These ‘Substitute Phones’ are fabricated for fidgety phone fingers
Smartphones are more ubiquitous than ever. Doubtless, a lot of that usage is related to work or entertainment.
However, there are other reasons we’re constantly swiping and tapping our phone screens. The simple act of doing so can be enjoyable for some people, and can give you something to do with your hands even if you don’t really want to be connected all the time. If you’ve ever wanted to play with your phone while not actually using your phone, then Klemens Schillinger’s Substitute Phones may be just what you need.
The Substitute Phone made of high-quality, heavy-duty plastic designed to mimic the look and feel of a traditional smartphone. The devices feature stone beads which are designed to simulate the various gestures one would make on their smartphone. In a way, you can think of them as phone-shaped fidget spinners. They fulfill the same tactile urge to touch and swipe that your actual smartphone does, but will give you a break from the constant text messages and notifications.
“The object, which some of us describe as a prosthesis, is reduced to nothing but the motions,” the product description reads. “This calming limitation offers help for smartphone addicts to cope with withdrawal symptoms.”
While speaking with Dezeen, Schillinger said that the device had two inspirations. The first was the large amount of time he spent looking at his smartphone even when he didn’t necessarily want to use it. The second was writer Umberto Eco who, when attempting to quit smoking, substituted his pipe for a stick in order to simulate the sensation of holding a pipe without the nicotine.
“It was the same thing, but without the nicotine, just the physical stimulation,” he told Dezeen. “I remembered this and thought to make phones that would provide the physical stimulation but not the connectivity.”
The Substitute Phone is the second creation that Schillinger has created in an attempt to help explain our relationship with technology. The first was the Offline Lamp, which would only turn on when a smartphone-sized device was placed in its drawer.
Designer Klemens Schillinger has created a set of therapeutic phone-like objects, to help smartphone "addicts" cope with being away from their devices.
The Vienna-based designer created a series of five Substitute Phones, which use stone beads to imitate the different motions used for smart devices, such as scrolling, zooming, and swiping.
By replacing digital functions with the stone beads, Schillinger aims to create a set of therapeutic tools that can help frequent smartphone users cope with withdrawal symptoms, by providing physical stimulation as a substitute for phone usage.
"The touchscreen smartphone has made it possible to 'escape' into social media," he told Dezeen. "We check emails and messages not only on public transport but also in social situations, for example when having drinks with friends."
"More and more often one feels the urge to check their phone, even if you are not expecting a specific message or call. These observations inspired the idea of making a tool that would help stop this 'checking' behaviour."
When researching his project, Schillinger was inspired by a documentary featuring the Italian writer and philosopher Umberto Eco – who was trying to give up smoking by substituting his pipe with a wooden stick.
"It was the same thing, but without the nicotine, just the physical stimulation," he said. "I remembered this and thought to make phones that would provide the physical stimulation but not the connectivity."
With a marble-like appearance, each set of beads have been made using the natural stone Howlith. These were then set into a body made from black polyoxymethylene (POM) plastic – also known as acetal.
As this kind of plastic is relatively heavy, the substitute phone also replicates the weight of an ordinary smartphone – making the imitation more convincing.
"Some of these finger movements – like zooming in, or moving up and down – were born with the smartphone," the designer told Dezeen.
"The Substitute Phones allow these movements to be felt by scrolling on the marbles that are integrated into the case, something which is a clear differentiation from fidget spinners or fidget cubes."
This is the second project by Schillinger that aims to discourage people from using their mobile devices.
His Offline Lamp only lights up once the user is willing to surrender their smartphone, urging them to concentrate on more worthwhile activities – like reading or working.
Both of the projects were created for an exhibition called #Offline – Design for the (Good Old) Real World, which took place at this year's Vienna Design Week from 29 September until 8 October 2017.
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