You may not have ever heard of Seattle based Teague. You may not be familiar with how they do business or even the list of famous clients that they’ve worked with, but trust us when we say you are more than familiar with the work that they produce. The Teague design consultancy is responsible for the design of the original Xbox console that launched over a decade ago and has acted as the platform for the development of the Xbox 360 and the Xbox One. As we approach the official release of Microsoft’s latest gaming system, Teague has used their console design experience to give their professional opinions on the aesthetics of the One’s biggest rival – the Sony PlayStation 4.
In addition to crafting the shape of the original Xbox console, Teague can also boast about the fact that they are responsible for the aesthetics of the Polaroid camera as well as the internal decor of pretty much every Boeing airplane that has ever left the manufacturing line. To say they have a pretty impressive portfolio is an understatement. With that kind of level of expertise and experience behind them it’s pretty much a given that when they speak about design it’s worth taking note. Two designers from the Seattle based company have taken a hands-on approach to reviewing the aesthetics and ergonomic form of Sony’s PlayStation 4 in order to cast their subjective vote on the hardware.
As part of the review the two designers have made it abundantly clear that they chose to focus on Sony’s “key industrial design choices” that they believe have been taken in order to set the consoles sights entirely on gaming. As you might expect, the review manages to uncover a number of positive and negative aspects of the PlayStation 4 console, but it is worth reiterating that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, meaning that any review based on aesthetics is entirely subjective. The design duo were particularly impressed with Sony’s 360-degree approach to the PS4 design, which they say reveals “carefully considered details, and a clear detail hierarchy”.
Sony’s dedication to perfecting the finer details of the console haven’t gone unnoticed, and the same can be said for the many imperfections that befall the PS4. The Teague team immediately picked up on the fact that glossy surfaces on the hardware appear to be uneven and injection molded parts of the console were blushing. This may not immediately manifest itself as a problem to end-users but it appears as though Sony is applying a premium price tag to a product that hasn’t exactly been built to the highest standard. Of course, all of these issues may be irrelevant to individuals who favor raw gaming power over aesthetic design, but it’s always great to hear the opinions of design professionals with experience in the field of work.
To read the full review, check out this link on FastCoDesign.
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