Gadgetory

(upbeat music) - One of the big ongoing rumors in the past two years is the idea that Nintendo was working on some kind of new Switch. I don't know if that's a Mini version or Pro just some kind of Switch revision and hopefully it's something we might even see at this years E3, though it is probably unlikely. But in the hype of a new Switch potentially coming out a lot of people have started posting concept art for what they think a Switch Mini or Switch Pro or some kind Switch revision should look like and a design that picked up a lot of traction recently came from a designer Olivier Raymond, which is honestly one of the coolest concepts I have seen. I first saw this concept posted on NintendoLife and I know made a lot of rounds on Reddit before that and its this redesign Switch that kind of walks a line between both of what we been thinking of for a Mini and for a Pro revision as well. It's a really premium looking idea and really the first thought I had when I saw it was that's the best case scenario of what I want a new Switch to look like and the second thought I had was I need to talk to the person that made this because this is awesome. And that's exactly what we did we reached out to Olivier and he responded and we got the chance to do an interview regarding his logic into designing this revised awesome Switch design. Well of course the main this we want to talk about is the Switch design that you did. The Switch Up, I think is what you call it, right? Why don't we just go to the beginning of that what was sort of your starting point in designing that you know what kind of inspired you for this design? - Really it was a personal thing I, it was something I did on my own time back at home and it, I started with the idea that I, I was reading a lot about rumors with, for perhaps some sort of a mid-gen, you know, refresh for the Nintendo Switch. Which is a console I truly adore I find the concept completely in love with it and I, it shows how Nintendo is always reinventing themselves and I have massive respect for this company and I think design is often, doesn't work for so many brands and very few companies get to have the courage of their ambition and I think this is certainly one of those. And yeah so, I wanted to pay tribute to this beautiful idea by basically I'd say revisit the concept and right away I had to of course let go of a feature I found that was very, I'm close to a lot of people which were the Joy-Cons. - Now one design decision that I know gets a little bit of mixed response but I personally think its the right way to go is the removal of Joy-Cons. This is something that people have theorized a lot regards to a Switch Mini, where instead of heaving Joy-Cons that you remove on the current Switch is just a built in part of the system. - Perhaps its a feature that we could put away and it liberates a lot of other opportunities in terms of hardware for sure because you don't have those interruptions with metal rails and weight and you could have more space for other components and therefore pretty much more opportunities for performance. - Now yes this get rid of some of the share ability factors the Switch has you can just take your Joy-Con and hand it to someone but at the same time this doesn't stop you really from still having it as an option. A design like this could still support people using older Joy-Cons and connect wirelessly its just that there's two always attached to the sides for the main body. Are there any other aspects of the regular Switch that, either you think are faults or just ways they can improved upon that you tried to fix in your design? - So its quite a funny situation I put myself in because I, myself, I like games and I play some of them but I wouldn't consider myself being a hardcore gamer but reading on the internet I was collecting basically insights from everywhere when I was obviously brainstorming about the whole thing and I think the D-pad for example was something that quite a lot of people were screaming for and I quite understand why Nintendo went with their, with their proposition with the four little individual buttons because obviously when you want to split them they become something else. But continuing with the idea that I wouldn't remove those Joy-Cons and they would also, then there's no need for those four buttons anymore so I couldn't bring them back this much beloved D-pad. - But one of the more interesting decisions along side that is that the right side of the controls are flipped now so that the sticks are at the same height instead of being off set. - I mean this is also another element that is very crucial to my proposal next to the original one I think its something that, well, I mean its quite graphic, you see it right away and I have to apologize in advance I guess that's one of those professional defamation's were I don't know whether it's, you know, my OCD triggered in and I couldn't live with the idea to have four buttons on the top and joy stick slight off set. And that would be pretty much the only, I'm being transparent here, that is the most, that would be the reason why I decided to lay it, you know, in such a symmetrical way. Obviously for the purity of the design but I, I understand that most people prefer the other way around and, which is a very legitimate and some other also I mean I, I've been reading also with other critics that where saying that they, not critics but people who were criticizing my design they were appreciating this type of layout so, I mean in the end I, it's a, I guess it always generates some sort of controversy. - Of course there are a lot of functional things about it too I think one little design choice in particular that I really like was the approach to the joy sticks. With the current Switch, the joy sticks prop right out of the main body whereas with this design, they're sunken in a little but but they're still proper sticks. A lot of people when they talk about making a Mini or smaller kinda stripped down design, they imagine using circle pads like on the 3DS instead, which I personally really don't like, I am not a fan of circle pads it makes sense for certain designs but if you can go with regular sticks instead, I am all for it and this is a really good compromise for that design I think. I think more of the most, aside from obviously the visual aspect of the Switch itself which is noticeably different. I think one of the most intriguing aspect of your mock ups was the dock redesign you did, which isn't really anything like Nintendo's current dock. Just kinda walk us though your pitch and idea there of how that would work and, you know just the merits of it I guess? - I guess, I don't, I don't quite recall how it happened but it was something I was trying to figure out a new shape with the Switch and I had that idea with the grip handles and then the dock came and I hadn't figured that part out right away. And it became quite obvious at some point that it was going to be the basically the corresponding shape that would fit with the groove or, on behind, you know, the back plate and, and in, of course then I was, I was exploring a lot of different configurations but this one seemed to be the most, I'd say, obvious one in the end, it's not often, you know, simplicity takes quite a lot of time to come to you and certainly is the case here but I thought in the end it was a very elegant proposition because, well most of all there were quite a few people experiencing scratches on the screen and everything with the original dock. That's something that I wanted to you know, avoid and of course laying it in this specific way is, you prevent this for sure. I also thought it was some sort of a celebration of the whole thing, you know its like basically