The Near Field Communications (NFC) Community Circle of MIT’s Enterprise Forum met this week to discuss the current and potential impact of NFC on health and wellness. An interesting cross-section of experts in the field, from developers to marketers, debated the relative success of NFC to date. Though there was a general belief that NFC … Read more

In the literature on design, product development and innovation, the word ‘design’ refers to many things: a creative art, a phase of product development, a set of functional characteristics, an aesthetic quality, a profession, and more. In the lexicon of more and more companies, however, the word has come to denote the totality of activities and … Read more

The field of diagnostic testing is going through a quiet revolution. Healthcare reform’s emphasis on results-driven medicine has put a greater urgency on early and accurate diagnosis. At the same time, advances in technology are leading to new breakthroughs in research almost daily, increasing the opportunities for new clinical devices. The reality, however, is that … Read more

Continuum co-founder Gianfranco Zaccai was featured on CNN International’s Connect The World discussing our partnership with Amos Winter and the MIT Mobility Lab to develop the revolutionary Leveraged Freedom Chair. You can watch the interview here. The related article is also posted below. Boston, MA (CNN) – Sometimes, implementing wide-reaching social change takes surprisingly few materials. … Read more

Continuum Founder, President & Chief Design Officer has been selected to be on the industrial design jury of the 2013 Premio Quorum competition in Mexico. The event will take place on September 30, 2013.Read more

With so much being reported from the design and innovation communities, we’ve decided to pull together some of the most compelling stories we’ve been reading each week. Keep an eye here for a round up of news every Friday.   Demand for Tailored Customer Experience Put Brand Loyalty at Risk, by Marisa Peacock CMS Wire … Read more

There’s a battle for the wrist brewing with companies such as Apple, Samsung, Sony, and Nike all getting into the game with new products out or on the way, competing for this valuable piece of real estate on the body. But the wrist isn’t new. Companies have tried and failed to bring technology to the … Read more

In the past, mass advertising and mass market distribution dictated that the “best” design was the one with the broadest appeal to the masses. And we all know that broad appeal can often mean extracting most of the excitement out of a design solution. Sure, over the years things have become a bit more interesting … Read more

Think of how many common expressions we use to talk about the significance of simply sitting down: “From where I sit …” before expressing a point of view. “Sit with it a moment …” while contemplating a decision. “Having a seat at the table …” to feel empowered. Where and how we sit has a … Read more

With so much being reported from the design and innovation communities, we’ve decided to pull together some of the most compelling stories we’ve been reading each week. Keep an eye here for a round up of news every Friday.   3 Ways To Make Wearable Tech Actually Wearable, by Jennifer Darmour Fast Company Design To … Read more

Design conferences help guide practitioners to a better understanding of future trends because they’re a forum where we get to share our insights from being early adopters, trend setters, and creative producers. The biggest lesson from the recent Alldesign Istanbul Conference: First redesign your life, then design for others. Designers changed their focus from being life-saving, … Read more

We all know how fast technology is changing these days. No sooner do we master a new device, it seems, than it becomes obsolete. While that rapid rate of change creates boundless new opportunities, few of us stop to think about the side effects it brings for designers, who are being tasked to create products … Read more

With so much being reported from the design and innovation communities, we’ve decided to pull together some of the most compelling stories we’ve been reading each week. Keep an eye here for a round up of news every Friday.   Apple Needs Us To Want The iWatch, And Design Is How It Will Make That … Read more

“Nostalgia for a simpler time when people had fewer choices, perhaps, can help anchor modern consumers in a shifting world. Objects that refer to the past bring with them a sense of authenticity that is not found in digital solutions. The food we eat, the music we listen to, the objects we buy—we all look … Read more

As medical treatment becomes more personalized and tailored to individuals—and medical devices become more portable—there  is a growing concern about ensuring these devices are safe for home use. The home environment introduces new risks for equipment including: less sterile areas, untrained individuals, and less checks and balances. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the … Read more

The word “audit” is not a good one when it comes to your taxes – but how about one that’s not conducted by the IRS? Continuum, a global design and innovation consultancy based in Newton, Mass., has worked with some of the largest candy makers in the world to design the best chocolate experience by … Read more

            With so much being reported from the design and innovation communities, we’ve decided to pull together some of the most compelling stories we’ve been reading each week. Keep an eye here for a round up of news every Friday.   Innovation in a Rapidly Changing World, by Kevin Farthing … Read more

How often do we hear with innovation that companies have to be nimble–able to turn on a dime and respond quickly to changes in the marketplace to take advantage of new opportunities? That all may be true for some products, but it doesn’t often apply in our field: consumer packaged goods (CPGs). These are all … Read more

As part of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society’s annual 2012 meeting in Boston, a group of attendees traveled to Continuum to learn about our company and our human centered design strategy. As part of the “tour” we hosted a competition for attendees to learn about rapid prototyping. See, by nature, most human factors researchers … Read more

Instead of holding our regularly scheduled human centered design group meeting in the normal conference room, we caught wind of complimentary food at a local café across the street: something about Ford Fusion paying for breakfast… So we ventured out into the cold windy Boston morning. When we arrived, we discovered that Ford is running … Read more

With so much being reported from the design and innovation communities, we’ve decided to pull together some of the most compelling stories we’ve been reading each week. Keep an eye here for a round up of news every Friday. How To Convert Showrooming Customers, by Steve Cooper Forbes In a shopping season where “showrooming” seems … Read more

