked in the app.
Awarded design for gamers
Passionate gamers might enjoy the Red Dot winning web browser “Opera GX” from the company “Opera Software”. Users can set maximum RAM and CPU usage with the browser to optimise the gaming experience. The innovatively designed user interface allows gamers to adjust the browser colours on the keyboard and mouse. By connecting to the Twitch platform, the gaming browser can be used for game streaming.
Conquer the inner temptation
In contrast to the time spent in front of the screen, it is important to get enough exercise – whether in the fresh air or at home. Some Red Dot awarded digital works help you to stay in shape even without a gym.
For example, the app “Pedometer” records the user’s physical data in real time while running; this is done automatically in the background without having to open the program. “Pedometer” not only functions as a pedometer, but also provides training plans and personalised fitness courses with video clips of the exercises. The intuitive interface provides the consumer with easy-to-read reports, graphs and tables that provide information about his personal fitness level and the goals he has achieved. The “Leopard Mobile” company was awarded a Red Dot last year for its design.
For all couch potatoes who find it especially difficult to motivate themselves for sports, the Red Dot awarded fitness app “Butterfly Coach” can act as a personal trainer. By integrating AI and intelligent data, the app evaluates the users' needs through their feedback, sets goals and designs each training session differently and individually. In addition to the strength and relaxation exercises, the consumer gets nutritional tips and other advice for a healthy lifestyle. The agency “Plan.Net Group” and the company “BF Coach” also received a Red Dot: Best of the Best for the brand design of the app. The Red Dot Jury was particularly impressed by the layout, which stands out with its eye-catching colour palette and a visual language that is intended to inspire users and awaken their ambition.
Registration portal for the Red Dot Award: Brands & Communication Design is open until 5 June
With the help of the presented excellent digital tools, you can take the chance to redesign your everyday life in the current situation. Well-created communication design can also be helpful in the future. Be it in the categories “Interface & User Experience Design” or “Apps”: For this year's competition, designers, agencies and companies are invited to register their works and brands in the “Communication Design” and “Brands” sections until 5 June 2020.