“The society and environment we belong to are constantly changing. With this change, users desire more complex and diverse experiences. In today’s world, there is also a constant influx of innovative products based on advanced technologies that change our everyday lives. In the midst of all this change, One UI will always listen to the voices of customers and continue to evolve so that our users can comfortably and joyfully experience their everyday lives.”

– Yoojin Hong, Head of UX Team for Samsung Electronics Mobile eXperience Business

Samsung Electronics designed the brand identity for One UI 4 as a seamless mobile experience that is able to harmonize with any device or story. The delicate yet flexible elements of the interface help users freely express their individuality while providing the tools to make everyday life more convenient and secure. In any situation, One UI 4 elevates the user’s lifestyle to a new level thanks to its expansive possibilities.

Samsung Newsroom sat down with Samsung’s UX design team to learn more about the user-first design process behind One UI 4.

Simple and Streamlined Style

It’s easier to focus on what matters most when unnecessary items are removed from view. One UI 4’s clear visual hierarchy guides your eye to the most important elements on each page at a single glance.

One UI 4 arranges colors and text so users can understand information intuitively. By simplifying the color system and readjusting the font size and thickness, One UI 4 delivers a clearer and more cohesive visual experience.

The new version of Samsung UI also organizes information into a system of streamlined, updated cards to enable instant understanding of facts and figures. By removing visual distractions and categorizing data into layers, users can now effortlessly navigate through their device to find whatever they need, whenever they need it.

Q: What was the reason for the color system re-organization and which part of the task did you focus on?

The key theme behind this color system re-organization was ‘Clean up’. We carried out the task by applying color to the most important information first and keeping less important information more monotone.

Q: Functional colors with similar meanings have also been unified, specifically red and green.

Red is usually associated with the ideas of Stop, Delete, Remove, Reject, or Decrease. Before One UI 4, the colors of features with a similar purpose were all slightly different. We focused on unifying the theme by using only one shade of red so that users could clearly understand the context of each function. Additionally, we slightly increased the brightness and saturation to enhance visibility while combining all the different reds and greens into their single respective colors.

Q: It seems that the font was tidied up all around through letter spacing and boldface type. Please explain how this was implemented.

We focused on making the presentation of information more prominent than before by adjusting the visual contrast based on the priority of information. We created optimal negative space by altering the dynamics of the font size and thickness according to the content’s importance.

Q: The overall Weather app has been upgraded with a clean, stylish look along with a new weather icon.

What people consider to be important information varies from user to user. For instance, the current weather is important to some people, while changes in the weather throughout the day are more important to others. While this information was previously mixed in the upper main card, One UI 4 now displays ‘current weather’ and ‘today’s weather’ separately. The essential data, current temperature, location and weather icons were revamped with stylish visuals and placed at the top to enhance readability.

Q: How has the Calendar app been reorganized to provide the date and calendar events more easily?

Based on our data, most users create between one and three calendar events a day. With that in mind, we designed a screen that looks seamless, even without any events scheduled for the day. We also allowed users to pay better attention to key information such as the month, day and schedule by replacing the previous gray background with a clear white background. The updated UI features centered text for a stable layout, and we added horizontal lines to create a clear view of information sorted by week.

Q: What kind of efforts were made to effectively communicate data in Samsung Health without looking complicated?

Samsung Health expresses information in three main ways. We used a simple bar chart to describe any range, progress, or status information, such as the number of steps, heart rate, stress, or blood sugar level. We used a symbol to communicate information such as food intake, sleep state or water consumption since cumulative data in this category is more important than progress. Lastly, we included a text-only type that displays a number without a graph when it’s important to know the figure on its own.

Q: Delivering concise and accurate information seems crucial for the newly-introduced Samsung Wallet since it contains important user data.

The Quick Access tab, the first screen of Samsung Wallet, is divided into a stacked view and an expanded view. While in the stacked view, 35% of each overlapping card can show information. With this in mind, the design team made the most of the space by efficiently placing the logo in the upper left corner while displaying the card properties in the upper right. Information with similar characteristics on each card was grouped together for an easy search. By contrast, functions and information with different features, such as usage history and running tasks, have been separated visually.

Safe, Comfortable and Secure Usage

As more time is spent on smart devices, there are more things to keep in mind, such as security and health. One UI 4 values the importance of people using smart devices to stay safe and comfortable anytime, anywhere, without worries or inconvenience. It is natural for users to feel anxious about having their personal information leaked through their smart devices. One UI 4 has been implemented with various features to protect users with high standards for security and privacy.

