In March, 2010 I conducted an interview with Patrycjusz Brzeziński on his concept project called MacView. In March, 2010 I conducted an interview with Patrycjusz Brzeziński on his concept project called MacView.
A today well-known Apple iPad had been a completely new device at the time, in relation to which the MavView has been an interesting alternative. Interestingly, there are several points addressed in MacView, which iPad has not meet to this day - which makes Patrycjusz’s concept preceding its times.
MacView is also a Bachelor’s dissertation, which pretty well fits the reality at the time, nicely addressing a market need which hadn’t been fulfilled back then.
Let’s go back to those times for a while and take a closer look on details behind this interesting project.
Thomas: You’ve already shared some details on the MacView while other interviews - such as what was the motivation behind it (the need of the moment). For me it’s a kind of evolution out of the crossroad of a netbook, a laptop and a tablet. Very innovative idea. Tell us how did You reach the final solution: a double-paneled touch-screen tablet?
Patrycjusz: The main guideline for MacView was that it should still be a computer.
Before I started working on it I haven’t been even aware that Apple is going to release a tablet. I haven’t been interested in Apple - its products are outside of reach of an average Polish student. Now, over the time, I think that the products’ philosophy had not shed interference on me, therefore my project, at least on its initial stage, could develop independently of Apple’s designer thought, depending rather on my own needs as its main user. This is the reason why MacView has two touch-screens. As we know once the iPad has been released, Apple would not incorporate two screens.
Initially MacView looked like the current iPad: it didn’t have a second screen. But once I’ve tested an iPhone at iSpot (when I spent much time), I’ve concluded that a pull-out keyboard (the second screen) will be needed, at least for me. Since the very beginning I adjusted the project for my own needs. The second screen played an additional role in case when the whole content has been displayed on the main screen. A kind of a widget, so to speak.
T: MacView had been developed as a subject of Your Bachelor’s dissertation - how people who where directly involved, especially from the university, reacted at Your idea?
P: Here came in the trouble. My study profile had not allowed me to design MacView as the subject for a Bachelor’s dissertation. If I would be studying the design as such..., but I’ve been studying graphic design, therefore the Bachelor’s dissertation had been a presentation of MacView as a product, therefore the fiction name, the design of the box, extras such as the stand, documentation on the device specification.
My promotor Witold Skrzypek was an enthusiast of the project since the very beginning, therefore I haven’t had to convince him to my vision, although it had taken a while to clarify the idea.
T: I admit that MacView presentation is made very carefully, elegantly ans aesthetically, as well as it nicely fits design of the Apple itself. Tell us about the role of Apple brand, regarding Your project.
P: Apple is a brand which introduces either innovative products or simplify to the minimum ideas which already exist. Its style refers to Bauhaus, minimalism, those moves in art of which the main idea was to make such a form of a thing, which will be strictly connected to its function.
In the middle of the work I’ve bought a second-hand black MacBook, to learn the brand’s philosophy even better.
T: Speaking of Apple - the key question: how would You comment Your project in relation to recently presented iPad? In my eyes You’ve become the one who has preceded its times - these are “heavy words”, nevertheless You pretty well have lead the path, which, as we see, Apple has independently taken, too.
P: I was pretty happy when I’ve learned that Apple is gonna release a multimedia tablet, especially that my project had been almost done (May, 2009). I’ve realized that the whole time my thinking was similar to Apple designers :) .
Speaking of the iPad itself... I’m not an average PC user, but a graphic designer - and I use a computer slightly different way, therefore the newest Apple product won’t lead to my backpack. due to it doesn’t fit my needs. I need a computer. I’m not an iPad target, but the product will surely succeed and find a great many of consumers, simply content owning a multimedia bar :) .
T: Keeping in mind the specification with which You’ve described MacView - it’s a future device, regarding which You Yourself has been wondering how possible its production could be today... or soon. How You’ve decided to give it such good parameters (carbon body, 4GB RAM, 1TB SSD HDD)? Your project really overshadows the newest Apple child.
P: MacView’s parameters are adjusted to function which the device would be supposed to realize. A personal multimedia library requires a large volume in a form of a hard drive. MacView is supposed to replace a personal computer, whereas to move MacBook and other laptops to the computers-used-at-work category. MacView could also be a good business platform.
T: Would You like to join Apple designer team?
P: Sure, who would not like to.... ;)
T: Is MacView a separate project, or do You have / You’re going to have some other designer/concept projects, related to Apple or not?
P: I have two more projects which would be related to Apple, but not necessarily. As in case of MacView, they also will be referring to the interface.
T: You also designed a MacView charging stand, which enchanted me with its practicality: the final result resembles a desktop computer display, touch- or keyboard (if it is possible) controlled?
P: Yes, that’s right. MacView can be used as a small desktop computer, connected to a keyboard and mouse via bluetooth - or controlled by touch.
T: I much like the idea of two (instead of one) touch panels, especially that You’ve showed practical examples of utilizing such a solution: a space for a virtual keyboard,
to display thumbnails of a multi-page .pdf document,
a media player...
why the two panels?
P: Because three would be difficult to design within such a device, whereas one is to little to use a computer conveniently :) . The second screen is additional and augmenting the first; it is like a sidebar from Apple software, e.g., “Viewer”.
T: What software You’ve been using to design the MacView model and presentation? Did You find it a long, laborious work, or rather a pleasure?
P: The software which had been available at my university, i.e., Adobe suite, Cinema 4D and Google Sketchup. Laborious and pleasant work :) .
Filed in: design /8/ | interview /5/
