ideo

IDEO Toy Labs just launched an iPhone app that turns your phone into a virtual party whistle (iTunes link). While in and of itself, this isn’t something to.. ahem… break out your whistles for but I think it shows a really interesting side of the company.

I’m drawn to this little experiment for a few reasons:

It’s simple
There isn’t a ton to the app which means it’s dead simple for users to grasp but more importantly, easy for (what I’m guessing was) a small team at IDEO to get something designed, built and out the door.

It’s clever
Both product-wise (virtual whistle that you hold the way you would a real one) and technically (blowing into the microphone is the main interaction)

It tells a good story
With New Year’s Eve right around the corner, the release is timely and will help get the word out. They’ve chosen an iconic symbol of good times (Birthdays all year round!) in a way that I think people can’t help but identify with. Don’t underestimate how important this last one is – a great story can carry a good product.

Two additional thoughts…
- A very minor quibble: they could have leveraged the accelerometer to allow you to flip your phone and show the whistle to friends on both sides (rather than just the ones to your left).
- I love the subtle “blow” icon alerting people to the unique interaction (bottom-left):

Read more about it on their blog.

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