The Frame
Multifunctional Car Navigation / Portable Media Player
for Asono Korea
Asono, a small electronic device development company based in Norway, specialized in products such as portable media players and MP3 players.
The company identified a unique opportunity in the South Korean market, where demand for multifunctional car navigation systems was rapidly increasing. Asono’s South Korea office set out to independently design and develop a new product using its specialized technologies, tailored specifically to local consumer needs—marking a significant step toward localized innovation and market expansion.
Challenge: Defining the device’s identity and balancing its intended use
Initial consumer research showed that people preferred multifunctional features—such as media playback and DMB (Digital Multimedia Broadcasting)—on car navigation systems, not just GPS, as they also wanted to use the device as a portable media player outside the car. However, in-car usability remained important, since navigation was still the device’s primary function.
The main challenge was balancing the roles of a portable media player and a navigation system to meet the needs of target consumers.
Concept development focused on addressing this challenge.
A New Digital Multimedia Experience, In-Car and In-Hand, from Within the Frame
“The Frame” is designed with an overall simple rectangular shape, but with asymmetric corner radii. This clean and understated form factor naturally blends into any car interior as a navigation device, while also providing a comfortable grip when held and operated with the right hand as a portable media player.
“The Frame” features a slightly raised, stepped metallic border detail along the entire front surface, emphasizing the screen—the main interaction area—and creating its own distinctive “Frame” character.
All buttons are placed on the front surface for easy access during both in-car and in-hand use. The main media control buttons are intuitively grouped within a chrome frame on the top right side, providing simple single-finger control. Mode selection buttons are also intuitively grouped in the bottom right corner near the speaker, enabling quick switching between different device modes. They are easy to control while driving and also comfortable to operate with one hand when using the device as a portable media player.
The front-facing speaker provides clear voice guidance when the device is used as a car navigation system, as well as clear sound when using it as a portable media player.
“The Frame” is designed to create a well-balanced harmony between in-car and in-hand usability and aesthetics, serving as a bridge between a portable media player and a car navigation system. It offers a new well-balanced intuitive in-car and in-hand digital multimedia experience from “The Frame.”
* “The Frame” was not produced due to internal circumstances on the client’s side.
Design Team:
Joongoo Lee (Industrial Design Lead) and Sungpil Lee (Project Lead / Manager) at Yang Ji Sa, Inc. Busan. South korea.
Design Credit:
Asono Korea. Seoul. South Korea.
Yang Ji Sa, Inc. Busan. South Korea.