If you could make a phone of any shape or size, what shape or size would it be?

So I'm down in Singapore to manage some media for Nokia Connection 2007.

It's an interesting event, and I must say, though I had little time to mingle around the showcase, hearing the designers speak was a mind-blowing experience.

Jan Chipchase's job at Nokia revolves around roaming the world, prying through people's pockets and discovering where they keep their phones. He's a behaviour research specialist and anthropologist, and he's tasked with discovering what you and I need for our daily lives. And it's not just the phone, but other features and functions like a calendar or a mapping tool.

But Jan point's out some interesting points: in a world where we're obsessed with features and powerful technology, where does the other 80% of phone users who still just need the basic function of calling their loved ones fit in? How do we make a device that's better for them?

I guess that explains why the Nokia 1110 with it's thick plastic exterior, large rubberised key pads and monochrome screen still sells.

In countries like Uganda, deployment of copper lines are so expensive that wireless becomes the best option. But people are so poor, they actually share the same, most basic of phones. I guess this is where the need for a rugged, low-cost device comes in. No one's going to be bothered to personalise a communal phone. They just need it to last fairly long, have a good reception, and be able to make calls and send SMSes.

Ultimately, we can't forget that phones are for humans.

So Jan ended on a very interesting note that's got me thinking: if a phone could be any shape or size (and with today's technology, it can!), what shape or size should it be?

The answer: it should be the shape or size that fits YOU!