Samsung Electronics’ latest initiative puts user experiences at the forefront of product design.
The company announced Tuesday the launch of the Samsung Design Innovation Center (SDIC). The San Francisco–based lab will help foster innovations and designs that better align with, and enhance, experiences for consumers.
Acknowledging that consumers use their devices for a multitude of tasks and are looking for complete digital experiences across devices, Samsung has created a space where it can develop multi-device user experiences that complement consumer lifestyle trends, as well as adapt to the changing trends and emerging lifestyle patterns of local markets.
The company appointed Massachusetts Institute of Technology associate professor Dr. Federico Casalegno, an expert in conducting research on the impact of networked digital technology on human behavior and society, to head the lab. Casalegno is founder and executive director of the MIT Design Lab and founder of the MIT Mobile Experience Lab.
“In this age of connected devices, it is imperative that a designer understands and considers the cross-device user experience for every design element of a product, because most products no longer serve a standalone purpose anymore,” Casalegno said in a statement. “Our mission is to understand people and lifestyles to deliver meaningful experiences, through beautiful yet functional design, enabled by innovative cutting-edge technologies.”
The new lab will merge with Samsung’s original product design studio for North America, which launched in 1994. The lab is one of seven Samsung design studios globally and is part of the Corporate Design Center based in Seoul.
“At Samsung, we recognize that our design and innovation have to be meaningful to people. It has to help people do more. User experiences must involve awareness of the other devices around them and work together. This is what consumers expect today,” Don Tae Lee, head of the Corporate Design Center, said. “With the launch of the new center, we are establishing the framework to deliver that sort of experience to people across all our consumer devices.”