Every detail was carefully examined to help users conveniently use their smart devices in any setting. Dark mode reduces visual fatigue down to even the smallest detail. Additionally, a consistent visual design has been applied to provide comfortable usability even across multiple devices.

Q: Users can check when the camera or microphone is turned on with an icon. Where did you get this idea?

User interest in privacy and security has increased significantly in recent years. We applied the same newly-added function to the Android 12 OS, keeping the users’ best interests in mind.

Q: The Permission Dashboard shows where and how often the camera, microphone and location data have been used. Can you tell us more?

Malicious apps that access and exploit various sensors and data after gaining access to personal information have recently become a problem. The Permission Dashboard can now check and block apps that request unnecessary permission for personal information, even while the app is inactive.

Q: How did the design details come together for Dark mode?

We tried to find an appropriate level of darkness to enhance visual comfort without compromising each app icon’s aesthetics and striking features. As a result, we decided upon the current darkness level that naturally and uniformly tones down the entire app icon color, prevents glare from white space and satisfies the visual balance between home screen elements.

Q: How do you ensure that various Samsung devices can be smoothly and comfortably used together or individually?

One UI 4 applies a single visual language to various Galaxy products, including smartphones, tablets, smartwatches and PCs. Devices can be used comfortably through unified elements such as icons, rounded corners, components, menu styles, layouts and more, even when changed.

Self Expression, Centered on You

For today’s users, smart devices have become a tool for expressing one’s emotions and individuality. One UI 4 expands the range of choices and customizable features to match every user’s unique lifestyle and tastes.

From personalizing their devices with different wallpapers to using the Color Palette function to change the visual theme of each device, users can reflect their individuality and taste to the fullest.

Customization and self-expression have never been easier or more enjoyable than in One UI 4. Users now can combine two emojis into one or use AR Emoji to reveal their virtual selves. One UI 4 expands the user experience through new options for users to make the device their own, from smartphones to smartwatches. For instance, users can customize their smartwatch to fit their lifestyle through various unique watch faces, or they can stay up to date with updated widgets. No matter how a user experiences One UI 4, there are limitless opportunities to add their personal touch.

Q: How did the wallpaper’s ‘Particle’ concept come about?

We researched different design elements that can be freely expressed on a variety of products. In the process, we discovered the potential and scalability of a material called ‘Particle’.

Taking the Galaxy Z as an example, we were inspired by the art of paper folding when conceptualizing the message we wanted the product to communicate through its foldable structure. We believed this type of art’s versatility, strength, continuity and expandability represented the Galaxy Z Fold’s characteristics. The Galaxy Z Flip was also designed in a similar context, but we differentiated the two by highlighting a more fashionable and unique product image for the latter.

Q: The Color Palette extracts five colors from the wallpaper and changes the visual theme of the device. How was it implemented?

The color palette is a function that integrates Android 12 Material You – Dynamic Color based on One UI. It uses five colors extracted from different wallpapers to support Google and other apps.

While researching color palettes, we collaborated with designers researching the best method to extract color from an image. Together, we discovered an optimal color extraction method that analyzes the original image, divides it into color groups, and then develops a prototype that recognizes the distribution of extracted color.

Q: Why was the decision made to tone down the colors from the original version?

The design was revised to convey the overall mood of the wallpaper for users to focus on and comfortably view the content. In the final version, the background color saturation was lowered, and the buttons were adjusted for colors to stand out without straining the eyes.

Q: The Emoji Pair, which expresses two different emojis in various animations, is a new and entertaining concept.

Emojis expressing complex emotions such as ‘sad-laugh’ and ‘laughing but not laughing’ have never existed before. The need for these complex emotions was confirmed through user interviews. Thus, the Emoji Pair was born.

Q: The concept has been expanded from ambivalence to complex emotions. What was the reason?

When the first concept was ambivalence, we decided that the situation of combining emojis with similar emotions without opposition should also be considered, since forcing the user to create emoji combinations is an impossible task. This is why the concept’s scope has since expanded from ambivalence to providing more complex emotions.

Q: The sophisticated movements of AR Emojis’ witty gestures are very eye-catching. How are these animations made?

Simple movements and expressions have been carefully worked on by animators one at a time using the keyframe method. They also collaborated with famous artists to create high-quality motion graphics, such as professional dance moves.

Q: How do the preferred AR Emoji stickers differ by country or age?

