An Open Laboratory for Design Exploration

Conceived as an open laboratory, the exhibition welcomes visitors to Samsung’s design approach, offering a space of exploration, experimentation and discovery. Rather than a finished statement, the exhibition reflects a moment within an ongoing journey, offering an early glimpse into how Samsung is shaping new ways of living through design.

Each of the 12 immersive zones presents a distinct exploration of how design can shape everyday life. The zones are organised around the key experience dimensions of Human Centricity and Expressive Design, which serve as the first touchpoint in showcasing Samsung Design’s vision.

Within these zones, a series of creative explorations illustrates ideas, possibilities and future directions. Through this approach, Samsung Design is making its vision tangible, inviting visitors to engage with design as an evolving, human-centered practice.

Human-Centricity and Expressive Design

Samsung Design is expanding its approach beyond user experience, with a greater focus on how people live and experience everyday life.

“Design should reflect the diversity of humanity — embracing different lifestyles, values and ways people live,” said Mauro Porcini, President and Chief Design Officer (CDO) of the Device eXperience (DX) Division at Samsung Electronics. “It is not only about creating products, but about shaping experiences that feel relevant, personal and meaningful in everyday life. Through Samsung Design Open Lab, we are sharing how this thinking is shaping our approach to design and future living.”

At the core of Samsung’s vision is a human-centered approach to AI – captured through the formula AI x (EI+HI)-where its true value lies not in the technology itself, but in how it is guided by human intention, empathy and imagination.

While the exhibition explores new directions in design, it reflects a philosophy that has guided Samsung for over 30 years – placing people at the center of innovation. The ideas presented extend that foundation, translating it into new and evolving ways of living.

Design Is an Act of Love, With 12 Immersive Zones

More than 120 products across 36 categories are being showcased at the exhibition’s 12 zones, spanning both design concepts and products currently available in the market.

Highlights from the exhibition include:

• The Welcome Show: A coordinated display experience introducing Samsung’s vision for AI as a unified system that brings together personal and shared AI across devices and environments.

• Unfold Your Story: An exploration of Galaxy’s foldable design across a spectrum of colour, form and experience, capturing diverse lifestyles and new ways to live, create and connect.

• Wearable & Culinary Intelligence: Design explorations that respond to diverse lifestyles, ranging from personal devices such as wearables to connected kitchen and living environments.

• Transparent Symphony & All That Music: Immersive audio-visual zones featuring transparent speakers and screens with Music Studio 5 and 7 and a range of concept designs, where diverse elements come together in harmony and music translates analog emotion into a cohesive digital experience.

• Two Expressions of the Same Technology: Two distinct design expressions of a 130-inch Micro RGB display, built on the same breakthrough technology, demonstrating how performance and individuality can coexist.

• Artful Living: A vision of living where screens become expressive mediums of personality, culture and emotion, bringing artwork and content to life in more immersive ways through S95H OLED TV with new forms of AI-enabled storytelling.

• The Goodbye Show: Returning from the Welcome Show, the shared AI companion concludes the exhibition through natural, AI-driven interactions and a sensory performance of music, light, and human touch – fostering emotional connection and a sense of presence in everyday life.

Samsung’s “Design is an Act of Love” exhibition is located at Superstudio Più, Via Tortona 27, in Milan and offers free entry, on the following dates:

• April 20, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• April 21, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• April 22, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• April 23-25, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• April 26, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

For more news, photos and videos, please visit Samsung Newsroom and Samsung Design during Milan Design Week 2026.

MDW26_KV_FINAL_0210

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. today announced that it will host an exhibition titled “Design is an Act of Love” at Milan Design Week 2026. Immersive in nature, the exhibition will explore the Human Side of Tech through a dialogue between experimental concepts and the latest commercial products.

The exhibition takes the form of Samsung Design Open Lab, a space imagined as a laboratory for exploration, experimentation and discovery. Within the space, Samsung invites visitors to explore how ideas take shape, offering a glimpse of how human-centered and expressive design can transform technology into a more personal, emotional and meaningful presence in everyday life.

What visitors experience in Milan represents a moment in an ongoing journey — an early expression of how Samsung is reimagining the relationship between technology and everyday life, as well as a signal of the direction in which its design vision is headed.

