Do you know where the idea for the AddWash washing machine came from? You might be surprised to learn the product was originally developed specifically for consumers in Southeast Asia.

When analyzing Southeast Asian consumer needs regarding washing machines, Samsung Electronics learned that many individuals wanted a way to add an item after starting a cycle. Developed with consumer feedback and lifestyle habits in mind, AddWash was equipped with a small window on the main door that allows users to easily add a piece of forgotten laundry to the wash mid-cycle.

As a result, AddWash became a highly popular customized product. So much so that it even landed the ‘Design of the Year Award’ at the President’s Design Award in Singapore and also won the ‘Ergonomic Design Award’ at the Asian Conference on Ergonomics and Design. This shows how much Samsung is being loved among consumers as one of the most preferred home appliance brand in Southeast Asia.

Appliances Built to Satisfy the Tastes of Southeast Asia

Whether its eating habits in Thailand or entertainment preferences in the Philippines, Samsung Electronics believes that understanding local cultures and lifestyles is paramount to creating the best possible products and services. Here are a few examples of some additional Samsung products and technologies born from this principle:

Twin Cooling System^TM: Samsung’s innovative Twin Cooling System^TM technology was created based on the needs of consumers in select Southeast Asian countries, where many cuisines are defined by strong spices and pungent flavors.

In Vietnam specifically, many citizens enjoy putting ice in their beer. But because the cooling systems of conventional refrigerators often caused a mixing of odors, ice frequently tasted of other refrigerated items such as seafood.

With Samsung’s Twin Cooling System^TM, which controls the refrigerator and freezer independently, food odors are isolated, ensuring that ice tastes like ice and not like fish. It also expanded freezer space to reflect the needs of users in Vietnam and India, thus improving customer satisfaction and increasing sales.

Wind-Free Air Conditioner: Samsung’s first ever Wind-Free wall-mounted air conditioner, which integrates Samsung’s exclusive Wind-Free Cooling technology into its design, enables a cooler indoor climate and energy efficiency without the discomfort of direct cold airflow. This innovative product was designed for consumers in Southeast Asia, where air conditioners are used throughout the entire year.

Microwave Oven: Similarly, Samsung created a microwave equipped with a unique local recipe function, specialized for the Malaysian market.

Efforts like these have enabled Samsung to secure its position as one of the most dominant brands in Southeast Asia. Furthermore, the company’s localized products have not only been well received in the markets in which they were optimized for, but have also attracted global attention.

Understanding Users’ Future Needs, Today

To determine specific regional needs to develop such products, Samsung has a total of seven Product Innovation Teams and two R&D Institutes across ten countries. At these facilities, the company’s Product Innovation Teams continuously conduct extensive research to understand how different people approach and use technology today.

The Lifestyle Research Lab, which is one of core functions of the Product Innovation Team, looks beyond product behavior to discover evolving needs and values surrounding the family, work and education, as well as other societal and cultural trends. Keeping the environment, culture and consumer lifestyles of each region in mind, the teams forecast future ways of living and define opportunities for innovation. The Product Innovation Teams then use these findings when creating prototypes to unearth insights and develop concepts for game-changing products and solutions. AddWash, for example, was developed entirely at the Lifestyle Research Lab in Singapore, from the initial concept planning stages all the way to the product development stages.

Ultimately, the teams’ research findings help to accommodate the ever-changing needs of users in various corners of the world.

In line with its commitment to deliver meaningful innovations that add real value to consumers’ everyday lives, Samsung will continue to develop products and solutions optimized for the needs of each region around the world.

The President’s Design Award is Singapore’s highest honour accorded to designers and designs across all design disciplines with a total of 39 Designers of the Year and 99 Designs of the Year having been conferred the award since it launched in 2006.

The AddWash feature, from which the Samsung AddWash washing machine derives its name, features the world’s first distinctive access door on front load washing machines. It allows consumers to add any item during a wash cycle without opening the main door. According to the jury citation, this innovation is “a result of deep consumer insights, ease-of-use ergonomics and design for assembly and manufacturability”.

“This is a great testament to our Product Innovation team because it demonstrates the importance of smart design and how consumer insights can lead to innovative touches, to make consumers’ lives easier. They are now able to do their daily chores efficiently, and spend more time with their loved ones. We will continue to invest in understanding our consumers and creating products which enhance their daily lives,” said Irene Ng, Vice-President, Corporate Marketing, Samsung Electronics (Southeast Asia & Oceania).

Left to Right – Irene Ng (VP Corporate Marketing), Ken Ding (Head of Product Innovation), President Tony Tan, Yong Sung Jeon (CEO and President) and Robert Tomlin (Chairman, DesignSingapore).

Yong Sung Jeon, CEO and President, Samsung Southeast Asia with Ken Ding (Head of Product Innovation Team) at the display zone featuring the winning product design.

Display illustration highlighting the winning features of the Samsung AddWash washing machine.

AddWash feature recognized as one of the design of the year at President’s Design Award.

Samsung AddWash washing machine being displayed at the Istana, the official residence and office of the President of Singapore.

The winning feature on the Samsung AddWash adding a unique and functional edge to the design.

For the jury citation, please refer to Appendix A.

APPENDIX A

Jury Citation

AddWash is an innovative feature on a range of Samsung front load washing machines. It enables users to add articles mid-cycle via a secondary door within the main one, an advantage that until now was limited to top load washers.

Based on a seemingly simple insight gleaned from their customer research, the design team from Samsung Consumer Insight Group successfully exploited a common customer pain-point that has long been overlooked. The result is a product feature that has effectively engendered a new category in washing machines. This has the potential to sway buyers towards front load washers that have the added advantage of using less water while providing a superior wash quality. From a commercial perspective, the outcome of this design innovation will result in better margins for Samsung, proving the tried and tested adage that good design is good business.

This is an exemplary case where insights generated from the observation of Southeast Asian habits are used to create innovations that have global application and commercial relevance.

About the Design

The AddWash feature is the world’s first distinctive access door on front load washing machine that allows users to add any item during a wash cycle without opening the main door.

This innovation is a result of deep consumer insights (from both Southeast Asia and globally), ease-of-use ergonomics and design for assembly and manufacturability.

When it comes to laundry in Southeast Asia, there is a strong trend of interacting with the wash cycle, which could come in the form of adding detergent or inserting forgotten laundry into the load. Hand-washing and top loader washing machines are great at facilitating this interaction which builds trust in the washing process, allowing people to add their own special touch to their laundry. For example in Thailand, housewives like to add fabric conditioner at a specific time in the wash cycle to maximise the fragrance. In addition, some also like to add extra detergent or other cleaning agents during the wash cycle.

However, this interaction is not possible when it comes to front load washing machines as the door is locked once the cycle starts. The user cannot intervene with the process. On a global scale, users experience frustration with front loaders – once the cycle has started, it is impossible to add laundry to the machine if the user had forgotten to put them in. This frustration is a significant barrier to purchasing a front loader.

By having a second door which can be opened during the washing process, user can intervene in the process at any time to add fabric conditioner or extra cleaning agents, as well as forgotten items of laundry. The design includes a child feature, which prevents the drum from rotating whenever the door needs to be opened.

The AddWash feature addresses both the regional Southeast Asian desires of interacting with the process, and also the frustration experienced by users globally with front loaders. The concept also provides environmental benefits as it encourages the use of front loaders, which inherently consume less water and are more energy efficient. Despite being a Southeast Asian-driven insight, the AddWash is also highly relevant in other markets and was launched globally in 2016.