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

Guided by evolving values and innovative technology, Samsung’s design principles have been recognized for creating products that place people’s lifestyles and experiences at the forefront.

“Innovation born from advanced technology and human empathy enriches our people’s lives,” said Mauro Porcini, President and Chief Design Officer of the Device eXperience (DX) Division at Samsung Electronics. “We are dedicated to not only pushing boundaries of technology, but also cultivating meaningful connections that bring us closer to a brighter, more connected future together.”

Samsung Earns Two Gold Awards

The following exciting innovations received Gold awards, the highest honor at IDEA 2025:

• Samsung Mobile Design Visual Identity System — a design system that connects the diverse form factors of the Galaxy series under a unified visual identity. The system refined each form factor into an intuitive shape and extended the application of the system beyond packaging to include books, films and retail stores, aiming to effectively communicate the brand message of ‘Essential’ across multiple platforms.

• Advanced Concepts for Visually Impaired Users in Home Appliances — named as ‘Samsung Inclusive Essentials’— a visionary design aimed at enhancing accessibility for everyone, including visually impaired and elderly individuals. By standardizing shapes and colors and integrating embossing, sound and lighting into key components, it provides both visual, auditory and tactile guidance, enabling low-vision users to intuitively and conveniently interact with products.

Samsung Earns Three Silver Awards

Samsung also secured three Silver awards for these cutting-edge technologies:

• Galaxy Tab S10 Series — Samsung’s first tablets built with AI enhancements offer 3D Map View, which gives a visual overview of the home and all connected devices to streamline device management across the SmartThings ecosystem.

• Advanced Concept for Samsung Smart Modular House — a visionary living space for future innovation, is designed to embrace AI and advanced IT with an architecture that can be flexibly expanded to an evolving lifestyle.

• Digital Twin — a next-generation AI-powered b.IoT solution for smart building management that enables intuitive operations and energy optimization through 3D-based technology, offering efficient and sustainable solutions.

Samsung Wins Three Bronze Awards

These three products took home Bronze awards for their harmonious designs:

• TheGalaxy S24 FE — enhances the user experience with Galaxy AI-powered photography and an advanced camera setup that empowers users to be more creative. Featuring a large screen, thin bezels, a refined color palette and high-quality materials, it delivers a premium mobile experience to more users.

• Samsung Vision AI Onscreen Story — a visual representation of Samsung’s TV branding under the concept of “Endless Wonder.”

• The EHS MONO Outdoor-Indoor System — a home heat pump device equipped with SmartThings and the AI Home touchscreen for more convenient energy management.

From Product to UX Design, a Total of 39 TVs, Home Appliances and Smartphones Names Finalists

A wide range of Samsung designs were named Featured Finalists, including:

• • The Galaxy Z Fold6 & Z Flip6 — redefine the future of mobile technology by combining innovative foldable form factors with Galaxy AI, offering seamless mobile experiences and unparalleled versatility for users.
  • The Smart Monitor M9 (M90SF model) — brings together the brilliance of a 4K OLED display and AI features like 4K AI Upscaling Pro, AI Picture Optimizer and Active Voice Amplifier (AVA) Pro to consistently provide reliable, high-quality entertainment.
  • The Bespoke AI Laundry Hub — a sleek, space-saving stacked washer and dryer featuring an AI Home touchscreen, delivering seamless integration and intelligent laundry solutions. (Currently sold in Korea only)
  • The Newfound Equilibrium Exhibition — showcases Samsung’s user-centered design philosophy, with an aim to inspire vision for a better future that encompasses the balance between people and technology.

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

Samsung’s design reflects the company’s changing values and innovative technology. The company was recognized for its excellence in design centered on consumer lifestyles and experiences.

“These awards serve as important validation of our relentless commitment to pushing the boundaries of design while still ensuring our creations resonate with people,” said TM Roh, President and Head of the Corporate Design Center at Samsung Electronics. “As we move forward, we’ll maintain a keen focus on developing innovative designs that both enrich the lives of our users and also stay true to each product’s essence.”

