Sam Kness - Product Designer

Introduction:

In a rapidly evolving world where smart cities are reshaping the way we live, I was presented with the unique challenge of contributing to one of the most ambitious projects of our time—Neom. Situated in the Tabuk Province of northwestern Saudi Arabia, Neom is a planned futuristic city designed to incorporate cutting-edge smart technologies and serve as a premier tourist destination. Spanning 26,500 square kilometers and extending 460 kilometers along the Red Sea coast, Neom is envisioned to be a marvel of innovation, with Saudi Arabia aiming to complete its first phase by 2025 at an estimated cost of $500 billion. Within this grand vision, my task was to conceptualize and design an "elegant notification"—a multi-sensory symbol integral to Neom's cognitive core, which had to be realized in just five hours.

Summary:

This design challenge centered around creating what we termed "signature moments," or elegant notifications, that would seamlessly integrate into the sensory landscape of Neom. The objective was to design a notification experience that was not only visually and audibly elegant but also deeply immersive and familiar, akin to the comforting touch of a loved one. These notifications were envisioned as a subtle yet powerful indicator that Neom's intelligent systems were actively working for its inhabitants. By adhering to design principles of elegance, non-intrusiveness, and repetition without monotony, the notifications were to become a unique symbol of Neom, embedded across both physical and digital touchpoints, enhancing the overall experience of the city's residents and visitors.

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Vague is probably the best term to sum up, the use case, but yet I was excited by this as the only limit was my imagination. This can be a scary space for most people, luckily I'm not most people. This was my chance to showcase my creativity, UI skills, and ability to turn vague ideas into communication.

Client input
Amira is a person living in NEOM. She is a very active person and tends to multitask a lot.

Amira’s biorhythmic calendar asks her to focus on activities that do not take too much cognitive pressure for her.

It is said that the human body has three rhythms with a fixed cycle.
1. Physical biorhythm (23-day cycles) is related to physical strength, durability, resistance, stamina, courage and etc..
2. Emotional biorhythm (28-day cycles) is related to emotional stability, feeling, intuition, mood, susceptibility, creativity and etc.
3. Intellectual biorhythm (33-day cycles) is related to thinking, analyzing, judgment, concentration, composition and etc.

Positive periods of the cycle indicate high ability days and its negative periods show low ability days. Near zero means critical days.

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Design principles to consider

Elegance
Non-intrusive
Feels like a touch of your loved one
Non-boring if repeated thousand times a day, but familiar
Unique for NEOM

Client Aspirations

Think about Netflix when a show starts, or when Alexa ”lights up”.
Think about Google Nest informing about things around.
Have you seen the movie “Her”? How does Samantha communicate?
How does TARS from “Interstellar” communicate with the team?

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NEOM Knows Before You Even Ask

At NEOM, the city anticipates your needs before you even voice them. The experience is both immersive and familiar, signifying that the city is seamlessly operational. This intelligence is woven into every touchpoint within NEOM, from its physical spaces to its digital interfaces. By leveraging the advanced capabilities of cognitive cores, including state-of-the-art facial recognition and sophisticated data API services, NEOM delivers an unparalleled hyper-personalized experience to every user. The system continually adapts and evolves, ensuring that interactions are not just reactive but proactive, fostering a connection between the city and its inhabitants that feels almost intuitive.

Breathing Life into Design

Design is the art of bringing ideas to life, and my goal was to infuse every element of this project with vitality and dynamism. To truly capture the essence of NEOM’s vision, I needed to create something that transcended static presentations. Time was limited, and the stakes were high as I prepared to present my work and process to a broader team. I turned to Adobe After Effects to craft a compelling motion animation, a medium that would allow me to convey the vibrancy and fluidity of NEOM's futuristic environment. This approach not only showcased the interactive potential of the project but also highlighted my ability to deliver high-quality results under tight deadlines.

Client Feedback and Impact

The client was more than satisfied with my creation. They appreciated the thoughtful execution and the enthusiasm with which I presented my work. NEOM is a project rooted in building the social infrastructure of the future, a vision that requires a deep understanding of how people will interact with their environment in the years to come. They spend considerable time imagining these future scenarios, and they need clear, compelling visuals to communicate these ideas effectively.

I was able to meet and exceed these expectations, turning a conceptual vision into a tangible, visual experience. In a short amount of time, I demonstrated not only my technical skills but also my ability to navigate the unknown and bring abstract ideas to life. My work provided the client with a glimpse into the future they are building, solidifying my role as a creative partner capable of delivering innovative solutions that resonate with their grand ambitions.

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works

Neom

Client •

Design principles to consider

Client Aspirations