Microsoft's Head of Phones talks colorful Lumia design

The new Lumia Conversations blog (previously Nokia Conversations) caught up with Peter Griffith, Head of Phones Design at Microsoft, to talk about the importance of solid design when it comes to the smartphone.

Griffith joined Nokia back in 2005 and migrated to Microsoft after the Finnish company saw its handset division acquired by the tech giant for €5.44 billion (US$7.3 billion). Previously working on Lumia at Nokia, Griffith touches on how the teams behind Windows Phone are a more efficient machine now everything is under Microsoft:

"For some time there's been a lot of integration – don't forget we've been working with the Windows Phone platform for a number of years! Now that we're all one company, we're able to collaborate in new and more significant ways. If our focus is on the person using the device, we need to be able to orchestrate where all of these things come together. Reaching out to all areas of the organization is extremely important."

The full interview is an interesting read. Griffith not only talks about Lumia and Microsoft, but also coffee, design, wearables and even how the design team works on choosing which handsets sport chosen features and functionality, all tailored for specified demographics.

"Making coffee is simple enough that, fundamentally, not that much has changed. However, the mobile phone landscape is such a fast-moving environment, we've already seen the form change significantly in ten years. However, within that, there are constants that will remain; appreciation of materials, the way everything comes together to make the final form and the experience of using it. These will always be important to people."

Check out the full interview over Lumia Conversations for more details.

Source: Lumia Conversations{.nofollow}

Rich Edmonds
Senior Editor, PC Build

Rich Edmonds was formerly a Senior Editor of PC hardware at Windows Central, covering everything related to PC components and NAS. He's been involved in technology for more than a decade and knows a thing or two about the magic inside a PC chassis. You can follow him on Twitter at @RichEdmonds.

