Visualizing a modern deskphone
At Podium, we offer a VOIP solution for local businesses. Within our phones product team, we wanted to research potential capabilities with emerging voice technology. As the designer, my task was to reimagine desk phones with modern features like multi-touch, voice control, and AI agents.
With a multi-touch desk phone, we prototyped ideas to discover what naturally fit with Podium's platform.
Turning Over Rocks
With design, you don't always know something until you try it. I like to call this "turning over rocks."
By rigorously testing our prototypes on the actual hardware, we gained valuable insights and sharpened our perspectives on the finer details. For example, after a few days of interacting with the touchscreen, we realized that right-edge navigation was the best way to orient the app. This is why I love prototyping. It helps teams have conversations and develop opinions with conviction.
AI-powered voice control proved to be a handy feature for a business phone, making interactions smoother and more efficient.
Instead of answering or declining, what if you could delegate an incoming call to your AI assistant?
Real-time AI transcription allows calls to be observed until the employee is ready to chat.
Transcription allows users to read their voicemails while listening to them.
SMS functionality, while unusual on a desk phone, is a core capability in Podium. Speech-to-text makes texting more feasible with this form factor.
When the phone isn't in use, this dashboard adds a bit of novelty and visibility into key metrics for the business. This idea blurs the capability of the phone and computer.