The creative and adventurous designers of Samsung Electronics have played an important role in discovering the needs of consumers and developing products they find truly meaningful.

For many designers, their personality can be seen in their workspaces. Wild or weird, cluttered or clean, the desks of Samsung’s designers showcase their unique personalities and provide insight into what inspires them. It’s that diversity of backgrounds, experiences and styles that creates strength and is a vital part of realizing meaningful design.

Which is why we made “Designer Desk”—presenting the desks of six Samsung designers, to provide a glimpse of the variety and inventiveness of the people who create our wide range of products.

Meet the Designer’s Desk

How can you really get to know a person? Look at their surroundings. People’s personalities tend to inadvertently show up in the things around them. The seemingly little things, like your music playlist, the books you read or what you do over the weekend, can tell the world a lot about the kind of person you are.

When we decided to introduce our designers here at Samsung Electronics, the first thing we thought of were their desks. What better way to showcase you their personalities than the place they display their personal belongings and spend the most time? So we sat down with each of our designers as they showed us their desks and shared their thoughts on design and the work that they do.

“My desk is a discount store display.”

Taewon Seok / Senior Designer / Mobile Communications Business

What’s your favorite item on your desk?

My origami Doberman Pinscher. I started making origami dogs after I saw a movie about Dobermans when I was young. Finding the unique characteristics of each kind of dog and translating those features into paper construction has many parallels to the design process.

In your opinion, what is the most important step of the design process?

A quick, often rough, sketch that really captures the essence of an idea. We tend to think a marker drawing or a detailed sketch meant for presentations shows the creative moment, but often that simple sketch is a doorway to so much possibility to develop your idea.

How would you define yourself as a designer?

I would say my approach to design is with irony and wit. My style is direct and my goal is to be memorable, like nice perfume.

“My desk is a place with flowers and plants to brighten your day.”

Eunyoung Choi / Assistant Designer / Visual Display Business

What’s your favorite item on your desk?

An empty perfume bottle I use to put flowers in. The bottle is curved, which I prefer to the straight lines of a normal perfume bottle. Some days there will be ranunculus, and other days, I’ll have pompom flowers that really brighten up my desk.

In your opinion, what is the most important step of the design process?

Ideation and brainstorming. While it’s important to make something pretty and stylish, coming up with a good idea takes hard work. In my opinion, a good idea ultimately yields good results.

How would you define yourself as a designer?

I think experiencing new things is important. I personally like to learn and feel new things. Accepting them, visualizing them and organizing them into something I could use later on in my work is what inspires me and my design.

“My desk is red leather.”

Jinhoo Lee / Senior Designer / Mobile Communications Business

What’s your favorite item on your desk?

My earphones. While they may look like hearing aids and not very high-end, the sound is impeccable. And because they fit inside your ear, they’re good for times when you want to avoid outside noise and really concentrate on your work.

In your opinion, what is the most important step of the design process?

I think the direction of the design and the core value comes out during the ideation stage. But really, every step along the way is equally important.

How would you define yourself as a designer?

Experiencing as many things and as much as you can. Nothing is more important than that.

“My desk is my comfort zone filled with things I love.”

Jungjoo Sohn / Designer / Corporate Design Center

What’s your favorite item on your desk?

LEGO IDEAS 21301 BIRDS. The fact that a bird lover developed this LEGO IDEAS series and that it’s so cute to look at makes it the most important thing on my desk!

In your opinion, what is the most important step of the design process?

Research and ideas. During this stage I really get my inspirational juices flowing. I find out about different worlds and experiences that add to the creativity of the project.

How would you define yourself as a designer?

I aspire to be a designer that makes something that gets better over time.

“My desk is a cafe with pictures and music.”

Jangwoon Kim / Designer / Mobile Communications Business

What’s your favorite item on your desk?

My Galaxy Note 10.1. Since I don’t always carry around pen and paper, the tablet really comes in handy. Whether it’s in meetings or on my day off, I always have it close by.

In your opinion, what is the most important step of the design process?

In school I thought it was having a good idea. Now, after working a bit, I realize that it’s the final attention to detail when complete the project or product that really makes the difference.

How would you define yourself as a designer?

Because I view being a designer as needing to understand the inner workings of a product or a project and not just the superficial details, I strive to meet and converse with professionals from diverse fields and backgrounds. If you lend an ear to what they’re saying you’ll gain valuable insight into what consumers need, if not society as a whole.

“My desk is a home for rest and comfort.”

Kaei Kim / Senior Designer / Corporate Design Center

What’s your favorite item on your desk?

Messages from my colleagues. When a project becomes difficult or we reach a standoff, the kind words of encouragement from my team members or others in the office often help me back on my feet so I can continue to trudge on.

In your opinion, what is the most important step of the design process?

Design research. It’s vital to find a basis for your design and to develop a goal for it. Research is fertilizing the seed of creativity for your design work.

How would you define yourself as a designer?

I’ve always wanted to move hearts with my design work. Finding out what exactly triggers such emotions and thoughts has been a recent pursuit of mine.

Different Designers Come Together for Meaningful Design

All the designers who agreed to show us their desk, their inner sanctum if you will, were a bit shy at first and reluctant to do so. Soon they opened up their workspaces, as well as their views on design with confidence and determination. While all of them have different goals and dreams, their willingness to design something meaningful unites them and pushes them forward.

A wide range of individuals from all walks of life come together to create, make and design. As Jangwoon mentioned during his interview, diverse backgrounds and experiences add to design insights. For us at Samsung Electronics, those insights are key. It is our drive to discover the needs of users and consumers – insights that are vital in realizing meaningful design.

