Oscar Pena

How are your designs influenced by ergonomics and environmental views?

Today as in the past, our design approach has been always influenced by people. We are a people centered design organization. We pay attention to all things that concern people today, including the environment. We also try to anticipate what will concern them in the near future, not just their needs but also their desires. We are committed to sustainable design and we adhere to our internal Green pages as a guideline for sustainable solutions.

What programs do you use to develop your products?

If it’s about CAD programs we use various programs, from RHINO, Alias, 3D Max, Photoshop, Flash, etc. We do not only use IT programs, we also have our own tools and methodologies for design, research and innovation and all of them are people centric. Our focus is in ‘what makes sense for people’.

Does Philips have a different design approach when developing for established and emerging markets like South Africa?

No, we have a global approach which is based on what makes sense for people. We are constantly developing tools and methodologies that apply to the world at large, and this includes emerging countries.

In which product range do you see Philips focusing most on within the next five years?

We have just consolidated our company in three main sectors, Consumer lifestyle, Healthcare and Lighting. Products that fit within these three sectors will be our main focus. Our underlying goal of Design at Philips has always been to bridge the divide between people and technology, adapting technologies to meet people’s needs more effectively.

What are you most excited about for the future?

I'm excited about trying to make it happen. I see myself as a creative and active participant, not a spectator.

How will the current environmental concerns be influencing the future landscape of industrial and product design?

We have been for the last 10 years paying attention to environmental issues. As an example in our energy saving lamps category, our new Ecoclassic 50 is the worlds most efficient halogen energy saver, saves 50% of energy, is dimmable, instant start up and a life span of 3 a years. It won the IF Gold award in the product design category.