Designed for law enforcement professionals working in high-pressure environments, SVX combines the functionality of a body camera and a remote speaker microphone (RSM) into one ergonomic device. But it’s not easy to create revolutionary tools for public safety – in fact, it takes a village.
We sat down with the talented design team at Motorola Solutions to uncover the vision, challenges, and proudest moments when creating a device that’s changing the game for law enforcement officers.
Blending body camera and RSM functionality
What first inspired you to combine an RSM and body camera?
Chi Tran (Director of Video Solutions, Experience Design and Research organization): As designers and problem solvers, we were imagining a world where we give officers more for less – a world where we can replicate what they see and hear, to help build trust in their communities.
First impressions: size, weight and packaging
What do you want officers to think when they hold SVX for the first time?
Dan (Industrial Design Manager): I really want them to take in and appreciate the fact that we’ve truly combined two devices into one – all while keeping it a very similar size to the devices they’re already familiar with.
Guo Wei Chen (Industrial Design Manager): A key goal for the SVX was to create a single, cohesive unit where the front and back feel seamlessly integrated. While the back of the device draws inspiration from our APX radio, we also engineered a secure locking mechanism for magnetic and MOLLE mounts, similar to the V700. Furthermore, we prioritized ergonomics to ensure it is comfortable for the officers to hold.
And what about when they first open the SVX box?
Guo Wei Chen (Industrial Design Manager): From a design and user experience standpoint, the packaging is the first thing that a person comes into contact with. So we wanted to ensure that opening the box is just as amazing as the product itself. Part of that experience includes having a QR code on the box which takes officers straight to the SVX getting started page, so they can start using their device right away.
SVX’s packaging is designed to be compact, minimizing cardboard waste and transportation costs for customers.
Speaking of the getting started page – can you tell me a little bit more about that?
Yvonne (User Experience Designer): So one of the biggest pain points that our customers experience when setting up a device is they get information overload. There are a lot of resources out there – they’re scattered around, and it adds to officers’ frustration when they have to hunt for it. Our main goal was to reduce frustration and friction when setting up the device and making sure the very first interaction the customers have with our device is as smooth and positive as possible.
Designing for intuition in high-pressure environments
What does human-centered design mean for you?
Ruiwen (User Experience Designer): To me, user centered design means deeply understanding the context in which the user is going to use the product, and also making decisions to support them meeting their needs and goals.
Can you give me an example of how SVX is designed around our users’ needs?
Dan (Industrial Design Manager): We learned a lot about human behavior from both the radio and body camera sides of the house. With the classic t-bar grip, which is familiar to users of our existing radios and body cameras, officers’ hands will be naturally guided into correct positions for both voice and video recording.
SVX’s t-bar grip also enables officers to find the PTT and recording buttons without needing to look down.
What were some challenges you faced when designing SVX, due to its hybrid nature?
Prabodh (User Experience Designer): Obviously an RSM and a body camera have traditionally been two separate devices; officers have a lot of muscle memory in how to use them. When we were blending these two devices together, we were asking ourselves “how can we intuitively make sense of what the officer knows already, in a way that makes SVX really simple and easy to use?” That’s why we carried a lot of the design language from our existing RSMs – such as the large PTT button – across to SVX, so it was still familiar.
Dan (Industrial Design Manager): There was also the question of, which features do we incorporate and which do we drop? Weight and size were huge considerations for us; we couldn’t ignore those. In fact, they were probably one of the first building blocks we focused on when designing SVX, along with battery life.
Game-changing features for public safety
What’s your favorite design element of SVX?
Dan (Industrial Design Manager): As you hold the device in your hand, you’ll notice there’s a function and a purpose on every single surface of the device – it’s completely packed full of functionality.
Prabodh (User Experience Designer): I’m really proud of how we engineered SVX to communicate information to the officer in a sophisticated but intuitive manner. We asked ourselves three questions: What information officers need? How do they need it? And when do they need it? The answer to those three questions determined which modalities we used to convey that information – whether that be LEDs which show different lights in different colors, a vibration motor which gives haptic patterns, or a microphone and a speaker that gives tones and voice announcements.
The future of public safety technology
By combining detailed user research with sophisticated industrial design, the team at Motorola Solutions have revolutionized the way officers can communicate with each other and the public. In the words of Chi Tran, director of Video Solutions within the larger Experience Design and Research organization, “we were thinking about a world where we could protect their lives and the public all at once – a world where we make their lives easier and safer. It was incredible to see it come to life in SVX and Assist, accompanied by the entire power of the Motorola Solutions ecosystem, all in one device.”