AR Emoji stickers were produced based on voting in four countries: South Korea, Brazil, the United States and the United Kingdom. While there was no significant difference in overall preferences between the countries, there was a slight difference among the age groups. People in their twenties preferred more caricature and exaggerated stickers than those in their thirties. Most users wanted to give off a funny and pleasant impression, rather than being serious when using stickers. For example, ‘I wanted to exaggerate my laughter while laughing and not be too serious when I’m sad.’

Q: Which part of One UI 4 watch face did you focus on?

When the Galaxy Watch 4 was released, we focused on expanding the spectrum of the Expressive face type. We completed a three-dimensional lineup by adding characters of various styles to the watch face, such as a vegetable character for a healthy diet or a bear character for challenges.

Q: What standards or systems do you refer to when designing various watch faces?

The design system was built by referencing the types and designs of Indexes, Hands and Sub Dials of real analog watches to create consistency between the watch faces. The color of the strap and its surroundings was selected as the primary color to blend with the Galaxy Watch strap, and the remaining colors were chosen based on the international color system.

Q: The One UI 4 widget gives off a neat impression overall.

After continuous consultation and effort, changing the widget shape collectively within Android became possible. We applied the One UI visual language to both Samsung and third-party widgets to enhance their appearance.

The widget area is not wide compared to the information provided by the widget. It was designed to provide visual contrast for information to be seen at a glance while focusing more on what needs to be emphasized. By changing the background color to 100% white, we’ve enhanced the minimalist feel and allowed the user to more easily focus their attention on each widget content.

* The images shown are for illustration purposes only and may differ from the actual product. Product specifications may vary by country, region, model and carrier.

The feedback of Galaxy Fold users is a key catalyst behind the Galaxy Z Fold2’s multitasking and productivity features. From the enhanced Multi-Active Window to the improved interactions between apps, every facet of the UX is optimized to complement how people use Samsung’s foldable technology in everyday life.

Check out the video below to learn more about how Samsung experts created the foldable UX for the Galaxy Z Fold2.

*Subtitles are available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic and Korean

Here, two of the minds behind the Gear Sport’s design, Product Planner Sungjin Kim and UX Designer Hayeong Jeong, discuss Samsung’s efforts to design a sports watch that’s in a league of its own.

Q. Who was the Gear Sport designed for?

Kim: Our chief priority when designing the Gear Sport was to introduce a smartwatch that featured new, easy-to-use functions that allowed users to go ‘beyond fitness’.

Conventional sports watches tend to be huge and heavy, and designed mainly for those who are interested in pushing their bodies to the limit to reach peak condition. We’ve tailored the Gear Sport to those who want to work out and stay in shape, but aren’t necessarily interested in becoming a pro athlete.

The result is a smartwatch that’s sleek, comfortable and great for everyday wear, and packed with features that empower users to get the most out of a workout whenever they wish. We set out to design a device that struck a fine balance between stylish design and powerful, fitness-focused function, and we’ve been delighted to hear that the result of our efforts has gotten great feedback from users.

Q. What are some of the ways that the Gear Sport streamlines exercise?

Kim: The Gear Sport features built-in GPS and an advanced, continuous heart-rate sensor, and is one of the first Samsung wearables (along with the Gear Fit2 Pro) to boast 5 ATM (50-meter) water resistance.

This level of water resistance means that the smartwatch is built to not only stand up to rain and the odd splash, but also dips in the pool. In fact, the Gear Sport’s support for swim-tracking app Speedo On makes it the ideal companion for any swim.

The device is packed with powerful fitness-tracking software, including a built-in “pace-setter” feature that makes it excellent for managing runs, as well as automatic activity detection. And by seamlessly syncing with Samsung Health, and allowing users to easily log their calorie intake directly into their smartwatch, the Gear Sport also offers tools to help users keep better track of their eating habits and ultimately achieve their weight goals.

The smartwatch is also great for home training. Its Samsung Health integration allows you to easily access an expanded collection of fun fitness classes from third-party content providers that may be streamed to your Samsung TV using your Samsung smartphone’s Smart View function, while its continuous heart-rate tracking allows you to monitor your performance on your screen in real-time during your workout.

Q. The Gear Sport also introduces a new, square form to the Samsung smartwatch lineup. What inspired this adjustment?

Kim: We chose to equip the Gear Sport with a case that combines the Gear line’s signature bezel with a slightly square body not only because it created a unique way to differentiate the device from our other offerings, but also because it allowed us to incorporate a large, 300 mAh battery.