Starbucks recently launched their Verismo home espresso machine that’s aimed squarely at Nestle’s popular Nespresso system. I’m going to go out on a limb and tell you that at the end of the day I predict it won’t be able to replicate the business success of the original Nespresso system, and will likely be relegated … Read more

What do you do when you have a headache? → Advil Pimples? → Clearasil Bad breath? → Listerine Indigestion? → Pepto-Bismol For many health problems, we have a solution to tackle the symptoms in a discrete and exacting way. It is not even a question of what category of product we should search for to … Read more

All of us here at Continuum are thrilled to announce the arrival of Felix, a company headed by our very own former Chief Operating Officer Chris Michaud. Felix is all about simplicity—creating fun, functional products that make technology easier to use. And a handful of Continuum’s all star designers worked on the initial products: Big … Read more

I’m GenY, I’ll admit it.  Well, I’m “on the cusp,” actually. I was 12 when I first surfed the internet, so I’m not a true Digital Native.  Today, I study Millennials. Formerly on projects, but in life too.  I hang out with them; my best friends are Millennials—REAL Millennials—I’m talkin tru iphone-addicted, instagramming, helicopter parented … Read more

The DOs and DON’Ts of using models in early fieldwork. Frankenstein prototypes are fast models mashed together from existing bits and pieces. Sharing Frankenstein prototypes with consumers in early research is a powerful tool. They can help get a bearing on the challenge, and even propel you down the path to the right solution, but … Read more

Over the weekend, I caught the buzz around the new Kickstarter rules regarding hardware and product–related projects. Many people commented to say that they thought one of the rules—the banning of product design renderings—is a mistake. I’ve got to say, I share the sentiment. The updated rules are a response to recent instances where the … Read more

Here you are again–driving with your coffee in your hand, fueling yourself as you speed through traffic to catch up with your day… Sociologist Zygmunt Bauman says our modern society is living in “liquid time,” a state of constantly changing moments moving so quickly we can never catch them. It certainly seems that way as … Read more

They say you can judge the skill of a director by watching a movie with the sound turned off. If the muted kaleidoscope of images compels you to keep watching, then the person behind the camera has worked some cinematic magic. But watching a silent movie isn’t fun. Turning down the soundtrack to your favorite … Read more

In a recent blog I outlined a number of perspectives to keep in mind when designing for consistency across multiple channels with discrete devices and interfaces. With the iPad mini expected to enter the marketplace by the end of the year there have been some very interesting early observations about it’s place in the Apple … Read more

The Leveraged Freedom Chair has been selected as a finalist in the concepts category in Fast Company’s Inaugural 2012 Innovation by Design Awards.  With over 1,700 entries, being named one of 56 finalists is an honor — and an acknowledgement of our commitment to improving people’s lives through human-centered design. Continuum collaborated with Amos Winter … Read more

In a cash-strapped economy, the concept of multi-function and modularity has become paramount. Consumers need their money to do more—long gone are the days of people buying a suite of products to accomplish a common task. Much like Hollywood, consumers are looking for that “Triple Threat.” Sure, there will always be those specialty luxury items—eye … Read more

By: Kara Miller, WGBH “There have been times in American history when lifestyles changed so dramatically that the very products that shape our lives had to be completely rethought. One of those times was the mid 1940s, when millions of returning veterans wanted houses – and builders like Bill Levitt began to understand the power … Read more

There are approximately 40 million people with disabilities in developing countries that need a wheelchair but don’t have one. What makes matters worse is that, even if these individuals had a wheelchair, unpaved roads and long distances between villages makes it next to impossible for them to be mobile without heavy-handed assistance. Amos Winter and … Read more

Amos Winter, PhD of MIT Mobility Lab shares the Leverage Freedom Chair story and his commitment to the disabled in developing nationsRead more

We attended the 2012 International CES, the world’s largest technology trade show. Here are a few photo highlights.Read more

Here are five consumer trends that suggest concentrates have the potential to capture consumers’ attention once again.

1. PERSONALIZATION

Gen Y has grown up with the ability to express their individuality through nearly everything they touch, from Facebook posts to the car they drive. Companies have capitalized on this desire to personalize, creating online platforms such as Nike ID, which allows shoppers to design their own sneakers by choosing colors, graphics, and even signatures. Toyota Scion has taken a similar approach with the “build your Scion” section of its website.
What if this ability to personalize could extend into the home—to such things as shampoo, soda, and fragrances? Ordinary household items designed to facilitate individual expression would provide Gen Y consumers with value above and beyond the competing one-size-fits-all option.

2. MINIMALISM

After the recent financial crisis, the American dream no longer includes a McMansion. In the downsized dream home of the future, space will be at a premium. Imagine if an entire cleaning arsenal could fit on one shelf or if the stacks of sodas in our garage were something that could be mixed up on demand, like Kool-Aid?
In the laundry category, this shift has already happened. Experiential products such as fizzy drinks may not take the same path. But the technology is available—just look at SodaStream, a countertop appliance that carbonates water from your tap. Using one carbonated canister and a variety of flavorings, SodaStream makes it possible to store the equivalent of seven cases of soda in one 10th the space.Read more

As people become increasingly accustomed to products that look good and work well, market-leading companies and their design teams will have to provide something more: Well-designed customer experiences that combine emotional attachment, shared values, sensual delight, meaning, magic, and a touch of mystery. In short, love. The global advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi has put … Read more

Affecting more than 24 million people in the United States alone, diabetes is a daunting and relentless disease that can be treated, but never fully controlled. Providing freedom from it is a challenge both noble and audacious. In 2000, Continuum, in partnership with Insulet, embarked on just this mission. The goal was to create an … Read more