As part of the program, Samsung will host a Design Talk session in collaboration with Dezeen on April 22, where it will share perspectives on the evolving relationship between design and humanity.

Founded in 1953 as Die Gute Industrieform e.V., the iF Design Awards evaluates a comprehensive range of factors, including differentiation and impact, across a total of nine disciplines: Product Design, Packaging Design, Communication Design, Interior Architecture, Professional Concept, Service Design, Architecture, User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI).

“Today, design goes far beyond products or user interfaces. It shapes meaningful experiences that resonate with People.” said Mauro Porcini, President and Chief Design Officer of Device eXperience (DX) Division at Samsung Electronics.“Human-centered design will remain at the heart of our efforts -deepening immersion and advancing responsible innovation.”

Two Gold Awards Recognise Designs that Enrich People’s Lives

Music Studio 5, at first glance is a classic rectangular speaker, but a closer look reveals its unique details such as the finely perforated grille that conceals the high performing audio units. Dynamic front lighting helps the user easily identify key functions and the timeless design integrates seamlessly into any space while capturing the elegance of an objet d’art. Yet the shape is novel and pure, signaling an expressive presence in the room. Music Studio 5 can also connect to a Samsung TV through the novel Q-Symphony wireless interface resulting in a true cinema-like experience at home.

Advanced Design Concepts for Appliance Accessories – named as ‘Samsung Home Appliances Accessories’ designated three colours for accessories such as filters for vacuum cleaner and air purifiers – depending on their maintenance requirements and disposal methods. Through this design improvement, users can more easily recognise the needs of their accessories, especially if they have changed or been updated.

77 Awards Ranging From TVs to Home Appliances to Smartphones

Other products and services that were recognised for design excellence include One UI 7 user interface that brings AI-driven enhancement with a bold new design for greater personalisation and control to the user experience and Home Insight’, a smart home feature that analyses appliance status and user patterns to recommend optimal, personalised solutions.

• The S95H OLED, a TV that features an ultra-slim, bezel-free design that resembles a high-end picture frame mounted on the wall

• The Movingstyle, a lifestyle screen that follows you• Vision AI TV, an AI interface that adapts to your context

• Spatial signage’, a glasses-free 3D display that delivers an immersive visual experience

• Galaxy Z Fold7, the most advanced Galaxy Z series yet, seamlessly blending precision engineering and powerful intelligence to elevate everyday interactions, all in its thinnest and lightest design to date.

Other products and services that were recognised for design excellence include One UI 7 user interface that brings AI-driven enhancement with a bold new design for greater personalisation and control to the user experience and Home Insight’, a smart home feature that analyses appliance status and user patterns to recommend optimal, personalised solutions.

Samsung Electronics’ 77 awards is showcasing our human-centric design philosophy and how technology can become an enabler for living better, longer, loud and living on. The manifestation of the human side of technology.

With minimalism having defined the visual language of the tech industry for the past two decades, this panel of designers convened by Samsung asked: What comes next? Together, the panelists explored how warmer, more expressive and emotionally resonant technology can shape meaningful experiences in today’s AI era, while also charting a path forward for the industry.

Design as an Act of Love

The session covered a shared view on the purpose of design as fundamentally people-first. “In recent years, design in tech has been somewhat uniform,” said moderator Debbie Millman. “Compared to other industries, the uniformity in the world of tech is an anomaly. So what if we were to extend technology beyond specifications and functionality?”

Samsung is currently addressing this question by introducing meaning beyond products by focusing on how technology fits into people’s lives, experiences and needs. The panelists discussed the growing importance of this mindset in the current landscape in which traditional barriers to entry such as access to tools, scale and technical capability continuing to diminish.

The Human Side of Tech

The discussion highlighted technology’s role in making intention, care and humanity visible in everyday life. Panelists noted that technology should help people recognise the thoughtfulness embedded in the products they invite into their homes and routines.

In this context, Samsung Chief Design Officer Mauro Porcini shared Samsung’s design purpose: to enrich the quality of people’s lives through meaningful technology designed for humanity. He outlined the company’s commitment to help people live longer, live better, live louder and live on through advanced technologies that support wellbeing, creativity and self-expression.

