三星电子将产品设计策略从极简转向更强调个性化的“expressive design”

Samsung Electronics (005930) is shifting its product design strategy away from minimalism toward an "expressive" approach that highlights the distinct function and character of each product.
Mauro Porcini, chief design officer of Samsung Electronics' Device eXperience (DX) division, spoke at a press briefing for Design Miami Seoul 2026 held at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) in Seoul's Dongdaemun district on the 3rd. "Design in the information technology industry has until now remained within a single aesthetic called minimalism," he said. "Consumers now expect product diversity, personal identity, meaning in their lives and connection, and Samsung Electronics has accordingly set a new strategy called expressive design."
Expressive design emphasizes meaningful product features, visual originality and the emotional impact a product has on users. "Design innovation must start from the experience users actually expect, and we must build on the refined aesthetic of minimalism by adding expression that is more human and emotionally meaningful," Porcini said. "It is an approach that moves away from applying one design language uniformly to every product, and instead designs form, interface, color and materials differently according to the role a product plays and the experience customers expect."
Porcini's view is that stripping products down to make them small and light — as with making TV bezels as thin as possible — is no longer the answer in itself. Thickening a bezel can instead extend a product's function, presenting a television like a work of art set in a frame. Such bezels can also be offered as custom designs, varying by product and by user preference.
The strategy was first applied to the S95H, a 2026 organic light-emitting diode (OLED) television unveiled in April this year. The S95H features a "float layer" design evoking a metal picture frame, creating the impression that the screen is floating above the frame. Fourteen different float layers are offered for users to choose according to their taste.
At the event, Samsung Electronics also displayed 14 works created in collaboration with 14 Korean artists, each shown on the S95H. The company plans to expand its use of expressive design, starting with its premium product lineup including the S95H.