03.18.03
Intercontinental Hotels introduces it's newWorld Link telecommunications portal

The high-end chain of Intercontinental Hotels recently introduced a new aid to international business travelers by placing the World Link telecommunications portal in its rooms. The portal represents one of several guest "touch points" Intercontinental Hotels asked Degnen Associates to address in it's new identity design program. Degnen Associates selected Priority Designs for assistance in the design and development of the World Link.

This unit allows guests to connect their laptops to a reliable power source, and either access dial-up or broadband internet. Its display instructs guests to select their language, and describes how to connect their laptop. The power plug was designed with a "wrap and park" configuration and includes a simple icon to identify its purpose. Other non-lingual prompts include icons for corresponding pullout plugs for connecting to a laptop. The requirements of the program included conveying self-evident use through form, and refined aesthetics appropriate for vastly different upscale hotel interiors. The front surface was designed on a gradual slope for presenting all the components for easy access.

Priority Designs' contributions included conceptual design in the form of hand sketches, Alias/Wavefront (3-D CAD) renderings, development of multiple foam model studies, Solidworks CAD documentation, and a final CNC machined presentation model.