The Samsung Mobile Design Competition attracted entries from up-and-coming designers and creators from around the world, and featured $40,000 in prize money. The top three finalists in both the Next Mobile + Product Design and the Next Mobile Wallpaper Paradigm Graphic Design categories were invited to attend SDC19 in San Jose, California, where mock-ups of their designs are currently on display and, yesterday, grand-prize winners were announced.

Out of a pool of finalists that included several entries inspired by the beauty of nature, the grand prize in the Next Mobile Wallpaper Paradigm category went to Kalle Järvenpää of Finland’s eye-catching Garden of Galaxy design. The grand prize in the Next Mobile + category was awarded to André Gouveia, Nuno Pires and João Pereira of Portugal’s Star of Galaxy – it is designed for a robotic stand that turns any Samsung Galaxy device into a collaborative countertop smart assistant with Bixby.

The winners were selected by a panel of jurors that included renowned designers Stefan Scholten and Paul Austin, Samsung executives, and Dezeen editor-at-large Amy Frearson. Dontae Lee, Executive Vice President and Head of Samsung Electronics’ Corporate Design Center, and Yun-je Kang, Senior Vice President and Head of Samsung Electronics’ Design Team, summed up what hosting this inventive competition means to Samsung.

“At Samsung, whether it’s through hardware or software, we’re constantly exploring ways to take users’ experiences with their Galaxy devices to the next level,” said Lee. “Hosting this competition, and attracting the talents of gifted designers, allows us to do just that. We look forward to creating more opportunities for creators to shape the next wave of Galaxy experiences.”

Read on for a closer look at each category’s shortlisted and winning entries.

Next Mobile Wallpaper Paradigm

[WINNER] Garden of Galaxy by Kalle Järvenpää (Finland)

The idea behind Kalle Järvenpää’s wallpaper design is that each Galaxy device comes with a seed from which a unique flower sprouts. Each flower’s appearance is based on a combination of randomly generated “genes” and the user’s environment. They grow bigger with time – no tending necessary – and users can even share clippings with friends to create beautiful and unique gardens.

Approachability of Galaxy by Andre Cardoso (Portugal)

Andre Cardoso designed his wallpaper concept around the idea of bringing people closer at a time when face-to-face interactions are becoming increasingly scarce. Each device essentially has its own color, and when users come together, their wallpapers begin to blend until they eventually show the same hue.

Blossom of Galaxy by Guan Hong Yeoh (Malaysia)

Guan Hong Yeoh’s wallpaper design is a visual representation of energy in motion. Inspired by nature, his design features colorful organic forms that create beautiful geometric patterns based on ambient sounds and the time of day. As he explains, the design “manifests new experiences of being engaged with natural elements, and brings the invisible nature into the magic of Galaxy.”

Next Mobile +

[WINNER] Star of Galaxy by André Gouveia, Nuno Pires and João Pereira (Portugal)

Star is a robotic stand with an articulated structure that’s designed to charge and hold Bixby-enabled mobile devices. Capable of tilting and rotating 360 degrees, the stand allows the devices to follow and assist the user via face and voice recognition – adding new levels of comfort and flexibility to things like video conferencing, cooking, recording video and more.

Fellas of Galaxy by Cagatay Demirpence and Ece Demirpence (Turkey)

Fellas of Galaxy transforms Samsung’s Galaxy Watch into an interactive toy that can sing songs, tell stories and more to entertain the user’s child. The adorable dock – resembling a pig, bear, deer or crocodile – protects and charges the smartwatch, and allows its display to act as an expressive mouth for each Bixby-powered character.

BELT of Galaxy by Alexander Rehn and Tobias Saller (Germany)

Alexander Rehn and Tobias Saller’s accessory, which they call BELT, was designed to help users of all ages maintain a comfortable grip of Galaxy mobile devices. The loop, which locks easily into place with a clip, can help prevent young and old users, who may not have the muscle endurance or strength to maintain a constant hold of their smartphone or tablet, from accidentally dropping their devices.

Let’s Hear from the Winners

After accepting their respective awards, Kalle and André shared their thoughts on what taking part in the Samsung Mobile Design Competition meant to them.

“It’s a great opportunity to work with a company the size of Samsung,” said Kalle. “If by some chance you managed to get something that would be on, let’s say even one tenth of the Galaxy devices out there, it would be awesome!”

André described the prospect of working with a company like Samsung as a key motivator to bring Star to life. He hopes his team’s creation will be produced and put on the market soon. “We are here to make that dream come true,” says André.

