Offending Users: Designing-in Deterrence with Mobile Telephones

Abstract

This paper describes research relating to the design semantics of desirable products and the crime of theft. The methods employed range from the review of existing designs of mobile phones and associated systems and technologies, the perception of crime from a student designer's viewpoint and, importantly, and the opinions of young offenders about proposed design solutions. We developed conceptual designs in consultation with the Mobile Data Association and these were reviewed by a sample of groups of young offenders and 'non-offender' consumers of similar age, to reflect the different user perspectives. The conclusions reveal differences between offenders and non-offenders in their perceptions of the deterrent effect of different design solutions. It is suggested that the research offers insight into the use of empathic strategies in the design of frequently stolen 'hot products'.

Preventing phone theft and robbery: the need for government action and international coordination

“…Policing tactics include raids on stores selling stolen phones and measures to tackle relevant organised criminal groups. The potential deterrent effects of handset iconography and semantics, biometric safeguards (more recently introduced as fingerprint scans on some phone models) and other design features have received some attention (McCardle et al 2011). However, the principal preventive activity in recent years has been 'blacklisting' , and it sets the context for much of what follows.…”

“…Interviews with phone thieves suggest biometric locks and proximity alarms would induce a deterrent effect (McCardle et al 2011), though the iPhone 5's 'Touch ID' fingerprint scanner and similar technologies do not seem to have been formally evaluated e . In addition to proposed kill-switches and remote deletion of data, software that facilitates tracking of handsets without requiring the cooperation of phone networks, may increase detection possibilities, though currently these are overcome simply by powering-off the device.…”