Panelist Karim Rashid added to this sentiment, saying, “When we think about physical things in our world, we think not only about diversity of choice but also the fact that we can develop strong connections to objects,” he said. “Through design, you can end up with a very powerful, emotional connection with inanimate objects, or even products.”

Designing for Human Values

The panel went on to explore how AI can unlock new possibilities for expression when shaped by human values. Panelists discussed a shared view that AI reaches its true potential when guided by Emotional Intelligence and Human Imagination, not as a replacement for human creativity but as a force that expands it.

CDO Porcini articulated this with “AI × (EI + HI),” his approach to balancing Emotional Intelligence and Human Imagination to bring meaning to innovation. While describing this philosophy, CDO Porcini said, “When we design and develop, AI is amplified by Emotional Intelligence and Human Imagination. Then, when people use products, AI amplifies Emotional Intelligence and Human Imagination.” He added, “Do not fear technology. We are here to humanise it, guide it, and shape it.”

Through these insights, the session reinforced the belief that technology should be humanised, guided and shaped to serve people’s lives in increasingly new and meaningful ways.

Expressive Design Drivers More Meaningful Experiences

The discussion reinforced the importance of expressive design in bringing human-centered purpose to life, creating experiences that reflect emotion, support self-expression, invite connection and stimulate imagination.

“Happiness is the aim of design,” said Fabio Novembre. “Our pursuit of happiness is through design, making the impossible possible. I strongly believe in design, and that it must move back to the centre of the stage.”

Panelists noted that this reflects a shift from merely designing objects to designing experiences where emotion, meaning and identity are increasingly integral to how people relate to technology. This approach inspires a new kind of expression, resulting in designs that range from subtle and minimal to bold and imaginative — all meant to shape a future that isn’t just worth living, but worth loving.

Founded in 1953 as Die Gute Industrieform e.V., the iF Design Awards evaluates a comprehensive range of factors, including differentiation and impact, across a total of nine categories: Product Design, Packaging Design, Communication Design, Interior Architecture, Professional Concept, Service Design, Architecture, User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI).

“Innovation with AI can help resonate with our customers through the power of design” said TM Roh, President and Head of the Corporate Design Center at Samsung Electronics. “We will strive to provide designs that harmonise with consumers’ changing lifestyles and contribute to society and the lives of our consumers.”

Two Gold Awards Recognize Designs That Offer Customised Experiences for Different Lifestyles

Ballie[1], an AI companion robot for the home, acts as a personal assistant that can autonomously drive around the home to complete various tasks. By connecting to and managing home appliances, Ballie can provide a helping hand to users in many situations — continually learning from users’ patterns and habits to provide smarter, more personalised services.

Advanced concept package design for small portable projectors — named as ‘Sustainable Design & Communication, BOJAGI’ — was inspired by a traditional Korean tool called bojagi. The design was implemented using scrap fabric, and was designed to be able to package and sustainably be reused regardless of its shape.

58 Awards Ranging From TVs to Home Appliances to Smartphones

Other products and services that were recognised for design excellence include Foldable Galaxy AI UX, Bespoke refrigerator UX and the Newfound Equilibrium exhibition at Milan Design Week 2024. Foldable Galaxy AI UX enables seamless communication anywhere, anytime with AI-based mobile features like Live Translate, which enables easy conversations with someone in another language. And thanks to the dual screen functionality of Galaxy Z series, you can switch your device into FlexMode so both parties can see the conversation translated in a more natural way. Bespoke refrigerator UX provides various experiences that simplify users’ lives, such as managing food lists and controlling connected devices. And the Newfound Equilibrium exhibition showcases Samsung’s user-centered design philosophy with an aim to inspire a vision for a better future that encompasses the balance between people and technology.

[1] Will be available in the first half of 2025 and availability may vary by region.

The study, conducted by Samsung UK and OnePoll, surveyed 1,000 UK adults with invisible and visible disabilities and reveals that over two-thirds (68%) have felt excluded from products or services due to accessibility issues.

Over half of the respondents (55%) don’t believe mainstream brands are invested enough in making products that cater to individual needs, while ​54% don’t think companies have an understanding of which accessibility features are important for consumers with disabilities.

