The HTC design team has developed many products with the philosophy: simple, crafted and human.

Over a year ago, I sat down with the design team to brainstorm ideas for a new phone, bringing together the best of our software and hardware in a beautiful package.  We concluded that our greatest design achievement would be to create an entirely metal phone.

I have worked at HTC for 12 years – from the very earliest days – because I love to create phones that connect to people, and allow people to connect to what is important to them. But I design because I want to overcome what others say can’t be done and deliver not just a device, but something truly beautiful.

I believe the creation of the new HTC One is an achievement, not just because of its long list of features and specs, but because we worked together across the company to reinvent what a phone could be. And we delivered.  Sure, we have incorporated industry-leading technical specs, amazing new camera experiences, and unmatched sound quality with dual speakers; but the total package is what makes me most proud of the team effort encapsulated in the new HTC One.

Feeling is more important than physics

While many define the thickness of phone by its physical size, HTC defines it by the way it feels to people. Holding the new HTC One, I can’t help but think, “We did it!” We created a phone that retains a thin feel with tapered edges; the design is simple, clean and elegant. And it is all metal. In fact, we are the first company in the world to successfully create a full metal phone. This phone is the ultimate example of designers and engineers working together and pushing each other to challenge our collective thinking and create the ultimate phone design.

As designers, we love to conquer challenges. We can put our ideas to paper or render them on a computer, but until we sit with our colleagues from engineering and manufacturing to figure out how to execute, those ideas cannot take flight.

For example, during product development, we had to solve the problem of making an antenna work under a metal phone casing. We figured out how to manufacture a phone from a single piece of aluminum. We created a zero gap construction phone, seamlessly bonding plastic to metal. And we architected the internal workings of the phone as a pyramid in order to include all the components necessary to power a premium experience, while keeping it thin and easy to handle.

I spent countless hours with the engineers; we sat on the factory floor and refined and tuned the manufacturing process to make sure that everything was just perfect.

The ultimate success for me is that we have created a design that people love. When you hold the phone in your hand you will feel great product design, and it is beautiful.