IDEA is one of the world’s most prestigious design awards programs held by the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA), founded in 1980, to acknowledge achievements in industrial design. This year, IDEA has chosen winners in 20 categories, including Home, Consumer Technology, Digital Interaction and Design Strategy. Key criteria for evaluation also include Design Innovation, Benefit to User, Benefit to Society and more.

Samsung’s product design reflects the company’s changing values and innovative technology. The interactive, region-specific and advanced designs were recognized to be progressive and diverse.

“It is important to provide an optimized experience for changing consumer values and lifestyles,” said Jinsoo Kim, Executive Vice President at Corporate Design Center in Samsung Electronics. “We will constantly strive to provide sustainable experiences with creative innovations for our customers.”

Bespoke Won Two Golds for Its Customizable Designs and User Experiences That Fits Different Lifestyles

The Bespoke U.S. Kitchen Package (Bespoke U.S. Kitchen Package & Bespoke FDR RF8000B), a home appliance package including refrigerator, oven-range, microwave and dishwasher available in the North America region, was one of two Gold award winners. Based on the Bespoke philosophy that caters to the preference of users, the package provides an integrated design experience that emphasizes harmony in the kitchen space.

The design of the 4-door (French door) refrigerator, newly launched in North America, maximizes convenience for consumers as it comes with replaceable door panels that owners can choose according to their preferences and lifestyles. The Beverage Center, built into the interior to minimize contamination, stores clean and purified water, and the Dual Auto Ice Maker quickly makes Cubed Ice and smaller Ice Bites.

The Bespoke Jet, the cordless stick vacuum with an all-in-one Clean Station, has also won the Gold award for its excellence in design. It offers a unique experience that covers the whole process from cleaning and disposal to storage. After placing the vacuum on the Clean Station, users can empty the dust bin with a simple press of a button, keeping the home area and air fresh and clean from dust. The all-in-one design of the Bespoke Jet ensures convenience that also looks great to match any living space.

A Wide Range of Samsung Products Achieved Five Silver Awards and One Bronze Award for Their Advance Designs 

The Galaxy Tab S8, out of the Silver awarded, has been highlighted for its slimmest, lightest, but strongest body yet, combined with the largest 14.6-inch AMOLED display. The expansive display is protected by the Armor Aluminum frame, allowing the device to be scratch-resistant and less prone to bending. The tablet also features a dedicated S Pen charging pad on the back of the device that is seamlessly integrated with the camera housing for a satisfying design experience.

Another Silver winner was the Galaxy Upcycling at Home, a program that gives new life to older Galaxy smartphones by repurposing them into IoT devices with a simple software update. Through the SmartThings app, users can repurpose unused smartphones into convenient smart home devices such as a childcare monitor or a pet care.

In addition, other Silver awards went to:

• Samsung India Keyboard, which provides an optimized smartphone keyboard experience that supports faster & easier typing in 29 Indian languages.

• Cook Sensor, which helps you cook your favorite food much more easily by connecting the Samsung Induction Cooktop to the SmartThings Kitchen Service.
• Samsung Air Hood, a concept design that combines the functions of hood, air conditioner and air purifier to help improve the cooking environment in the kitchens of Southwest Asia.

The Bronze award was given to the Galaxy Z Flip3 case, which provides a variety of options to customize the phone using a ring or a colorful strap.

Submissions are to fall under four categories: Education, Health-Medical, Environment-Safety, and Local Community. First-time entries are eligible for Idea Awards and for solutions that have particularly far-reaching implications for society, Samsung Electronics has the option to provide additional support through their Impact awards. For more information, visit: http://www.tomorrowsolutions.org

Ignis helps Firefighters Spot Victims and Dangers in the Field with Thermal Imaging

The winner of the 2016 Idea Award and the 2017 Impact award was Ignis, a project for an affordable thermal imaging solution customized for firefighters. Inspired by a real-life situation experienced by firefighter Han Gyeong-Seung, Ignis was proposed through Samsung Tomorrow Solution and then further developed by Samsung Electronics Creative Lab (C-Lab).

A fireman demonstrates Ignis in a simulated fire

Conventional thermal cameras are bulky and expensive, which makes them difficult to dispatch in actual firefighting and rescue missions. Working with local firefighters, the Ignis team devised a small, light and easy-to-use thermal camera that can be attached to the firefighters’ masks. Samsung donated 1,000 of these Ignis cameras to fire stations throughout Korea.

About Samsung Tomorrow Solution

Samsung Tomorrow Solution is a social contribution contest that was created in 2013. Over 7,000 teams, consisted of over 30,000 people, have taken part in the contest during the last five years.

To date, Samsung Electronics has awarded a total of one billion Korean Won to 40 winners through Samsung Tomorrow Solution, helping them further pursue and realize their ideas. Samsung has also invested additional assets, including financial, technical and human resources, to further develop and distribute solutions with particularly great potential.

Now in its sixth year and for the first year open as a global initiative, the project’s continuing quest to find and fund ideas that can help the public landscape is still going strong.

Additional Images

Ignis, an affordable thermal imaging camera customized for firefighters

The Ignis team worked with local firefighters to understand the full needs of their thermal imaging system

A local firefighter prepares to test an Ignis prototype

This infrared image, from a prototype test, is similar to what firefighters can see using Ignis’ technology