The contours of the case make the Gear Sport quite comfortable to wear, and add a nice, elegant touch to the device’s overall aesthetic.

Q. How have you enhanced the Gear Sport’s familiar, circular UX?

Jeong: Our wearables’ signature UX makes accessing their functions simple and intuitive. When we set about designing the Gear Sport, we prioritized finding useful ways to enhance the circular UX, and make best use of the versatile bezel.

For example, sending a completed text with the interface used to require a tap of the screen. Now, a slight twist of the bezel will automatically pull up a prompt to send your text. We’ve also optimized the bezel to make tasks like changing a watch face more seamless and convenient. So if you rotate the Gear Sport’s bezel quickly after pulling up the watch face selection screen, now, you’ll be able to instantly view more options.

The Gear Sport’s UX enhancements make it easy for users to view more watch faces at a glance (top row), and allow more apps and information to be presented clearly on the device’s circular display (bottom row).

Other adjustments include the new app shortcut widget, which displays your most recently accessed apps, and the streamlined Quick Panel, which may now be accessed from any screen, rather than solely via the watch face. The optimizations we’ve made are the results of incorporating user feedback, and make it easy for users to access key functions and find the information they need at a glance.

We’re constantly looking for new, innovative ways to optimize UX – not only for the Gear Sport, but for each of our wearable devices.

Q. The Gear Sport’s highly customizable design adds another fun layer of versatility. Is this something that was prioritized from an early stage?

Jeong: Absolutely. Our aim with the Gear Sport was to present a sports watch with a truly versatile design.

The watch comes in two colors, black and blue, and features 13 preinstalled watch faces. The colors of those watch faces may be customized to create a wide array of unique designs, which may also be paired with 23 available straps, yielding a total of more than 3,600 distinct variations.

On top of that, there are tens of thousands more watch faces available to download in the Galaxy Apps store, and we also offer a Gear Watch Designer tool, which makes it easy for users to create and share high-quality watch faces of their own design.

Q. Were there any other fun features that you were able to incorporate into the Gear Sport’s design?

Kim: Because smartwatch users tend to be tech savvy, and IoT-interactions are becoming more ubiquitous in our lives, when designing the Gear Sport, we prioritized optimizing the device for inter-device connectivity.

This ultimately led us to develop cool functions that allow users to use the Gear Sport to streamline how they do things like manage PowerPoint presentations, navigate VR interfaces,* and pay for goods on the go.

*Using Samsung’s Gear VR headset

Coming from a family with a long tradition in the arts, Jean-Christophe Naour learned from an early age the importance of precision in design. “We all can come up with the same ideas, but details determine how we craft our ideas,” he said. “Details make design.”

But he also loves chaos, and believes in the importance of leaving your comfort zone. “The brain is really abstract, and inspiration comes from the unexpected. You have to break out of your comfort zone. You need to be prepared to fail.”

Naour has won awards and critical praise over the years for his experimental approach to uniting those competing influences, using computer algorithms to create apps and artworks that produce striking images and patterns. And for the past four years, Naour has applied his unique mix of design ideas at Samsung Electronics in the Visual Display Business, as part of the team that shapes the advanced design and user interface of screens and related devices. “I’m really excited about creating new interactive experiences that connect products to their users through inventive blends of technology and storytelling,” he said.

“You have to break out of your comfort zone. You need to be prepared to fail.”

Pushing Boundaries for Inspiration

For Naour, his fascination with design started early, growing up in Brittany, France. His father’s side of the family has worked in woodworking and furniture for generations, while his mother’s side of the family was involved in fashion. He grew up creating, too, first with Lego and building blocks, then with computers. “I was in love with graphics and the general aesthetics of the whole thing—the colors, the pixels, the fonts,” he said.

He went to Nantes University to study mathematics and computer science, but he thought it was not a good fit for him and after a couple of years transferred into an industrial design program, getting his Master’s Degree at the L’École de Design Nantes Atlantique.

But when the time came to spend a semester abroad (a requirement of his design program), Naour was less interested in the usual choices, like the United States or Great Britain. “I wanted to take a risk, and push my boundaries for inspiration,” he said. So instead he came to Hongik University in Seoul. “I knew nothing about Korea at the time, but it sounded exciting.”

He took advantage of his time in Korea to explore the country all he could, visiting 20 cities over the course of the semester. So after he finished graduate school, he really wanted to return to Korea, and eagerly took a position at a design firm in Seoul. After several years there, Samsung made him an offer, and he began a new career.

