[Editorial] Designing a Sustainable Future

We have seen the world change substantially this year, and now more than ever, people are looking for ways to achieve a global future that is, at its heart, sustainable.

Sustainability has always been a central theme for us designers; we understand the crucial role design plays when it comes to creating a sustainable future. So at a time when caring for our environment has become ever more important, we took the opportunity to commemorate World Environment Day on June 5th by sharing our vision for a better tomorrow through design.

▲ Don-tae Lee, Executive Vice President and Head of the Corporate Design Centre at Samsung Electronics

It will certainly take time to fully achieve environmental sustainability in a way through which everyone can benefit. For many, environmental issues are difficult to fully understand until they create tangible changes in our everyday experiences- such as using air purifiers to combat fine dust problems or wearing masks to prevent the spread of viral diseases. From a design perspective, even if initiatives such as waste minimisation, upcycling and energy efficiency maximisation are put into place, there is still always more that can be done. On top of this, designers always need to consider the aesthetics of their design in addition to its environmental footprint.

There are three main principles behind the concept of sustainable design. The first is the Eco-design Process. This is where eco-friendly initiatives, such as low energy consumption and high energy efficiency, are implemented throughout the entirety of a concept’s design process, from planning through to development. An example of this would be the upcycling approach Samsung harnessed when producing special edition Galaxy S20+ cases. In order to develop cases that utilised end-of-life PET water bottles, Samsung partnered with premium Danish textile brand Kvadrat. The collaboration involved over two years of sustainable development and planning to ensure that the end products were both aesthetically relevant and eco-friendly. The resulting manufacture process differed from that of conventional cases in that it harnessed recycled yarns to create a substantial material to work with; from sourcing these recycled materials to ensuring the products passed Samsung’s stringent reliability standards, the entire design process had sustainability built in throughout.

▲ Samsung’s sustainable Galaxy S20+ cases, created in collaboration with Kvadrat

The second key principle of sustainable design is to create resonance with those who use the products by involving consumers’ considerations in the eco-design process. A recent example is the introduction of ‘eco-packaging’ for Samsung’s global lifestyle TV products. The innovative cardboard packaging, which serves both as protection for the TV product and can also be used in numerous ways as a piece of sustainable furniture, was developed out of the understanding that, when consumers purchased TVs, they were also often purchasing other furniture items for their homes at the same time. In order to give these consumers more eco-friendly furnishing options, the TV’s packaging comes with easy-to-follow DIY instructions on how to transform the versatile cardboard into a standalone shelf, a TV table or even a cat house. The end goal of this was to give consumers more options when looking to take part in environmental protection – and to help them avoid being wasteful.

▲ Samsung’s lifestyle TV packaging can be repurposed to serve as a cat house

The final principle is to give consumers the tools they need to make real eco-friendly changes to their lifestyles. Samsung’s SmartThings Energy^[1], part of Samsung’s IoT platform SmartThings, is a service that allows users to easily and comprehensively monitor their home’s electricity consumption. The service is designed to provide users with a more grounded understanding of their energy consumption and the effects their energy reduction efforts can have, providing this information in the form of various visualisations. Such a service is capable of raising its users’ awareness of sustainable living, encouraging them to take steps towards more eco-friendly behaviour.

In 1996, Samsung elevated design to one of the company’s core competencies, and since then the company has consistently placed users at the centre of its design philosophy. This is in line with Samsung’s mission of contributing to a better global society; if a sustainable society is not the end goal, then what use does any such action have? This is why the company has opened design studios all over the world, including in Seoul, San Francisco, London, New Delhi, Beijing, Tokyo and São Paulo to research and study emerging sustainable design and lifestyle trends. Today, over 1,500 of our designers are studying sustainable development and design and collaborating to find solutions that meet the company’s high sustainability expectations.

Samsung Electronics will continue to develop products and solutions that reflect the concerns of consumers who value ethical consumption and environmentally-friendly initiatives. We will also continue working towards creating a sustainable future for all with eco-friendly designs that keep the consumer at their core.

To learn more about our approach to sustainability, visit

https://www.samsung.com/uk/aboutsamsung/sustainability/strategy/’

[1]  Currently only available in South Korea