Samsung Earned Two Gold Awards for These Exciting Innovations:

• Galaxy AI UX introduces meaningful intelligence aimed at enhancing every part of life, especially by enabling seamless communication anywhere, anytime. The features it brings can be conveniently used in daily life — with Interpreter defying language barriers, Live Translate automatically translating voice calls, Note Assist enabling users to create intelligent summaries of their notes, Browsing Assist allowing them to summarize and translate webpages and Chat Assist letting them text in the language in which they’re most comfortable.

• Advanced Design Concepts for Appliance Accessories -named as ‘Sustainable Design Identity for Home Appliances Accessories’ designated three colors for accessories — such as filters for vacuum cleaners[1] and air purifiers — depending on their maintenance requirements and disposal methods. Through this design improvement, users can more easily recognize the needs of their accessories, especially if they have changed or been updated.

Samsung Earned a Silver Award for This Cutting-Edge Product:

• Galaxy Z Flip 5, a foldable smartphone that uses a new form factor and a larger cover display to maximize the user experience.

Samsung Earned Two Bronze Awards for These Harmonious Designs:

• The Galaxy Tab S9 Series blends the portability of a tablet with the powerful functionality of a laptop. Its versatile format and robust tools and apps make it a surprising productivity powerhouse throughout the day.

• AI Vision Inside[2] recognizes up to 33 fresh food items as they enter and leave the Bespoke 4-Door Flex Refrigerator with AI Family Hub+[3] and then fills out the user’s Food List.

From Product to UX Design, a Total of 45 Awards for TVs, Home Appliances and Smartphones

A wide range of Samsung designs were named Finalists, including:

• The Neo QLED 8K, a TV that provides an immersive experience with the infinity air design.
• The Music Frame, a customizable wireless speaker designed to seamlessly blend into its surroundings.
• The Bespoke AI Laundry Combo, an all-in-one washer and dryer.
• The Easy Setting Box, which allows users to partition screens into multiple sections for enhanced multitasking and productivity. It also provides the functionality of both a PC and smart monitor using a single mouse, without a remote control.
• The Galaxy Z Flip5 Maison Margiela Edition Package is a special collaboration with the Parisian Haute Couture house Maison Margiela, reflecting their unfinished style by utilizing a distinct stitching pattern in the center of the flap. The paper-based woven book cloth fabric covering the package’s exterior seamlessly blends the device with the haute couture aesthetic of Maison Margiela’s atelier.

[1] Filters accessories not applicable in Malaysia.

[2] As of March 2024, AI Vision Inside can recognize up to 33 food items, such as fresh fruits and vegetables. If a food item is not recognizable, it may be listed as an unknown item. AI Vision Inside cannot identify or list any food items in the refrigerator door bins or freezer. It recognizes food items based on deep learning models, which may be updated periodically to improve accuracy.

[3] Naming is different by region. North America: Bespoke 4-Door Flex Refrigerator with AI Family Hub+, Latin America: Bespoke 4-Door French Door Refrigerator with AI Family Hub+.

The IDEA 2020 awards for Samsung include not only the top design awards for creative, cutting-edge creations, but products spanning across multiple categories, showcasing Samsung’s excellence in consumer lifestyle designs with elegant aesthetics, as well as interactive and sustainable designs that reflect social values and broad spectrum of professional expertise.

IDEA, hosted by the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA), has been held annually since 1980. Widely viewed as the most influential design awards in North America, IDEA considers design innovation, benefit to user and benefit to society as part of its criteria for selecting its awardees.

BESPOKE Family Hub UX[1] won Gold for delivering user-centric experience and innovation. Based on consumer-driven insight, the UX allows users to share and create photos and recipes through the refrigerator screen. Additionally, connectivity with mobile apps enables consumers to enjoy remote access regardless of their location.

BESPOKE Refrigerator¹ won Silver for its customizable modular design which allows users to choose colors, materials and types of the refrigerator fit for individual lifestyles and preferences. BESPOKE Refrigerator has already won a Gold award at International Forum (iF) Design Award 2020.