DJ Koh, President and CEO of IT & Mobile Communications Division, Samsung Electronics

Samsung Electronics today announced, at the Samsung Developer Conference 2019 (SDC19), new ways its platforms will enable developers to introduce simpler, more powerful experiences to consumers around the world. Samsung shared its vision for the next era of mobile and connected living, offering inspiration to developers, enterprise leaders, and consumers through innovative experiences with the devices they rely on every day.

“We are fortunate to work with the world’s best developers and designers. Together, we have built an extensive and secure ecosystem of devices and services,” said DJ Koh, President and CEO of IT & Mobile Communications Division, Samsung Electronics. “We continue to make progress toward our vision to be the innovator of new mobile experiences that flow seamlessly and continuously wherever we go.”

Creating Opportunities for Developers through Open, Scalable AI and IoT Platforms

ES Chung, EVP and Head of Software and AI, Mobile Communications Business, Samsung Electronics, outlines plans to enrich Bixby to offer users “countless new ways to integrate intelligence into everything you do.”

To help consumers discover new ways Bixby can work with them to get things done more quickly and easily, Samsung launched Bixby Marketplace earlier this year, creating a way for developers to introduce their Bixby capsules to millions of Bixby users. In the past six months, the size of the Bixby developer community has doubled. And starting in 2020, the Bixby Marketplace will expand gradually, enabling developers to offer their services across more Samsung devices.

To make it easier for developers to create new experiences on its AI platform and ensure consumers have more intuitive experience, Samsung announced enhanced capabilities in the Bixby Developer Studio at SDC19.

• New Bixby Templates makes it easy for developers to create capsules using pre-existing forms so that they don’t have to start from scratch.
• Enhanced Bixby Views enable developers to build capsules with a consistent design even beyond smartphones—to televisions, tablets, smart watches and refrigerators.
• Developers can now register their capsules under Natural Language Categories. When users ask Bixby for help related to a category—such as radio, news, or navigation—Bixby suggests a capsule that can help them get what they need more quickly and easily, even without having to call out exact name of the capsule.

Larry Heck, CEO of Viv Labs, Samsung Electronics, introduces new Natural Language Categories, which simplify how users engage with and discover Bixby capsules.

More consumers than ever are seeing how seamlessly connected devices and services can make everyday life easier. Developers can scale their device and service offerings through Samsung’s IoT platform, SmartThings. Already, developers and partners have brought connected experiences to more than 45 million monthly active users and thousands of compatible devices, and the platform is expected to grow further with the Work as a SmartThings Hub (WASH) program, which allows partners like network operators to embed SmartThings Hub software into their devices.

To help developers build on and integrate existing devices with the SmartThings platform, Samsung announced new capabilities for developers:

• The new Rules API brings to life more automated smart home experiences to reflect individual daily routines across a broad range of SmartThings devices.
• Samsung is launching the SmartThings Device SDK Beta program in early 2020 to enable more third-party manufacturers to create SmartThings-compatible devices.

Samsung continues to invite developers to actively participate in its ecosystem and supports the developer community with several incentive programs—including the Best of Galaxy Store Award, the Samsung Mobile Design Competition, Bixby DevJam and the Samsung Mobile Security Reward program.

Inspiring Developers with New Experiences Across Devices

Samsung continued to refine the mobile experience to allow users to focus on what matters most to them. One UI 2 includes new features that declutter the user interface—making it easier for people to interact naturally, while also making it easier on their eyes. And now, to make both the developer and the user experiences consistent across devices, Samsung is expanding the use of One UI 2 beyond smartphones to tablets, wearables, and new form factors, including foldables.

Sally Hyesoon Jeong, VP and Head of Framework R&D Group, Mobile Communications Business, Samsung Electronics, introduces an all-new, compact form factor for foldable devices.

With the launch of Galaxy Fold, Samsung designed a first-of-its kind mobile experience that is much more than a foldable device. Samsung, alongside hundreds of developers and partners, created an entire foldable ecosystem that continues grow and opens up new possibilities to the mobile experience. As promised at SDC last year, Samsung will continue to explore a range of new form factors in the foldable category. And at SDC19, Samsung invited developers and users alike to join the exploration of exciting new use cases and user experiences.

Terry Halvorsen, CIO and EVP, IT of Mobile Communications B2G Business, Samsung Electronics, discusses the importance of stout security solutions like Samsung Knox – particularly in today’s hyperconnected world.

