It’s silly to say that cell phones have evolved in the 30-plus years since they entered mainstream society. But, despite all the features our smart phones offer, they will never hit the same level as that first model. Now, there is a chance to go back in time, thanks to the sharing of new Nokia Design Archive drawings, photos, interviews and videos from the mid-1990s to 2017.
Aalto University, in Nokia’s home country of Finland, is responsible for the Nokia Design Archive. Its research team selected 700 entries and combined the archive with 20,000 other items and 959GB of native digital files. Unprecedented content from Nokia, which released its first GSM mobile phone in 1992, does not disappoint. Anyone feeling creative (ahem, me) can even learn about presentations with mood boards and concept designs.
The following nostalgia dive offers not only an ode to old Nokia devices (and their 90s style), but also a fascinating look at how technology evolves. “In the early days of Nokia, there was a real desire to understand people, how they live, what makes them tick. Now we are in the same state of social change with AI. No one has defined what it is yet, but we need to make people think about what is possible,” said lead researcher Professor Anna Valtonen on release. “The archive shows how designers make ideas honest so that they can be thoroughly tested before they become reality. It reminds us that we have agency and can shape our world – by uncovering the work of many people who have done just that. “
The design archive looks a bit like a word graph floating in space, with topics including Mobile Games and Gaming — which provides an overview of the creation of the popular Snake game — and Phone Fashion and Accessories. The free platform offers filters for four topics: products, aesthetics, design process and design strategy. Also, you can narrow down to certain years to better view the era of your favorite model. The team hopes to continue adding more content as the project continues to evolve.