Mobile
Unpacking the Designs and Innovations Inspired by You
7/18/2023
By Dr.TM Roh, President and Head of Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics
Last year, I expanded my responsibilities as head of Samsung’s MX Business, to lead our Corporate Design Center. My career as an engineer taught me that the most sublime designs are intertwined with technological innovation. This new responsibility allows me to delve deeper into how the synergy of design, engineering, and R&D can yield transformative experiences. With my fellow designers, I’ve embarked on a deep exploration of Samsung’s design strategy to understand our roots and envision our growth.
Different Times, Unchanged Commitment
In 1996, Samsung committed to a philosophy: “Inspired by Humans, Creating the Future.” It means our creations are conceived with a deep understanding of you, the user, and we hold an unwavering belief that a user-centric approach is the key to the future.
We feel this even more keenly nearly 30 years on, as we contemplate the fluid nature of human interaction. Users value experiences over mere achievements and meaningful connections over raw technological prowess. We have distilled the Samsung design philosophy into three Design Identities, each one with you at the center: our products must be Essential, Innovative, and Harmonious.
Essential design prioritizes clarity of purpose and ease of daily use. Innovative design emphasizes originality, reflecting purpose in a new and distinct ways. Harmonious design ensures all elements work together for a holistic purpose, aligning with societal, environmental and ethical values.
Inspired by Humans, Creating the Future
These three Design Identities are exemplified by our latest hardware and software ecosystem.
Take, for instance, the act of folding and unfolding a smartphone. It seems simple. However, that simplicity users feel is only achieved through a rigorous focus on what is most essential and intuitive. The minimal, sleek appearance housing specialized hinge functionality emphasizes our commitment and the inherent beauty of essential design.
We’ve raised the standards for foldable smartphone ergonomics. A difference of millimeter in a device’s thickness may not sound like a big change, but every gram and millimeter in a foldable device requires an engineering breakthrough. It demands craftsmanship with passion. When done well, the benefit to users is huge. That’s why we’ve innovated to make our latest foldables slimmer and lighter than our previous generations.