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Of course, the Palm Pilot’s success quickly drovenew competitors into the field, all with the intention ofone-upping Palm with features like vibrating alarms,voice recording elements and greater memory.

But Palm didn’t waver from its belief that simplicitywas its competitive edge. Even with giant Microsoftthreatening to make inroads in Palm’s market share byoffering PDAs (personal digital assistants) with fourtimes more memory, Hawkins resisted going mano-a-mano, byte-to-byte. “Who cares,” Hawkins recallsthinking. “I don’t need eight megabytes; I can’t evenfill up two. Let’s show the world that this isn’t about

speeds and feeds…. It’s about simplicity.”Hawkins reached that conclusion early on when

he was still trying to envision what features theoriginal Palm Pilot should include. Back then,he carried a crude wood prototype, about the

Forget about adding “bells andwhistles” that the average persondoesn’t want, need or know howto use. The hot-selling Palm Vseries is broadening Palm Inc.’svast market lead by emphasiz-ing qualities that were previ-ously unavailable in handheldcomputers – namely, sleek-ness and style.

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The desire to be beautiful as well asuseful may not seem like a radicalidea. But as recently as four years ago,

it seemed like a bold, if not frivolous, goal tohigh-technology manufacturers who were convincedthat consumers were only interested in functionalityand not in how the product looked. It took the transfor-mation of the chunky but likeable Palm Pilot into thesleek and ragingly popular Palm V to move greatdesign from an afterthought to a necessity.

The odyssey toward this design awakening beginsback in March of 1996, when Palm Computingunveiled its original Palm Pilot, a handheld computerbased around the novel idea of simplicity – or what itsinventor, Jeff Hawkins, described as “Do one thing. Doit well.” For an industry that loves to flaunt its techno-logical prowess by packing layer upon layer of func-tions onto its products, such restraint was virtuallyunprecedented. But consumers loved it. The Palm Pilotbecame the fastest-selling computer product ever.

size of a deck of cards, in his pocket as heconsidered how customers would use such adevice throughout the course of a day. Atstaff meetings, he sometimes even pulledout his wood block to scrawl imaginary notes

on the “screen.” The experience convincedhim that the product should compete with

paper rather than larger computers, and stick tobasic functions, i.e., storing addresses, phone

numbers, a calendar and to-do list, but do it fasterand more conveniently.

As Palm considered enhancements to its originalproduct, simplicity remained key to its strategy.

Instead of adding features just for the sake of addingfeatures, the company again took the road less traveledby focusing on style and elegance. At the time, thecustomer base for handheld computers was largelyearly techno-adopters and men fascinated by electronicgadgets. Female users represented a vast and virtuallyuntapped market. Palm realized that if its product

Beyond Gadget

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was ever to gain mass consumer appeal, it would haveto look and feel less like a machine and more like anaccessory.

To accomplish this, in late 1996 Palm turned toIDEO, known for contributing to the design of thousandsof new products from the computer mouse to a portableheart defibrillator. Within IDEO, Dennis Boyle, PaloAlto studio manager and a senior project leader, wasseen as a natural choice to lead the Palm V project.Boyle was known at IDEO as the guy who introducedthe firm to the “Tech Box,” a treasure trove of hun-dreds of odd objects and materials,from teeny switches and Kevlarswatches to mood rings, that IDEOdesigners and engineers couldrummage through for ideas andinspiration. Boyle led off the Palmproject by showing his team arange of sleek products that headmired: a Sony MiniDisc player, aCanon Elph camera, a Panasonicminitape recorder, Pentax operaglasses. Placed next to these, theputty-gray Palm Pilot lookedclunky and homely.

It also paled when compared to the thin, ultralightMotorola StarTac cell phone that debuted about thesame time, and sold for upwards of $1,000 at a timewhen many cell phones were being given away. Boylerecalls that Hawkins walked into one of their firstmeetings with a StarTac. “Jeff remarked that there wassomething about it that had visceral impact. It’s so smalland beautiful. It really grabs you. He asked if we couldcreate something with the same emotional quality.”

For the Palm project, code-named Razor, as in “thinas a razor,” IDEO outlined plans for a slimmer,sleeker version of the existing handheld organizer.

Two major goals were to reduce the thickness from19mm to 11mm and the weight by one-third.

What other changes should be made, the IDEOteam asked itself. To learn more about user prefer-ences, Boyle distributed dozens of Palm Pilots to col-leagues, business friends, soccer moms, physiciansand other potential users. Inside IDEO, more than 200staffers started using Palms and providing feedbackthrough email and informal hallway discussions. Along

with praise for the product, “testers” reported prob-lems, ranging from design flaws to minor annoyances.The product was prone to breaking when dropped. Thecase was too rigid. The battery door was badly placed.The stylus storage was inconvenient. Boyle’s team tooknote of all of these complaints.