The IDEA 2020 jury honored Samsung with ‘Best-in-Show’, a special award for BESPOKE Family Hub UX and BESPOKE Refrigerator, recognizing Samsung’s achievements in consumer-centric design excellence.

Samsung’s Upcycling Solution for TV Packaging received a Silver award for its customizable packaging box. Samsung adopted upcycling into packaging materials of its lifestyle TVs – The Frame, The Serif and The Sero. The product packaging was designed to encourage consumers to upcycle the boxes and create innovative pieces of small furniture that suit individual needs, such as a cat tower or a TV stand. The packaging won 2020 CES Innovation Awards for its innovative concept, contribution to environmental protection and raising of awareness for recycling and upcycling.

In addition, Q950TS, a QLED 8K TV maximizing screen immersion with Infinity Screen, and The Serif Visual Identity System, which illustrates sophisticated visual strategies targeting the millennial generation, also won Silver awards.

The following received Bronze awards: Galaxy Fold, a foldable smartphone that offers new experience; Infinite Line Oven¹, a built-in kitchen that delivers sleek premium design; The Sero Visual Identity System that demonstrates bold and intense graphic with new brand visual strategies targeting the millennial generation; and Inclusive IoT, an advanced design concept utilizing AI Sound Recognition for helping people with hearing loss.

“Design increasingly values interaction between products and user experiences,” said Dontae Lee, Executive Vice President and the Head of Corporate Design Center at Samsung Electronics. “Samsung will continue to provide meaningful customer experiences and sustainable values with innovative technologies and differentiated designs.”

The IDEA 2020 Ceremony was held virtually on September 16. The International Design Conference is also being held virtually for two days from September 17 to 18. Felix Heck, vice president and the head of Samsung Design Europe, is scheduled to give a presentation titled ‘Design for Resonance’ at the event.

• Awards in Detail at ‘IDEA 2020’

[1] This model is currently unavailable in Malaysia market.

“With consumer-focused innovation, we will continue to strive for design that can create meaningful value in the everyday lives of our customers,” said Dontae Lee, Executive Vice President and Head of the Corporate Design Center at Samsung Electronics.

Samsung received the Gold award:

• Wireless Audio Visual Identity System – it delivers a consistent branding message by visually expressing the powerful audio and unique design characteristics for the Millennial generation.

Samsung won six Silver awards:

• Dual Cook Flex – the premium oven with a soft and minimalist design. The oven has a flexible door system to conveniently cook more than two dishes at the same time without excessive heat loss.
• Built-in Chef Collection Cooking Package – the premium built-in kitchen appliances with a pro-refined commercial design consisting of an oven, cooktop, pro-range, hood and dishwasher which have a seamless professional look. The chef-inspired features enabled by the internet of things (IoT) give a great cooking experience.
• Emergency Services Network (ESN) device –­ a handheld mobile device that is fully optimized for the emergency environment, supporting all emergency services’ functionality and critical voice services. Ruggedized for use in the field, the device also features IP68 water and dust resistance.
• CJ79 Thunderbolt 3 QLED Curved Monitor – a 34-inch ultra-wide, 21:9 aspect ratio curved display that offers an optimal immersive and comfortable viewing experience with a natural curved design.
• The Frame – the new beautiful TV experience that brings walls to life with “Art Mode” which incorporates new inspiration into everyday life.
• VL5/VL3 Wireless Audio Series – the wireless audio system with unique design which allows easy installation around the house and brings the true essence of sound experience.

Samsung also won two Bronze awards:

• Galaxy S8/S8+ and Galaxy Note8 – the combination of bezel-less Infinity Display and symmetrical, curved design creates a more immersive smartphone experience.
• The Frame Visual Identity System – the concept of blending into home clearly communicates the real value of the Frame with consumers.

Organized by the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA), the IDEA began in 1980. Product submissions are based on a comprehensive evaluation of design innovation, user experience, benefit to the client, benefit to the society and aesthetics.