The team reviewed research and ideas for a new television remote control. The industrial designer explained its basic electronics and suggested a small, plastic design with a long-lasting battery, few buttons, and possible alerts for a low battery or a lost remote. The team rejected interchangeable covers because they doubted the idea would generate enough profit. The user interface designer raised the choice between a basic and a multifunctional remote.

Marketing reported that a 100-person usability test found existing remotes ugly and hard to use, with many buttons left unused. Channel selection, volume and power were the most important controls. Younger users showed more interest in features such as LCD screens and speech recognition, though the team discussed their cost.

The project manager announced requirements for a TV-only remote aimed at people under 40, using the corporate colour and slogan, with no teletext. The team selected power, number keys zero to nine, channel up and down, volume, menu and mute controls. They discussed using four directional buttons for channel, volume and menu navigation, and favoured an LCD menu on the remote so it could work across televisions, while acknowledging cost concerns. The remote’s physical appearance was deferred to the conceptual design phase; the team then broke for lunch.