77 Comments
  • Reading about Microsoft's efforts to design a flagship would be interesting :)
  • Lol, no shit, right. Instead we get: coffee.
  • But it's good coffee ... ;)
  • Yes, I admit defeat. Its morning here in Orlando and I'm making some now!
  • Flagship coffee to be exact.
  • Confirmed: next Lumia flagship to be code-named "coffee".
  • Yeahhh
  • no flagships now not at all. flagship will be released only with windows 10. Microsoft has to make windows 10 a success. they should get more budget devices.
  • Yeah except by this time next year when W10 does come out, many of us will have jumped ship having tired of waiting..and waiting...and waiting.
  • I agree. Those of us that purchased the 920 two years ago are ready for an upgrade. Releasing the HTC One, a phone that is almost a year old is not acceptable. If tomorrow comes and goes with no significant announcement (fingers crossed for 940) many current WP users will move on.
  • My 920 is a poor cousin backup to my 1020.  Now THAT is the device I want a successor to.
  • Agreed
  • Haahaa I was expecting Peter Griffin from Family Guy.
  • Me too!! :D
  • Absolutely correct!  
  • Excellent article, I've always admired the design ethic. Hopefully this will translate to am awesome flagship for the new os.
  • So Harrison Ford is designing Lumias now? Cool!
  • While Mel Gibson controls the ethics committee..
  • Oh no...
  • The new dark blue looks incredible, hopefully it will be available on flagships as well. Its weird how some of the cheaper phones have more colour choices than the expensive ones, not just Nokia but other phone manufacturers as well.
  • Never noticed...seems true though without thinking to much about it.
  • Cheaper phones are generally bought by kids, teenagers and girls. Hence the importance of colour. High end devices are normally bought by adults, executives and older people. So it's quite normal that you don't find flashy colours on that many flagships. They don't sell. People who buy expensive phones normally want the functionality but they also want it as something that they can use in their work life. Something that's elegant but that blends in and doesn't scream "HEY! PAY ATTENTION TO ME!".   As in everything, there are exceptions of course. Some kids don't like flashy colours and some adults like yellow phones. But that's not the general consumer behaviour.
  • Yikes! So my neon green phone with skulls is why I haven't been getting call backs after my presentations. Damn! It was so simple and right there under my nose the whole time. Come to think of it, maybe having my phone right under my nose was distracting during my presentations. I gotta start thinking this stuff through.
  • Haha best comment
  • Some features of the new Lumia 940 just leaked... http://www.phonearena.com/news/Alleged-Microsoft-Lumia-940-specs-leak-Sn...
  • They list corning glass 4... Not announced yet. And no SD card either? I think this is fake but if real what a let down. Just my opinion, but the 1520 would still rule. And not sure about the 3gb ram - don't know it would bring anything considering how memory optimised wp is. I call fake - or a mighty letdown.
  • This maybe or may not be it but I do think they'll put 3gb of RAM to avoid the "there's better hardware out there" bashing.
  • If they want to avoid the bashing they should put in features that are actually useful - like sd. IPhones only have 1gb - optimised to the nth degree and they blaze. Certainly 2gb is more than enough.
  • Agreed, the 1520 is the only phone with every feature. I wrote this the other day, and people focus on LCD vs Amoled, etc., which who gives a shit, the point is the 1520 is like a supermodel with a great rack and rear who happens to be a bit tall!
  • Just how I like it. And a flagship with an SD slot - Freud would have a field day lol
  • Lol
  • So your saying, just add SD card support, and it goes from being "a mighty letdown" to a solid flagship?
  • It goes from a mighty let down to something acceptable. To be called a flagship it needs to be the best of everything. Like the 1520. The os is geared up for an SD slot so why not use it. Not everyone wants cloud. In fact some won't use it. The slot adds value and just to leave it out so you can have range diversity shows contempt for the consumer. Anyway, to each their own. This is just my opinion. The 1520 is the best of the current crop. And I purchased out Nov 2013. That says a lot about wp.
  • Which phone is a letdown?
  • @Stormtroopers
    A freakishly tall model then...
  • Yes, still hot though, lol
  • I smell bs. Windows 10 will be released in like one year from now (and it's very unlikely that there will be such thing as Windows Phone 10), there is no way the Chinese factories got something legit about it already. Also, spec sheet might be right - considering the Microsoft's habbit of being behind. So a flagship that will be released at Q3 2015 with more than one year old SoC sounds completely legit.  
  • Sad and possibly true :/
  • I'm curious. What does bullshit smell like?
  • Whatever the stench in the room is like, when someone from msft says something that equates to "coming soon".
  • Hell yes. Awesome.
  • Microsoft has probably the most venomous and hateful followers ever. Hateful of their own OS of choice it seems..
  • Never understood until now -  how Nokia/Microsoft always had one year old SoC and graphics on their new Lumia models.  It seems that they don't keep up on updating the hardware specs of the WP platform at all!  They just lag on that! 
  • I just busted out laughing after reading your comment lol
  • Another 6 inch beast would be better. Ah! A 6.4 inch beast would be even better...
  • Don't hold back, 10 inch phone is gonna be awesome.
  • We want a 15" inches phone! Lol
  • Count me in for that one too!!
  • I'll buy it!!!
  • Have you ever played with a 18" Dell tablet? It's great! Can be used as a phone too....
  • Want that 1530 with a blue removable back cover like 830. A fanboy can dream.
  • Here is what we need. A mini Surface Pro with LTE radio, SIM card slot and a phone app on the start screen. And of course a four pound battery pack.
  • Peter Griffith???   [img]http://cdn.marketplaceimages.windowsphone.com/v8/images/cec735a8-2a79-45...
  • That was my first thought too. If Seth MacFarlane was promoting Windows Phone how great would that be?
  • Design is much more complicated than we can possibly think. Clammering all the top end specs into an overpriced block would be mindless. They should consider what the people actually need more than what they want. And would like to see MS going full metal/ aluminium on a flagship instead of polycarbonate but still could support wireless charging...and make a bigger version of it and add a stylus to it !!!
  • I wonder how may phones Apple would sell, if it was about what people need vs. what they want... But other than that, I agree!
  • More of a Q&A than an interview for me really. I was hoping he'd mention the importance (or not) of colour concept of handsets within the design spectrum, as an avid user of windowsphones, I've yet to see any type of survey conducted (especially on WPC) regarding which coloured handset a windowsphone owner has and on which model too ? Are owners content with say...a black handset just because their network provider only offers this colour ? Or would they be prepared to compromise to get a colour of choice ? I still don't understand why when advertising windowsphones, you see all the colour options but then the networks restrict your choice by only providing certain colours. My 1320 was only available in black from my network but because it has a removable battery cover I was able to purchase a Nokia branded yellow cover....yippee for me, not so for owners of other models, by the way....my work phone is a green 735... I now have the 2 colours I've always wanted survey please ?
  • Red. Make all phones red. No other color. Visibility. In the case of a 1520, it can substitute for a stop sign.
  • Or a brick...
  • True. It is heavy.
  • Or green for go.......or amber for those who can't make up their minds...
  • Yes.
  • Colors? Great :)
    Just give me a yellow 1030, WITH SD
  • No, I need green. Enough with that yellow minion colour.
  • Don't bully my minions! DM
  • dramas to much dramas as it seems Microsoft makes products for each of one specially
  • heading to lumia conversation
  • Happy journey
  • "Now that we're all one company, we're able to collaborate in new and more significant ways."   This is the same bullcr*p they've been trying to convince people of since last year. Except it's a lie. As proven by Microsoft's itself over the last more than 25 years of Windows development without any need to produce PCs to put it in.   In other words, nothing new revealed and no clues on the future design of any products.
  • A good future high end Lumia should follow the look and design of the current iPhone 6!  Thin and light!  Microsoft needs to make a phone like that but have extra battery life, 32GB,  micro SD card and 2K screen resolution in a 4.7"-5.5" model.   No 6" or bigger models.  If they can get these basic improvements:  it should sell pretty well!  
  • Damn -- for a second there, I thought his name was Peter Griffin...how disappointing.
  • I'm just waiting for that Droid Turbo to make it to ATT. Unless by that time of course, WP makes a competing phone.
  • Tell him we need some blue, that green and yellow has had its run for now!
  • Blue as on UK or US flags?
  • As in just a nice shade of blue. Maybe Detroit lions color blue or something. Just as long as its blue! Or two toned blue and black!
  • I'm going to work with him one day. Posted via the Windows Phone Central App for Android
  • "...all tailored for specified demographics" except the U.S. market place.  In the U.S. market place; it all package based on the wants and needs of each U.S. carrier.   It makes each new U.S. Lumia; a crippled smartphone when you compare it to it's international model which has all the features! The U.S. demographics if you believe it iPhone sales - $500-$1,000 a phone - 5C to 6+ - 45% market share maybe more now since iPhone 6 sales.   Microsoft is concentrating on the other end: $100-$450 range!  And Microsoft market share has been going down 3.5% from 4% when they had high end smartphones in the mix!