Beo 5 & Beo 6

It is important to be aware of mega trends. They differ from short-lived trends that only refer to fashion and taste. The mega trends are related to technology and our perceptions of what this technology can do and how we use it. When designing products that are mending for a long life we have to be aware of these movements. The visual language must be in time with them or in front of them.

Beo5 and Beo6 differ from the earlier remotes like Beo4. The project started with the wish for a remote with more dynamic functionality through the use of a touch screen. Initially, we worked on a remote that integrated the screen in the familiar stick formula, and we came up with a proposal of a very slim stick with an integrated custom-made screen. However, this proved to be very difficult to achieve.

At that time, smart phones had appeared, and we got used to have the world in our hands. Instead of using the remote to literately point at the televisions we could use the remote to select what we wanted and then throw it up on the big screen. The remote became a ball in your hand just like the orb symbol of power. The ball has the physical buttons that can be used blindly. Above we attached the screen that works like a mirror of the entertainment available.

One could say that Beo6 anticipated the era of entertainment coming from our smart phones.