[Interview] Galaxy S7 and S7 edge Experience Begins with Reinvented Packaging

One may experience irrepressible excitement when opening up the packaging on a shiny new product. In fact, the anticipation felt during an unboxing experience is often just as strong as the emotions felt when one is using a product for the first time.

For the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, Samsung Electronics has taken care to create a memorable unboxing experience. Attention to detail was applied not just in crafting the smartphones – the packaging also got a full makeover.

The new design sees users open the box as if they were opening a book. This means the smartphone is only gradually revealed, delivering a novel, intriguing and somewhat nostalgic experience.

The box, which features a sleek black and blue color scheme, is designed with simplicity and elegance in mind, just like the device inside.

Senior Designer Hyun Jee Lim, creator of the new packaging design, shared the messages Samsung hopes to convey through the new packaging.

Q: What was your principle goal during the design process for the new packaging?

Hyun Jee Lim: Our aim was to create a package that best represents Samsung’s design identity, as well as the elegance the product embodies. Since we redefined the exclusive brand image of the Galaxy series through the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, we attempted to align the package with the same image.

In fact, we strove to apply the brand image throughout the entire experience, from the Galaxy Unpacked invitation and the event itself, to the key visual components of the device and the product packaging. It was all done as part of an effort to deliver a seamless experience to our consumers.

Q: What aspects you most consider when you design the packaging?

Hyun Jee Lim: To represent the completeness of the device, we selected black as the packaging’s main color. We then incorporated blue, Samsung’s heritage color, into the design to improve the overall quality of the package. To enhance the effect, and to boost usability, we also designed the box so that it could be opened like a book.

Q: The book concept is an interesting one. How did you come up with it?

Hyun Jee Lim: We wanted to create a truly unique and classic package—one with which our consumers can encounter an intriguing experience from the moment they first interact with our product. The book-like design not only does this, it also adds an emotional element.

Q: Considering the box contains such a high-tech product, why did you decide to include such seemingly analog packaging designs?

Hyun Jee Lim: The juxtaposition between digital and analog might seem unusual, considering we live in a highly digitized society. However, as much as we rely on cutting-edge technology to get through the day, we are also sentimental beings filled with a longing for the past.

The package satisfies this desire by conveying a sense of familiarity and aesthetic sensibility, even though it contains a high-tech device. The design also represents Samsung as a transformational business, one that is continuously evolving.

Q: What materials were used in the packaging and why did you choose them?

Hyun Jee Lim: The packaging is carefully crafted, with black paper embellished with textured micro-patterns. This sleek, modern design helps the brand experience become tangible in consumers’ hands.

Q: The inner packaging is also different to that used in previous Galaxy models. Why is that?

Hyun Jee Lim: We aspired to create the best possible design, right down to the very smallest of details. We wanted consumers to be able to fully perceive the efforts that went into the birth of the product as a whole.

Q: What value did you, as a designer, want to personally communicate to consumers through the package design?

Hyun Jee Lim: A product’s packaging conveys a very important first impression to the customer. I wanted not to just satisfy people’s expectations, I actually wanted to surpass them. I tried to add a touch of ardor and confidence. I was hoping to use the packaging to convey the essence of the Galaxy S series and Samsung’s unique design identity.

The latest Galaxy devices are now available in select markets. Experience the unboxing of the Galaxy S7 for yourself in the video below in advance.