the Switch looks like its resting, it's on some sort of podium or pedestal which I think is elevating the whole thing again. As if it wasn't, kind of a, sleep mode because its referring to the TV so it's somehow I thought the analogy was quite poetic here. - Its not just the shape or the design in itself either I really love the return to colors. The mock up shows bunch of different color designs and that's something that I've said time and time again that Nintendo is just missing. Yeah we have Switch Joy-Con con colors but Switches themselves are still just kinda of plain black and I would love to see them get back to a more color focus aesthetic like they had with some of the older Gameboys. - Yeah, it's quite tricky because you, obviously you're trying a lot of configurations and then it's also a subjective thing because most people I mean its one of those places in the design process where everybody has a different opinion and, but I and so, what I did was basically pick up some of the shades that went through history of Nintendo, and, so that, that atomic purple had to come back, I mean its one of those signature things. And then I, I kind of inspired myself from the Gameboy Color for the, that kind of, I called it Iggy green but it would be that lime green, and the fuchsia color was, you know renamed as ink pink as a homage to Splatoon so I, I kind of figured out how to link them all to some sort of a different universe. And so, yeah that's why you get those names and, sort of master blue was for the Master sword kinda of blue, indigo shade. And the cloud white was for those little clouds from Lakitu characters so yeah I basically went through the whole catalog trying to find the right character fitting with the right color but, yeah quite some fun. - So what are the chances of a new Nintendo Switch being like this design, I mean obviously its not going to be the exact same thing but how many ideas could be shared with what Nintendo is officially working on. Well when you look back on the history of Nintendo revisions they don't do it a lot for their main line systems the last time was the Super Nintendo when it got a slim line, but if you look at their portables which I would argue the Switch is more closely related to, they do revisions a lot. There were a lot of Gameboys, a couple different DS's and now a lot of different 3DS's. In the history of those normally the revisions are relativity light each time, they'll go through three or four different models and each time something new adjustment or change is made, one is smaller, one has a bigger screen, one changes some of the buttons and then it adds on and builds up more more each time. So when you see the difference between the 3DS and 3DS XL, its not a huge thing but if you go from the 3DS to the new 2DS XL, its pretty different systems by that point. The kind of changes proposed by this idea and what I think a lot of people are hoping for to see in a new Switch is a lot all at once, more than I think Nintendo traditionally does in their revisions but I think it's what they need to do. The Switch isn't really treated the same way as a hand held like their other systems have been, it's a more expensive item, it is considered a main line unit that is hybridized with their concepts for hand helds and so if we're getting some kind revision whether that is a Mini or a Pro, hopefully its going to be something that is more drastic like this and not just simply hey its the same thing, but the screen's bigger. This is something that probably not everyone freaks out about but, confession, I love cool packaging. I just love if get a box that's put together in a really cool way and makes you excited about the product, and almost acts as like sort of a little reveal, and I love the packaging in the design you posted. Is there just any kind of insight or explanation of your process on that? - Sure, I mean its, for me it was an integral part of the project and that's something where I guess my friends interrupted, I mean they, they jumped into discussions telling me I probably was going a bit far, and they were probably were right but it's something I couldn't avoid because its for me its the whole package, you know, its not just about the object, it's the total experience. But yeah, I think its very important, I think for example, Apple quite understood this right away I mean when you open a box they even control the amount of air getting in the box so you have slow opening and they, you know, so they kind of hold on to the whole ritual so that it's, it really is some sort of a celebration and I think packaging is very important and it's a fundamental part of the experience for sure. - No definitely that idea of just, you know, there's that instructions there you move that and there it is on display verses how the Switch current is where it's all taken apart, its in the different wrap ups, I mean, I know it's efficient maybe, but its not fun you know, so I really like that design. Something you just said that blew my mind a little bit because I already liked the name but that didn't occur to me at the time when you said it. I love the name Switch Up. I think when everyone talking about the concept of a new Switch they say oh the Switch Pro the Switch Mini, very straight forward things that get the idea across but, not particularly imaginative, if I can say words right (laughs). Just walk us through the name choice there, the Switch Up because I love that. - Yeah. I was looking for some sort of equivalent to Pro or S or you know all of those things we're getting used to which is some sort of a little add on that indicated that it's not quite yet a 2.0 version but more of a 1.5 thing. And so it had to be short, it had to be concise and I went through a lot of options but when that one came around it was, I mean that was it, it's two letters and it's very related to the universe of Nintendo I mean it's part of their, I mean, when you say up to everybody gets that mushroom, you know and so its, I think it was, it all, you know it connected all the dots and it became very natural and was quite obvious right away that it, and it's also a good indicator of upgrade and up scaled and updated. So its an update, yeah, so it just fit in that's one of those lucky moments and I thought it was certainly the right approach, if we were to go in such a direction for sure. - The main take away I want from all this is that, I think the Switch has gone a long way in revitalizing Nintendo's image. There is something about that system that rekindled a love for Nintendo not only in long term fans but it brought a lot of people back onto the system, even people that don't really normally play games since, you know, the Super Nintendo. It's this idea that resonated with people immediately and I think that opens up a lot more ideas in people's minds of where it can go and what can be next. It was in and of itself a great idea but now we want to see the next step, the refinement of where it can go and, honestly this concept art thing is just the best case scenario of what we could expect to see. Its the dream, you know, part of why you you enjoy the Switch so much you mentioned was that Nintendo wasn't afraid to do something different and that's were that same kind of conceptual stuff comes from, you know it's, it's picturing something cool and then figuring out how to make it work. Not the other way around, you know you don't go pure functional, you have an image and you work towards it and that's something I really appreciated in that design. - And we really have to give them credit for you know, innovating all the time and they're reinventing themselves. I mean I don't know what's coming next from them but I'm, obviously sure that it's going to be amazing.