Brands are missing a trick here, as the spending power of disabled people and their households – known as the purple pound – is estimated to be worth a staggering £274 billion a year^[1].

80% claim major national and international brands could be missing out on millions by not thinking about inclusive design for consumers with disabilities. It also emerged that 72% of consumers surveyed have abandoned a purchase due to a product’s lack of accessibility. On the other hand, over half (56%) are willing to pay more if they find a fully accessible product.

Greater accessibility also opens the door to loyal customers, as three quarters (76%) of consumers admit they would stay loyal to companies who offer a good range of accessible options.

Katharina Mayer, Head of LifeStyle Lab Europe, at Samsung said: “This research has highlighted the huge opportunity for brands to better understand the accessibility needs of consumers to provide greater access for people with disabilities in the UK. It is an absolute necessity for companies to test their ideas with diverse people with different needs. When designers consider varied needs from the beginning, they don’t just benefit people with disabilities – they create solutions that serve everyone and that is the approach we aim to take to inclusive design at Samsung. This is a foundation of good design that led to our enhanced design principles, which we developed in Project INKlusion”.

Project INKlusion was created by Samsung as a collaborative project aimed at enhancing inclusive design. Samsung spoke with design leaders and over five hundred members of Samsung’s Global Employee Resource Groups to understand the challenges within current products and solutions and find creative ways to address them together with leading design experts. The four DEI design principles and practice include:

1. Stay Curious – create joy through play, learning and growing
2. Challenge Assumptions – deconstruct the ‘normal’, solve problems not people
3. Celebrate Diversity – amplify diverse stories; represent real life
4. Be the Change – create with, not for; expand beyond the individual

But there’s still work to be done. When it comes to online shopping, 80% struggle with websites that are not optimised for accessibility. Issues include, poorly designed checkout process (30%), lack of text descriptions for images (22%) and inaccessible website navigation (20%).

Consumers also identified the most challenging everyday experiences due to poor accessibility as retail store layouts (24%), followed by food packaging (22%) and clothing (21%).

Promisingly, technology is paving the way for accessible design. The top tech innovations for people with a disability were named as virtual assistants, smart home devices and wearable devices for health monitoring.

Samsung is committed to advancing accessibility in technology, from ensuring all mobile and TV screens have accessible voice and caption tools. Our wearables have vision accessibility features for those who find screen size challenging, and our Galaxy Ring passively tracks body metrics.  Alongside this, hearing enhancements, voice feedback and Braille labels exist across Samsung’s range of smart appliances.

Ben Evans, Director of London Design Festival said: “Accessibility in design is not just a feature; it’s an essential foundation for a truly inclusive world. At London Design Festival, we believe that great design serves everyone, regardless of ability, background, or circumstance. Design should be a bridge that connects people, not a barrier. It’s clear from Samsung’s research, that there is still work to be done, and we must continue to showcase a wide breadth of spaces, products, and systems that promote inclusive design and encourage innovation and creativity”.

Amy Francis-Smith RIBA, Architect & Accessible Design Specialist said “The tech sector has long been a pioneer in empowering disabled individuals and creating transformative innovations that simplify life for us all – like voice recognition software, electric toothbrushes and keyboards. Yet, with over half of consumers questioning mainstream brands’ commitment to accessibility, advocates like Samsung championing this cause are more vital than ever. By prioritising inclusivity through empathetic design and considerate practices, we can set a new standard that fosters a more inclusive tech industry—and a more accessible society—for everyone.”

To learn more about Samsung’s accessibility features, please visit: www.samsung.com/uk/sustainability/accessibility

[1] https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5804/cmselect/cmwomeq/605/report.html#:~:text=6.,choice%20available%20to%20disabled%20consumers

“Design must fully take the human experience into consideration, and Samsung’s design principles achieve this,” said TM Roh, President and Head of Corporate Design Center at Samsung Electronics. “With our human-centered design philosophy, we aim to create a future that harmonises with the lives of our customers through innovation with purpose.”

Five Unique Spaces Bring Essential∙Innovative∙Harmonious to Life

Samsung’s “Newfound Equilibrium” exhibition at Milan Design Week 2024 will showcase an inspiring vision for a better future that encompasses the balance between people and technology. To make an impact on attendees, the exhibit will feature media art that awakens the senses — particularly sight, hearing and smell.

