Brief Explanation

Smartphone is an important device that connects us to the world but also a wall that separates us from it. As a smartphone manufacturer, LG Mobile hoped that our phone can create a new habit for the users that results in making the world a better place. So, we decided to utilize our status bar to let people know of “International Days” which are days that observe issues of international concerns such as racism, sexism, domestic violence, environmental issues etc. We created notification icons on the status bar that represent each International day and called them Daycons.

Results and Effectiveness

This project started within LG Electronics first. The GUI team at LG Electronics collaborated with our agency to plan and execute this Daycon project. Together we designed 68 icons that represent selected International Days and made it into an app. Along with the pilot version of this app we distributed a physical Daycon calendar to LG employees. The pilot version was a success. And this new feature is provided through system update.

Creative Execution

The initial plan was to put the Daycon on G-Board, which is a built in app about product using tips. But we recognized that the status bar is a unique medium that is exposed all the time, regardless of what app the user is using. We began to look at our user interface in a media point of view. Firstly to grab attention and to differentiate with other icons we displayed the Daycon with a special animation. When the icon is pulled down, users can learn,download,donate and share about the day, all within one page.

Insights, Strategy and the Idea

Following our research, an average user checks their smartphone 164.5 times a day. We focused on the fact that people unintentionally glance at the status bar when they check their phone. So, we decided to utilize this overlooked small space as a special medium to raise awareness of Internation Days. Our ultimate target is every smartphone users who are unaware of social issues and concerns. Daycon is provided through a pre installed feature on LG Smartphones. We are currently planning on releasing Daycon as an app available on any phone.