Special attention was paid to female comments,since Palm’s initial research showed that at least 95%of Palm users were men. To gain more insight into whatappeals to women, Boyle brought two female designengineers – Amy Han and Trae Niest – onto the team

as project leaders. They, in turn,corralled 15 female IDEO work-ers to critique the product.

They peppered Boyle’s teamwith all kinds of questions. “Theyasked, why does it have to besquare and corner-edged? Whygray? Why not curved, tapered andgraceful?” Boyle recalls. “Theyeven asked why these things haveto be sold in electronics stores.That’s a guy kind of place. Whynot places where women shop,like Nordstrom?” Even the Palm

Pilot ad showing a man slipping the product into hisbreast pocket bothered them. Guided by their responses,the IDEO team determined that the new Palm V shouldhave more universal appeal and softer edges.

The team also recognized that it had to solve threemajor design issues: 1) how to attach the stylus andother accessories without resorting to the makeshiftholders many users had developed on their own, 2)power management and 3) the casing. They addressedthese issues by following IDEO’s standard practice ofrapid prototyping, which stems from the firm’s philoso-phy that you learn as much from a model that’s wrongas you do from one that’s right. Or as IDEO founderDavid Kelley says, “Failure is part of IDEO’s culture.We call it enlightened trial-and-error.” Encouraged notto hold back, IDEO staffers go through dozens ofdesign iterations, producing crude but fast prototypesthat they can critique and build on.

Boyle, who holds to the philosophy “Never go to a client meeting without a prototype,” made sure thathis staff always had something new to show at weekly

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Design PhilosophyIDEO considers frequent,rapid prototyping the key toinnovation. Founder/CEODavid Kelley explains,“[Researchers at larger com-panies] are afraid of lookingbad to management, so theydo an expensive, sleek proto-type, but then they becomecommitted to it before theyreally know any of theanswers. You have to havethe guts to create a strawman.” Fast prototyping, IDEObelieves, quickly eliminatesbad ideas, letting the bestfunnel through to the end.

T he standard practice of rapidprototyping at IDEO

stems from its philoso-phy that you learn asmuch from a modelthat’s wrong as you dofrom one that’s right.

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High density foam (“red stuff”) form study

Phase One industrial design prototype with stylus concept

Machined engineering check prototype Preproduction prototypeFinal industrial design prototype

Stylus PrototypesThrough prototyping, IDEOdesigners explored ways to

make a stylus that feltcomfortable in the hand

yet attached unobtrusivelyto the Palm V. Among thefeatures they considered

were weights to make thepen heavier; springs to

make it longer or thicker;and grooves, grips, or

magnets for attaching.

Prototype Progression As the prototypes become more detailed and finely rendered, the final model looks very close to the actual product.

(Fig. 2) (Fig. 3)

(Fig. 4)

Low density foam form study

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(Fig. 6)(Fig. 5)

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Thin Is InSmall enough to fit into a purse andattractive enough to pull out at a partyand not come across as a geek, thePalm V proved that consumers wouldbe willing to pay more for a beautifulorganizer, even if its functions and pro-cessing power basically stayed thesame as its predecessor.

Top-Edge FunctionsThe top edge of the Palm V incorporates 1 a greenon-off button as well as 2 an infrared device to beamdata from one Palm to another, and 3 a software con-trol button to adjust screen contrast.

Stylus RailThe Palm Pilot is thicker than the Palm V and has only one rail for the stylus. The Palm V’s two rails accommodate a stylusand removable leather cover, which can be placed on eitherside depending on whether the user is right- or left-handed.

Batteries RequiredThe need for two AAAbatteries dictated the

minimum thickness andweight of the Palm Pilot

and the placement ofthe enclosed stylus

holder. The Pilot is heldtogether with screws,

while the Palm V issecured with industrial

glue to retain itssmooth surface.

.65" 3.1"

4.5"

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Palm Pilot: 1996 Palm V: 2000

A More Elegant FormNot only does the Palm V have a smaller footprint, itfeatures contoured edges, recessed buttons, brushedaluminum finish, crisp backlit screen and removableembossed leather front cover.

Boxy AppearanceBoth the Palm Pilot and Palm V perform basically thesame task-based functions, but the Pilot is boxier, with aless elegant battleship-gray plastic casing and an LCDscreen that is difficult to read at certain angles.

shadowwrongside

HotSync® CradleA convenient way to keep thePalm V in view, the HotSynccradle recharges the lithiumion battery automatically andsupports the transfer of databetween the Palm V and desk-top computer. At left, noticehow the stylus fits the curve ofthe Palm.