Anchoring the multi-sensory experience, the immersive installation guides visitors through five spaces that express Samsung’s Essential⸱Innovative⸱Harmonious design identity as a thoughtful composition of light, sound and digital interactions. The five spaces that communicate with visitors through displays, sensors and light are titled “Essence,” “Innovation,” “Harmony,” “Infinite Dream” and “New Dawning.” As visitors approach the screens in the spaces, translucent elements change into specific shapes and textures, and the shapes beyond the window appear as if they are approaching onlookers, allowing them to immerse themselves in the dream of an infinite future drawing nearer.

Through collaborations with the human craftsmanship of ceramic masters MUTINA, and wood veneer wizards ALPI, the Bespoke Refrigerator and AirDresser have also been reimagined considering the co-existence of people and technology.

Samsung’s “Newfound Equilibrium” exhibition is located at Via Olona, 6 bis, Milan and offers free entry, at the following times/dates:

• 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. (April 16-18)
• 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. (April 19-20)
• 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (April 21)

[1] Fuorisalone is the set of events held in different areas of Milan during Milan Design Week.

It’s always exciting to develop a product and introduce it to the market. Whenever I take on a challenge like this, I wonder if the new product will resonate with customers — perhaps, it will even become a game changer and impact lives in a meaningful way.

If we look more closely at the product development process, design makes innovative technologies shine while technology makes design dreams a reality. Only when design and technology are in perfect harmony can we develop a product that provides genuine value to our users. Samsung Electronics excels at balancing design with innovative technology, and we continually strive to create products that blend seamlessly into our customers’ lives.

To this end, we have redefined our design philosophy as we approach 2030. “Samsung Design Identity 5.0 (DI 5.0): Essential ∙ Innovative ∙ Harmonious”^[1] is the new direction that will define the future we hope to provide.

Samsung’s Design Philosophy and Its Evolution

More than 1,500 designers work at Samsung’s seven global design studios to solve everyday problems facing a wide range of customers, each from a different culture or background with unique preferences and tastes. At the centre of this effort is Samsung’s design philosophy — “Inspired by Humans, Creating the Future” — which has not changed since its inception in 1996.

But the way people live and experience their lives is constantly changing, and we have had to refine and evolve our design identity to reflect that. “Samsung Design Identity 5.0: Essential∙Innovative ∙Harmonious” is the vision that will guide us through 2030. Moving forward, we’ll continue to introduce smartphones, TVs, refrigerators and other products that reflect this new mindset.

Essential∙Innovative∙Harmonious. What Does That Mean?

Essential design focuses on the original intent and purpose of the product — to provide an optimised user experience without any unnecessary elements. This year, the latest Galaxy S24 series allows users to have an intuitive experience with their mobile phones alongside its unified look with a thin bezel. Our TVs with Infinity Air Design appear to float in mid-air for a more immersive viewing experience. On the other hand, our all-in-one washer and dryer maximises space efficiency through a minimalist design.

Innovative design brings valuable changes — not merely novelty — to our customers’ lives. Examples include a TV that automatically upscales low-resolution images to 8K level using AI technology; an AI-based robot vacuum cleaner that automatically recognises floor type, objects and living spaces for optimal cleaning; and a Live Translate feature that helps smartphone users overcome language barriers through real-time translation. These products all merge innovation with creativity.

Harmonious design unites products and people with society, the environment and other human values. SmartThings improves convenience by integrating and connecting products for users to control remotely. Meanwhile, Music Frame, a customisable frame-shaped speaker, blends into any interior. Designs that create harmony between products and customers’ daily lives — rather than designs that announce their own existence — are the kind we will continue to pursue.

A Future of Infinite Possibilities

At Samsung, our commitment to our essential purpose of innovating endlessly and creating designs that improve our users’ lives. We aim to empower customers around the globe and enrich their lives by offering meaningful experiences, no matter what Samsung products they choose.

At Milan Design Week 2024, we are presenting the exhibition “Newfound Equilibrium” to showcase an inspiring vision for a better future — one that achieves the right balance between humans and technology. Join us on April 16 for a future of infinite possibilities.