Going Abstract to Understand the User Experience

Naour started with Smart TV, working on the interactive gesture interface, and he has had a hand in many projects since then, with a task force system that rotates designers regularly.

As part of Visual Display design team, he usually works on devices from the early phases, building a road map for how users will experience every aspect. Typically, they are presented with a product early on and then brainstorm for how the interface might work. “At first, nothing is very specific,” he said. “But gradually you build a wireframe and interface concepts, then a skin, and then you sync your ideas with the product developers.”

Usually a product will have dozens of “modules,” or subareas within the UX, that all have to be coordinated and approved, making development very complicated. But one of Naour’s favorite projects was actually one of the most straightforward—all the lineup of Wireless Audio 360, which only had two modules, the speaker and the app. The speakers were developed with U.S. office. But once the hardware was ready, Naour and the Seoul design team had to come up with the guide for how people would use the speaker. They knew the speaker would have a cylindrical shape and an LED interface, but the other details on how the product would function was up to Naour and the Seoul design team.

They responded with a series of workshops over three weeks, looking to define the core interactions and user’s journey, all through a series of swipes and taps. “Our response was to reduce the details.

We wanted something more artistic, where the actions would flow,” Naour said. “something more abstract.”

They responded with a series of workshops over three weeks, looking to define the core interactions and user’s journey, all through a series of swipes and taps. “Our response was to reduce the details. We wanted something more artistic, where the actions would flow,” Naour said. “something more abstract.”

The final result was an elegant interface, where users could control everything about the wireless speaker with just a few simple swipes right on the flat top of the speaker.

Failure Is Crucial for Innovation

Over his career as a designer, Naour has developed many big ideas about how to approach design and creativity. “I don’t like to say ‘I don’t know’,” he said. “I prefer to try doing something myself and learn from my mistakes until I can make it happen.”

It’s an unorthodox approach that Samsung encourages. “In France, we have a low tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity, so we are reluctant to take risks,” he said. “But failure is crucial in innovation. The faster you find weakness, the faster you can improve what needs fixing.”

Another significant part of his success as a designer is maintaining work-life balance. Getting out of the office to listen to music or play with his 2-year-old daughter is important to keeping his thinking fresh and creative. “Go outside. You need to break your perspective.”

“I don’t like to say ‘I don’t know.’ I prefer trying things myself until I can make it happen.”

Naour says watching his daughter play is also a great way to learn about UX technology. “I’m amazed at how young children love new technology. Even at 1 year old, they can already unlock the phone,” he said. “I think technology is like a language. It’s like they’re learning to live in an augmented reality.”

The Art of the Algorithm

As a self-professed “workaholic,” Naour notes that even when he is not at work, he is always working on design ideas. One of his favorite approaches is using algorithms. “Design is, by definition, iterative,” he said. “With algorithms, you can start off with some basic shapes, give them rules, then the computer can come up tens of thousands of variations, all based on the same concept—always different and unpredictable.”

Over the years, Naour has won much recognition for his own creative algorithms, artworks and apps, appearing in such places as Wired, Gizmodo, The Creator’s Project and IdN Magazine. But Naour says he is most proud of the FWA (Favorite Website Award) he won in 2011 for his app Poly—a program that turn users photos and drawings into geometric arrays of color, reducing images down to their essential polygons.

“FWA is like a symbol in the interactive design industry” he said. “When I was still a student, it was for me the most inspiring place on the web, at the early stages of creative Flash websites. It represented the quality I wanted to produce.”

Designing an Interactive Future

As technology grows ever more refined, fast and complex, increasingly it is the role of the UX designer to define how consumers interact with products, get the most from them and ultimately feel about them. “New technologies are radically expanding the design space,” he said. “Just a few years back, almost any kind of interaction was all about the screen, keyboard and mouse. Now, the degrees of freedom are increasing, and so too are the design choices.”

It has only been a few years since multi-touch has been on the market, and technology interfaces are continuing to grow more sophisticated very quickly. Naour says he loves seeing where all these developments are leading. “Every major milestone in the evolution of UX design has involved an interaction between technology and human beings.” he said. “While we use all our senses in everyday life, we are still limited to one or two at most in our digital life. The next interfaces should take full advantage of our complex bodies, to make communications even more natural.”

“New technologies are radically expanding the design space… Now, the degrees of freedom are increasing, and so too are the design choices.”

And that constant sense of challenge and exploration is what makes designing UX interfaces at Samsung so worthwhile. “It has been an exciting adventure,” Naour said, “and I get to work with some really great people”