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meetings with Palm. The prototype could be a one-inchsquare that demonstrated the on-off button, a selectionof different LCD panels or styluses of various thick-nesses, lengths and shapes. “This process ensures thateven the smallest details are considered and the clientfeedback is continuous,” says Boyle.

Rough and rapid prototyping of stylus attachments,for instance, led the IDEO team through fabric pock-ets, hinges and eventually to a dual-rail system solu-tion that allowed the secure attachments of peripheralswithout the use of moving parts, and without adding tothe Palm V’s dimensions.

The power source was more problematic. To ensurea very thin product, the team knew it had to replacethe two bulky AAA batteries in the Pilot with recharge-able lithium ion ones. But in 1997, lithium ion was anew technology and battery makers weren’t sure itwould function properly in a device requiring frequentand brief recharging. It was left to Frank Canova, Palm’s

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March 2000, 3Com spun off Palm into its own com-pany through an initial public offering.) With thePalm V development almost complete in 1998, Hawkinsalso left 3Com on amicable terms to start up Handspring,a PDA that licenses the Palm operating system.

Still the project moved forward, and after almostthree years in the making, the Palm V was finallyintroduced. The reception was as enthusiastic as forthe rollout of a new luxury car. People didn’t hesitate to pay the higher asking price for the product, eventhough cheaper models, including the Palm III, wereavailable. In fact, the primary differences betweenthe Palm V and its sister product, Palm III, are itscool anodized-aluminum skin, rechargeable battery,and ultrathin, ultralight form.

Next to other handheld computers, the Palm Vclearly looks like an elegant accessory and not anelectronic gadget. Early Palm V advertisements workedto reinforce that perception, with fashion-oriented

images by portrait photographer Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, who photographs for such publications asVanity Fair and Vogue. One showed a female dancer,naked and kneeling, with the Palm V resting in herhand. Block letters read “Simply Palm.”

Presenting a handheld computer like a fashionaccessory is a radical departure from the typical marketing pitches aimed at geeks and early techno-adopters. In significant ways, the ad signaled a coming of age for technology. Now that computers are found in everything from cars to toys, they are no longer their own distinct category. “Technology isintegrating into designed products that we use, wear,and ride in,” Boyle agrees. “It has become like thewristwatch which has a very sophisticated mechanisminside but has evolved to a stage where people takethat for granted. People buy the watch that looks beautiful and is a pleasure to use. Now they are coming to expect that of computer devices too.”

director of hardware engineering, to coax reluctant battery makers into helping Palm develop a solution.

The brittle and thick plastic casing had to go too,and the IDEO team identified thin-yet-rigidanodized aluminum that was being used for

Japanese cameras and binoculars as an ideal alterna-tive. But U.S. manufacturers had little experienceworking with the material, so IDEO turned to Japanesecompanies to create the working prototype. In order toavoid screws (which were considered aestheticallyundesirable), IDEO arrived at a binding device neverbefore used for a handheld organizer – industrialglue. “It took plain old trial-and-error with dozens ofadhesives to get a satisfactory solution,” Boyleadmits. “But in the end, it worked out well.”

Another unforeseen challenge for the project teamwas the change in product ownership: Before startingthe Palm V, Palm Computing had been bought by U.S.Robotics, which, in turn, was bought by 3Com. (In

Palm V

Portable Keyboard

resized

Palm III

The Palm LineEvocative of BMW’s 3, 5 and 7 series, Palm’s numbering system for its product seriescaptures some of the glamour of the luxury carindustry while targeting different market seg-ments. The Palm III series appeals to theyoung, sporty crowd. The sleek Palm V exudesstyle and taste. The Palm VII with its wirelessInternet access suggests power and success.

Palm VII

rotate sl ccw

Personalized AccessoriesPalm’s success has spawnedan array of accessories,including a broad choice ofcarrying cases. Designed byIDEO, this case matches thecontour of the Palm V.

Palm V ModemThe Palm V’s modem

echoes its shape and thin,lightweight design. With

the modem attached, theorganizer is still small

enough to slip easily into a shirt pocket.

WebsiteOn Palm’s website, e-tailing begins right on the home page with a lively pitch forPalm’s new budget-priced “m100” handheldorganizer aimed at entry-level customers.

Graffiti SymbolsUsers can write on their Palm organizer by using a built-in handwriting recognition system, calledGraffiti. The handwriting strokes made with thestylus appear as printed characters on the screen.11”

(Actual size relationship)

To date, more than 100,000 developers are creating software and hardware applicationsfor the Palm OS platform. This portable key-board, designed by Pentagram for ThinkOutside, lets Palm users type into a full-sizekeyboard while on the road. It folds downneatly into its own aluminum case, which issmall enough to tuck into a purse or pocket.