Samsung Electronics announced it has won a CES 2016 Best of Innovation Award in the Accessible Tech category for one of its new Smart TVs, which will be revealed in full at CES in Las Vegas, on January 5^th, 2016. Held annually, the CES Innovation Awards honor outstanding design and engineering in consumer technology, with the winning products displayed for everyone to experience at the Innovation Awards Showcase, live at CES.

“Designing a television that offers the best possible picture quality and is accessible for all our customers is something we aim to achieve with all our SUHD and Smart TV models,” said John Ryu, Vice President of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “We are proud to have our Smart TV recognized for offering best in class accessibility by the CES Innovation Awards. We will continue to introduce new ways that allow all consumers to enjoy the best TV viewing experience possible.”

Voice Guidance: A More Convenient User Experience

Samsung’s Voice Guidance feature makes a range of TV functions easier to use, including setup, web browsing and other steps typically only shown on screen. Using their normal conversational voice, people can easily interact with the TV, for example to record upcoming programs and manage various Smart TV applications, as well as to request information such as show times and program titles.

Amplify and Clear Voice: Improving Sound Clarity

The Amplify function of Samsung Smart TV can enhance high-frequency sounds to further improve sound clarity. Another Clear Voice function makes spoken dialogue easier to hear by adjusting frequency of the voices in the TV.

New Graphical User Interface: Enhanced Readability

New Smart TV’s graphical user interface offers better overall on-screen readability with twice the contrast of previous models.

Good Design is Accessible Design
Samsung’s drive to constantly develop its TV technology with advanced yet intuitive functionality and new accessibility features, helps provide an improved TV viewing experience for all consumers. Voice Guidance, Amplify and Clear Voice functions are also designed to be simple and easy for everyone to use.

Related stories:

Migam and Samsung Team Up to Help People With Hearing Impairments Use Samsung Services

Samsung Electronics Demonstrates Sub-titling Format at IFA and IBC That Delivers Accessibility Fit For the Internet Age

[Editorial] Why Technology Can Be a Catalyst for Social Good

Turn Your Home Into a Smart Home With SmartThings in 5 Easy Steps

[Design Story] Samsung’s Meaningful Design Promises Accessibility for All

For more information about CES 2016, please visit our exclusive page #SAMSUNGxCES2016

The 2011 World report on disability, produced jointly by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank, states that 15 percent of the world population has some sort of disability. This amounts to 1 billion people — roughly the entire population of the African continent.

Samsung recognizes both the worldwide prevalence of disability as well as the importance of creating an identical user experience for everyone, regardless of their physical or cognitive abilities. As such, the company strives to constantly ensure this by applying accessible, technological innovation to all of our products and services.

For Samsung, “human-centered” isn’t just a tagline, but instead a philosophy to create, innovate and design by.

The Four C’s of Accessibility Design

The four experience design principles of Samsung’s “accessibility for all” approach include: consideration, comprehensiveness, coherence and co-creation.

Samsung considers all users by utilizing a variety of research methodologies to better understand user needs and improve its products based on their opinions and insights. Comprehensive guidelines are then set based on these needs, which are utilized from as early on as the planning stages of each product to ensure a holistic experience for all.

The product guidelines set, which are based on continuous research in accessibility design, ensure that a variety of optional functions provide coherent usability to those that need them.

The Galaxy S6 and S6 edge offer a number of such features. The Voice Assistant allows users with visual impairments to interact with the device using audio and gesture commands. Comparably, the Sound Detector helps those with impaired hearing to distinguish everyday sounds such as the crying of a baby or a doorbell. The Universal Switch lets users control the smartphone interface by using a range of motions, like a head nod or blinking, for example.

Yet Samsung’s accessibility features are not limited to smartphones. Menu transparency, high contrast, enlarged focus and voice guide functions landed the Samsung Smart TV the CES Accessible Technologies Innovation Award earlier this year.

Following the universal design ethos of providing an equaled amount of function and experience to all, Samsung’s MX4/MX7 series printers also employ similar features. Grips and lids can be manipulated with one hand, and maintenance reports can be obtained in a variety of ways.

These features would not have been possible without the dedicated team of professionals from various fields who co-create to provide a product-service-educate system. Employees with disabilities, research institutes and like-minded communities provide a more hands-on approach to our design experience.

Additionally, Samsung conducts and supports internal competitions to open up possibilities of further innovation, not only for the development of products, but also projects that aim to give back to the community.

The Samsung TV accessibility functions previously mentioned were developed alongside the Royal National Institute of Blind People (UK), the Carroll Center for the Blind (USA), the Siloam Center for the Blind (Korea) and the Korea Blind Union.

Similarly, Samsung’s Creative Lab (C-LAB) initiated a project to lower the cost of the previously pricey eyeCan eye mouse, a device that allows a user unable to use his or her hands to navigate a computer interface with eye gestures.

The eye mouse was further developed at the DMC lab in 2014 as a monitor-mounted device and was aptly named EYECAN+. It has since been provided to individuals and organizations of the disability community free of charge, while its software has been opened to the public to be further developed.

Creating Meaning Through Accessibility Design

Samsung’s design approach for product accessibility is not focused on simplifying functionality for those with disabilities, but rather aims to embolden their potential and abilities. Keeping this in mind, the company examines how its products and services can positively impact the lives of all.

By considering the perspective of others and providing innovative technology that allows all users, regardless of their physical and cognitive capabilities, to communicate and interact with the world around them, Samsung creates, and will continue to create, meaningful design.

Visit design.samsung.com to read more Samsung Electronics design stories.