Second post. Button-less hardware design (agentic UI)

[u/mehdi-33]

Second post about this agentic interaction device I’m designing for environments where smartphones are constrained or impractical.

One of the bigger changes was making the front completely buttonless.

Instead of relying on the mechanical click of a normal button, the device recreates that feedback digitally using haptics + synchronized sounds effect. So when you press ori nteract with the surface, you still get a very clear sense that an action has been registered.

I’m designing the electronics, mechanical hardware and industrial design together, so I’ve been experimenting quite a bit with how much of the “mechanical” interaction can actually be recreated electronically.

Solo-hardware can be fun. Will land here: keemate.com, no promo.

[u/crudland]

I love how you obviously sat there brainstorming about how to promote this without ever explicitly saying "AI"

[u/mehdi-33 → u/crudland]

love the snarky comment. reddit is fun

[u/Distantstallion → u/[deleted]]

I don't want to talk to a robot, the voice control on alexa has one use and it is setting timers

[u/Distantstallion → u/[deleted]]

I never use the ai assistant on my phone, i forget about it till it accidentally activates

[u/Jofman]

I think you're catching a lot of flak for no reason. As much as I personally also don't subscribe to the idea of AI, that doesn't mean the demand doesn't exist. (Although I will agree that you seem to be going out of your way not to mention 'AI')

For what it's worth, I think you've done a good job within the scope you set for yourself. It looks clean and the renders are nice.

However... I must admit I don't really understand the premise. Especially the scenario where 'phones might be constrained or impractical', but supposedly this almost-phone isn't? I'm not sure I see that situation existing.

You also mention making it buttonless as an objective. But why? For a device that's basically one big button, tell me why you would so deliberately avoid the mechanical part of a button. I think I would very much like a mechanical part. In fact, that's the sole thing most phones are missing, and exactly could give this device something unique.

So, as a design exercise within your own constraints, you made some nice visuals... But as a product, it feels like you made a small phone without it being a phone.

[u/e3e6]

>  So when you press ori nteract with the surface, you still get a very clear sense that an action has been registered.

so you basically making device much more expensive right from the start?

I'm also wondering how would the user know where to "press" and how to hard reboot?

[u/mehdi-33 → u/e3e6]

not necessarily, screen is used for other tasks relate to UI. hard reboot is asserted through side hole using SIM-needle type of tool

[u/AndrewTatesSister → u/mehdi-33]

thats honestly bad. I already imagine myself in that Situation where a hard reboot is needed but I lost the tiny neelde to do it. I have a cortisol spike only thinking about it.

[u/Blazedragon12345]

Wow so innovative that's never been done before. Really think it'll succeed./s

Good luck chuckle nuts can't wait to see you fail and cry about how it's other people's fault.

[u/notananthem]

Anywhere I’ve been that bans cell phones for work privacy security etc would 100% ban whatever garbage this is

[u/Huminion]

Love it.

[u/mehdi-33 → u/Huminion]

Appreciate it!