LG touchscreen UI contest ends... in a racecar?

We're not sure how LG managed to hold a touchscreen UI design contest with a $14K prize without telling anyone, but it certainly did -- and keeping things on the DL probably explains why "Driving," pictured above, was the winning entry. The "Art in Mobile" contest started last December in Korea, and the 10 winning entries will see their creations actually turned into functional phone interfaces. There's not much info on the other nine winners, but apparently one is called "Sixty Seconds" and is designed to stall for a minute before connecting a call so you can browse photos and check messages. Uh, yeah -- if our phones were taking a minute to connect calls, we'd have a bigger problem than the UI. Seriously, LG, next time you want some consumer input on phone interfaces, we think we might know some people with ideas.

[Via Unwired View]

Read - Telecoms Korea story on the contest
Read - Translated LG press release

[Hugh Newmark @ Apr 8th 2008 11:57PM]

LG ftl

[Aguiluz @ Apr 9th 2008 12:41AM]

Say that to my CD-RW Burner which never coastered a CD.

[Michael LaFramboise @ Apr 9th 2008 2:23AM]

Aguiluz, correct me if I'm wrong, but 9/10 times its because of faulty media, not the burner...

[Anonymoose @ Apr 8th 2008 11:57PM]

wait, so we're not supposed to wait a minute to connect a call?

*calls sprint rep furiously - waits a minute before connecting*

[Seanross @ Apr 9th 2008 12:19AM]

So you mean we can't do those things while on a call?

[Matt Mages @ Apr 8th 2008 11:59PM]

Wow. Never under-estimate the idiocy of marketing departments. LG

[JohnTitor @ Apr 9th 2008 12:00AM]

runs right over Apple's UI
..yah that sucked, but the GUI is still nice

[T-Bone @ Apr 9th 2008 12:00AM]

That UI sucks. What was LG thinking? Oh wait, they weren't.

[v3xx @ Apr 9th 2008 12:01AM]

from what i heard its still going and the pic is the example of something that is too cluttered.

[Anton @ Apr 9th 2008 12:12AM]

Stop with the BS comments...

[Reader @ Apr 9th 2008 12:17AM]

Your face is a BS comment... Sorry, been watching too much Arby 'n' The Chief recently.

[hello @ Apr 9th 2008 1:30AM]

art thou hungry?

[Reader @ Apr 9th 2008 12:16AM]

Goodness... 14 grand for that? They could have sent me 20 bucks instead and I would have come up with something better.

[Ellianth @ Apr 9th 2008 1:21AM]

It's people like you that make it so hard for me to charge outrageous prices for crap!!

P.S. If apple made a 60 second delay you guys (Engadget) would call it innovative.

P.P.S
Ok fine, i don't believe that but i couldn't resist. I completely agree that that 60 second thing is crap. The ui isn't that bad though. Dunno about functional, but it's pretty :).

[Jeff @ Apr 9th 2008 12:43PM]

@Ellianth:

I'm going to disagree with you: that design looks like a pile of trash... and i mean that literally: it looks like a little pile of garbage below a dark blue sky. it actually took me a minute to realize that it was supposed to be the inside of a car or sorts. cluttered, silly, mysterymeat nonsense.

PS: your anti-apple PS was quite the weaksauce, and maybe next time you really should "resist".

[Abuzar @ Apr 9th 2008 1:01AM]

It actually looks pretty cool... except for the 60 secs part of course. Why the hell would I need to look at pics and have people wait a minute before I can answer their calls?

Oh look it's my girlfriend calling? Oh well let me look at her PICTURES FOR 60 DAMN seconds while she connects.

[Gygaxis @ Apr 9th 2008 1:13AM]

This is totally Spec work. Spec work is an abusive practice that does a great disservice to designers and the relationship between companies and designers. Say no to Spec.
http://no-spec.com/

[Cassini @ Apr 9th 2008 5:04PM]

I agree. Spec work is a disgrace and incredibly disrespectful to artists and designers all across the board.

Judging by the incredibly unattractive, absurd, and silly UI that LG chose, maybe the designers get the last laugh, after all.

[James Cameron @ Apr 9th 2008 1:14AM]

Have any of you people seen this in Flash or Animation yet? If not then I would advise to hold your ignorant respond.

[Dirk Lucas @ Apr 9th 2008 1:38PM]

You think an animated version would look less crammed and useless? Don't think so.

[Fruition @ Apr 9th 2008 1:15AM]

Sorry LG, April Fools Day was last week.

[Dave @ Apr 9th 2008 1:25AM]

Oh Look! Little icons to show you all the things you shouldn't be doing while behind the wheel.

[KangMin @ Apr 9th 2008 2:19AM]

Engadget needs a Korean translator... instead of Google...

this contests theme was "art is mobile"
where contestantns sent in UI in flash form
or Artistic Video/animation work [doesnt have to be anything about creating a new UI]
it didnt have 10 contestants,
10 people won the prizes, (the TOTAL prize being 14k, split between 10 people.. i dont know if equally, but probably not)
1 best flash work, 1 best video work , and 8 others
there were around 50 works submitted.

the 60 seconds was just a video about things to do in 60 seconds [if you are put on hold or something]. it was more of an artistic piece, not an entry as a UI.

[Reader @ Apr 9th 2008 3:01AM]

Psh stop trying to nullify our rants with the truth.

+1 though

[Peppie @ Apr 9th 2008 11:24AM]

I knew something was up when I heard about this two days ago and suddenly it was "over".

Too bad though, I was gonna use my time in today's Psychology lecture to start drawing up a cool UI.

[NoelSM @ Apr 9th 2008 2:50AM]

Hey LG thanks for letting us in on the contest results. Next time tell us about the contest before it ends and maybe we can help you with come up with some thing that doesn't have "GARBAGE" written all over it. Have a nice day!

[daschupa @ Apr 9th 2008 11:41AM]

Do cell phone companies really need to fuel the whole using a cell phone while driving issue? It's like a training simulator.

[dervheid @ Apr 9th 2008 3:08AM]

WTF!

Just
WTF!

[Otto @ Apr 9th 2008 3:16AM]

Like the Korean political campaigns, this contest was rigged. Seriously, for 14k, you should get a lot better than that crap

Otto Green lasers rulz

[Friendly Satan @ Apr 9th 2008 3:16AM]

What??they held this contest in secrecy??
I am designing new UI for my touch phones with all the time...i wanted to participate *cries loud.
Lol..

[A.C.E.R. @ Apr 9th 2008 6:14AM]

Holy hell. I can make a crusty choad UI that's better looking than that.

[sdh @ Apr 9th 2008 7:29AM]

If that's meant to be a joke referring last days comments it's still "whatever?"

[sdh @ Apr 9th 2008 7:33AM]

I really like this concept. Very creative and original. Nice to see something different than iPhone UI ripoffs. Let Apple keep their UI (which I like also) but bring more of these new designs!

[riggs @ Apr 9th 2008 8:48AM]

now i can drive on my phone while i drive in the street! hurrayz!

[Dan Davis @ Apr 9th 2008 8:56AM]

Looks like a cockpit.

Haha, I said "cockpit"

[HOOPER @ Apr 9th 2008 2:18PM]

Haha, you're a 5th grader.

[HOOPER @ Apr 9th 2008 2:18PM]

Oh, how I wish I could stall for one minute before making a call! LG, HELP ME!

[comp2 @ Apr 9th 2008 9:08PM]

A steering wheel? Why does this feel like I'm looking at an awful winamp theme???