[Editorial] Reinterpretation of Samsung’s Design Philosophy

Dontae Lee, Executive Vice President and Head of Corporate Design Center, Samsung Electronics

“Design” is a difficult word to define – it can encompass a range of meanings. Sometimes design is simply the shape of an object. At other times it is more abstract, like a user’s overall experience with a product. It can even be felt as an emotional resonance between the designer and the user.

Samsung Electronics designers take all these definitions into account when designing products. Their imaginations stretch from intangible elements, such as the UX (User Experience), to physical features, like the look and feel of the device.

Throughout the design process, all our designers have had a common goal in pursuing design that is “Inspired by humans, creating the future.” Samsung has long emphasized design as one of the company’s core assets, declaring 1996, “The year of the design revolution.” We want to tell a story about our philosophy and culture as well as our technology through our products, and to that end, we always put users at the center of design.

Designers meticulously designed the rounded edge of the Galaxy S10 to create a secure, comfortable grip. Galaxy S10’s new Infinity-O Display gives users a whole new experience when capturing footage or watching a video clip. Samsung’s One UI (User Interface) was devised to ensure consistent usability across all functions and services, allowing users to focus more on the important tasks. Designers carefully studied finger movements to ensure easy and fast access to key features of the device.

Change brings about new experiences. Not only does Samsung put users at the center of its design process, the company also deeply considers how to create meaningful change for users in their daily lives.

In 2019, millennials are the originators of social trends, and they value experiences over possessions. This generation boldly explores new discoveries and pursues individuality. Against this backdrop, we at Samsung are reaffirming our future direction, further committing ourselves to a user-centric design philosophy.

“Be Bold. Resonate with Soul.”

This motto illustrates our desire to nurture more compelling experiences and bring meaningful changes to users by creating bold and innovative designs. We aim to instill an authenticity and emotional resonance into our designs that permeates throughout people’s daily lives.

There are about 1,500 Samsung Electronics designers across the globe. These conscious pioneers will continue striving to make the world a better place as they design Samsung products, services, and technologies and deliver exciting experiences, meaningful stories and organic connections to users.