[1] History of Samsung’s Design Identities

Design Identity 1.0 (2001-2005): Simplicity with Resonance

Design Identity 2.0 (2006-2010): Create an Emotional Journey

Design Identity 3.0 (2011-2018): Make It Meaningful

Design Identity 4.0 (2019-2022): Be Bold. Resonate With Soul.

Design Identity 5.0 (2023-2030): Essential∙Innovative∙Harmonious.

Founded in 1953 as Die Gute Industrieform e.V., the iF Design Award conducts comprehensive evaluations of factors including differentiation and impact across a total of nine categories: Product, Packaging, Communication, Professional Concept, Interior Architecture, Architecture, Service Design, User Experience (UX), and User Interface (UI).

“It is important to design meaningful experiences that integrate shifting customer values with innovative technologies,” said TM Roh, President and Head of Corporate Design Center at Samsung Electronics. “We will continue to contribute to our customers’ lives and our society with designs that cater to all needs.”

Gold Award Recognises Design That Offers Customised Experiences for Different Lifestyles

The Bespoke Infinite Line is a premium built-in look refrigerator that is available in a choice of fridge, freezer or wine cellar models and features a timelessly contemporary modular design that seamlessly blends into any interior^[2]. With simple lines, high-quality natural materials and features that maximise convenience and streamline food storage, the Bespoke Infinite Line adds lasting value to consumers’ kitchens.

The refrigerator’s exterior is made from premium aluminum that is more dent- and scratch-resistant and allows marks and stains to be easily wiped away. The interior is bright and refined with its Black Metal Cooling and Tunnel Lighting — two features that epitomise the refrigerator’s elegant balance of form and function.

Total of 80 Awards, From Product to UX Design, Including TVs, Home Appliances and Smartphones

Samsung Electronics’ 80 wins across all design categories, including Product and UX, were the most of any nominee at this year’s awards.

In addition to the Bespoke Infinite Line’s Gold Award, Samsung received awards in the Product category for the Odyssey Ark, the world’s first 55-inch 1000R curved gaming screen; the Bespoke Jet, a cordless stick vacuum with an all-in-one Clean Station; and the Galaxy Z Flip4 Bespoke edition, a smartphone that offers an exclusive customisation experience by allowing users to design a device that is uniquely theirs.

Samsung’s accessibility-enhanced TV UX, which includes an avatar-based Sign Language Guide that provides explanations of TV menus in sign language, and Samsung Space Tycoon, a virtual space and management simulation game on the Roblox metaverse platform where users can create and play games and share experiences using Samsung products, were also recognised for design excellence.

[1] Availability may vary by region.

[2] The refrigerator is available globally, and availability of other products may vary by region.

LONDON, UK – 13 October 2022 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.  has collaborated with Christie’s – a world-leading art and luxury business renowned and trusted for its expert live and online auctions – as innovation partner.

Central to the collaboration is contemporary Italian artist Andrea Bonaceto’s interactive NFT artwork titled AB Infinite 1, brought to life at Christie’s through The Wall, Samsung’s luxury and bespoke multimedia display, via a site-specific installation which enabled the artwork to be a focal moment at the highly anticipated Contemporary Art Party, in association with ELLE, at its King Street London headquarters during Frieze Week.

Bonaceto’s interactive NFT, designed on the blockchain Algorand, invites the public to alter the digital artwork through a specially designed AI, a user-friendly mechanism that collects reactions to the work through social media and turns them into visual responses within the work.

AB Infinite 1 was also on view in London on Samsung’s The Frame from 6 to 13 October, ahead of the 20^th/21^st Century: London Evening Sale at Christie’s.

Damon Crowhurst, Head of Display at Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. said: “Samsung’s innovation partnership with Christie’s is a symbol of our commitment to driving evolution through technology in the art sector. Our display solutions are perfectly placed to bring to life the vivid and breath-taking artworks such as AB Infinite 1, to elevate the viewing experience for all. As an official partner of the event, using our display technology such as The Wall, it is an exciting moment to be at the heart of an ever changing and evolving digital art world’

To find out further information, readers can visit the dedicated Samsung x Christie’s landing page here: https://www.christies.com/events/20th-21st-century-london/innovation-partner