A group of recent Quest University graduates has launched a Kickstarter campaign to help get their invention, a privacy screen for iPhones, off the ground and into consumers’ hands.
The Peek Screen, made with tempered glass with a polarized film layer, protects active iPhone screens from being viewed by anyone who isn’t using the device. However, it allows users to make the screen visible to friends by simply turning their phone sideways.
The idea came to Quest grad Oscar Bonilla Jr., co-founder of Slow Labs – the startup behind the Peek Screen – about 10 months ago, while riding on a public transit car in San Francisco.
“I observed that around 80 per cent of people were on their mobile devices, while the other 20 per cent seemed to be looking over the shoulders of those on their mobiles,” he explained. “When I arrived home, I rushed to the computer and Googled ‘privacy screens for mobile devices.’ I hit many results and ordered some. They were terrible – dark and ruined visibility of your actual screen, drained battery life, had four-way privacy settings and were really thick. There was huge room for improvement. I contacted fellow Quest grads about the project, and we went to the whiteboard.”
Bonillo and his business partners, Andrew Luba and Zeeshan Rassol, all met while studying design at Quest.
“Quest’s philosophy around education has really helped in running a startup,” said Bonilla. “Rather than an instructor giving you the answers, students would pave the way themselves. This philosophy taught me two major things: Learn to ask very important questions, (and) don’t give up if you can’t find the answer. Keep looking and keep asking questions.”
These lessons undoubtedly came in hand for the trio when they sat down to create the protective screen’s initial prototype, which was built from the same plastic film privacy filters found on bank machines.
“There are multiple layers within our screen that hold different functions, and it took many trials before feeling satisfied with each layer within the screen,” explained Bonilla. “When the final product was in our hands, we knew its slim, sturdy thickness of 0.3 millimetres and having the highest clarity possible would be appreciated by mobile users everywhere,”
Bonilla and his partners turned to Kickstarter, a crowdfunding platform, to help make their product accessible to as many of these mobile users as possible.
So far, the campaign’s success has proved their decision was the right one.
“We have passed our $15,000 funding goal in a little more than two weeks and have a month left to keep reaching out to people around the world that the Peek Screen exists,” said Bonilla. “We’re pleased to know that people want to protect their personal information on their mobile devices and are enthused in having (the screens) manufactured for our supporters.”
The over $17,500 raised so far by the campaign will go towards manufacturing, publicity and distribution costs, as well as to paying Slow Labs members for the time they’ve put into the development of the Peek Screen.
“The future of the Peek Screen is looking bright,” said Bonilla. “We’ve had many retailers and online distributors contact us about having our product and we are following up to make it a reality. We want people all around the world to be aware of the existence of the Peek Screen and to also understand that mobiles have evolved to hold and access personal and important information that should be protected from wandering eyes.”
To donate to the campaign or purchase a Peek Screen, go to kickstarter.com/projects/slowlabs/peek-screen-redefine-privacy-and-protection-for-yo.