Emerging technologies, such as IoT, AI and 5G, are bringing new capabilities and opportunities to the developer landscape. For Samsung, it means providing the community with the tools and programs necessary to deliver secure and reliable solutions.

Secure Development Lifecycle delivers systematic reviews at every phase of the development, supply chain, and manufacturing process. To give both developers and users peace of mind, Samsung offers the Knox SDK, allowing partners and app developers to integrate advanced security solutions to their apps and services. In addition, Samsung has been working with German government agencies, especially BSI, and industry partners on developing a mobile-enabled eID for digital services to support customers and governments by developing a solid foundation for trusted identity services.

Seungyun Lee, Principal Engineer, Knox Platform for Enterprise, Samsung Electronics, discusses features that make Samsung Knox attractive to developers. “Knox is software that is built around hardware root of trust, not just implemented after the device is built” Lee explains, “giving it a foundation like no other security system in the market.”

Samsung invites developers and partners on its journey to bring new and secure experiences to life. For more information about working with Samsung and the Samsung Developer Conference 2019, please visit sdc.developer.samsung.com. Further information can also be found on Twitter (@samsung_dev) and using the hashtag #SDC19.

SDC19’s keynote event was packed with people eager to learn more about Samsung’s latest innovations

About Samsung Developer Conference
SDC brings together thousands of developers and creators to explore today’s tech and visualize what’s possible in the future. The two-day conference will feature exciting keynote announcements, technical sessions and valuable networking time. Plus, Samsung product teams and technology partners will showcase the latest tech advances and tools.

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The Galaxy series is and always has been about forward-thinking innovation. Each new addition to Samsung’s signature lineup of mobile devices pushes the boundaries of what smartphones, tablets and wearables can do – streamlining more aspects of daily life by empowering users to do more.

On June 27, Samsung launched a competition to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Galaxy family – featuring $40,000 in prize money – that challenges designers around the world to dream up their own boundary-pushing Galaxy design. Read on to learn more about the Samsung Mobile Design Competition and how to enter.

What Is the Samsung Mobile Design Competition?

Held in collaboration with leading design magazine Dezeen, the Samsung Mobile Design Competition is a global contest that challenges contestants to come up with innovative ways for Galaxy devices to be utilized in the future.

The competition, which runs through August 4, is open to any and all designers (individuals, studios and students) and includes categories spanning both product and graphic design.

Those competing in the “Next Mobile +” product-design category will submit accessory designs for Galaxy smartphones, tablets and wearables (including the Galaxy Watch and Galaxy Buds) that take the mobile experience to the next level. Contestants competing in the “Next Mobile Wallpaper Paradigm” graphic-design category will submit visuals that take wallpaper design in a new direction by incorporating game-changing elements like interactivity and contextual awareness.

How Do I Enter?

Entering the contest is easy and may be done by visiting Dezeen’s official website, which includes full details on the competition, including submission instructions and prize information.

Those interested in entering the “Next Mobile +” product-design category should submit, among other items, their design files, as well as a full description of product’s concept, detailed information on its specifications and target audience, and renderings of lifestyle images (or videos) depicting it in use. Contestants competing in the “Next Mobile Wallpaper Paradigm” graphic-design category should submit, among other items, their final design – in image, video or APK file format – as well as still images of their design on various Galaxy devices, and an explanation of the idea behind it.

How Will the Winners Be Selected?

Submissions will be subjected to several rounds of evaluation, with only the best of the best entries advancing to the next stages.

Once the initial rounds are completed, the top five finalists in each category will present their ideas on September 25 before a panel of Samsung executives and well-known designers – including Erwan Bouroullec, one half of the famed furniture-design duo the Bouroullec brothers – who will select the contest’s first, second and third place winners.

The first-place winning individual or team in each category will take home the competition’s $10,000 grand prize. The second and third place winners will receive cash prizes totaling $5,000 and $3,000, respectively, with the remaining finalists earning honorable mention honors and $1,000 prizes.

Each of the top three winners will receive an invite to this year’s Samsung Developer Conference– held from October 29–30 in San Jose, California – where they’ll officially receive their awards. Mock-ups of the top five entries will also be featured at the conference.

Calling All Creators

The countdown’s officially on! If you think you’ve got a great idea for a game-changing Galaxy accessory or graphic design, submit your concept to Dezeen’s website by August 4 for a chance to win one of the competition’s top prizes.