Research In Motion’s senior vice president of Industrial Design, Todd Wood, has told Pocket-lint that the next range of BlackBerry smartphones will be officially summed up using the words “charming, whimsical and fun”.

In an exclusive interview with Pocket-lint, Wood explained that to create a prefect range of products, the design team head to a different location around the world each time, in order to get inspiration. For the latest crop of BlackBerry OS 7 phones, including the BlackBerry Bold 9900, it was Bellagio in Italy.

Knowing that now, and looking at the BlackBerry Bold 9900, the Curve 9360 and BlackBerry Torch 9860, you can see the influence. The classic lines, the stylish approach, the Italian attention to detail are all there. The team clearly drank the wine, ate the food and enjoyed the lake as their muse.

Giving us a glimpse at what is to come, Wood told us where the latest design workshop, for 2012's model, was held.

This time, rather than the classic scenery of Italy, the design workshop session was in Malmo, Sweden.

Therefore, the latest words for inspiration are “charming, whimsical, and fun”. And, according to Wood, suggest a very different direction from the company next year.

What are you hoping for from RIM in 2012? Let us know in the comments below...