- Bronze winner in the Digital Interaction category and finalist in the Service Design category
- Praised for its UX-based original, intuitive design ... collaborative efforts with specialized partners are rewarded
- “The entire phone purchase process is without any person-to-person contact ... will continue to create high customer value”

Mintit ATM is an artificial intelligence (AI)-based machine for purchasing used phones without any person-so-person contact that received main prizes from IDEA, one of the world’s more prestigious design awards.

ICT recycling brand Mintit announced on September 17th, 2020 that it won the bronze prize in the digital interaction category and was nominated finalist in the service design category from IDEA 2020 (International Design Excellence Awards).

IDEA is recognized as one of the world’s three greatest design awards along with the Red Dot Design Awards and iF Design Awards in Germany. This year’s ceremony was organized in an online format given the global COVID-19 pandemic. Following up last year’s Red Dot Awards winning, it is the second year in a row Mintit ATM receives an award from a world’s prestigious design awards program.

It has been reported that the judge committee highly appreciated Mintit ATM’s user experience (UX)-based design allowing customers to trade their mobile phones easily. This is analyzed to be an outcome from the collaboration with Inition, a company specialized in UX and UI (user interface) design.

A Mintit executive said, “We tried to implement an intuitive user experience so that customers can use the unmanned transaction machine with little difficulty while at the same time conveying a favorable impression with affective colors and distinctive features. This seems to have drawn positive response in terms of originality and novelty,” and added, “We will continue to upgrade the service design as well so that more people can enjoy a convenient and pleasurable experience using Mintit ATM.

Mintit ATM is the first AI-equipped machine in the country for the entire process of used phone purchasing including mobile phone market price inquiries, functional checks, sales, donations, etc. Since it was released at the end of July last year, the machines can be found at various domestic locations; for example, three major franchise supermarkets, Samsung digital plazas and public offices. In addition, Mintit ATM mini was newly developed this year by reducing its size and adding several functions such as immediate data deletion and UV sterilization, and started to be installed in major SK telecom stores as well. There are currently around 2,000 Mintit machines altogether in operation.

For the ongoing special used phone compensation program scheduled until the end of October for customers who buy new Samsung mobile phones, functional checks and additional compensation will be offered via Mintit ATM. In addition to the compensation calculated from the functional check process, the program offers up to KRW 200,000 compensation for returned used phones to customers purchasing Galaxy Note 20 series, Galaxy Z Fold2 and Galaxy Z Flip 5G devices. Mintit ATM mini machines (transaction-safe kiosk) in SK telecom stores can be used to get the program benefits. In case of self-sufficient mobile phones, Mintit ATM machines in franchise supermarkets, and Samsung digital plazas can be used to receive special compensations.

[Image Description] On the 16th (local time), Mintit the ICT recycling brand won the Bronze prize in the Digital Interaction category and was nominated finalist in the Service Design category from the IDEA. Mintit ATM has adopted a UX-based design in used phone ATM format so that customers can trade their mobile phones easily, which is reported to have received high marks in terms of originality and intuitiveness. The image shows a Mintit ATM (on the right), winner of the IDEA and Mintit ATM mini, installed in a SK telecom store.