• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Despite having a $165 million net worth, Scarlett Johansson says work-life balance doesn’t exist—and the first step to success is admitting that

2

Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI

3

The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises

1

Despite having a $165 million net worth, Scarlett Johansson says work-life balance doesn’t exist—and the first step to success is admitting that

2

Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI

3

The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
Brainstorm Design

The Best Design Is About Creating a Seamless Experience, Says Samsung’s Design Chief

By
Eli Meixler
Eli Meixler
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Eli Meixler
Eli Meixler
Down Arrow Button Icon
March 6, 2018, 10:52 PM ET
Fortune Brainstorm Design 2018
015 Fortune Brainstorm Design 2018 Wednesday, March 7th, 2018 Singapore 09:55 - 10:15 MEANINGFUL AND CUTTING EDGE: DESIGNING FOR CONNECTED CONSUMERS “Good design” can no longer be dependent on beauty and functionality but on whether it is meaningful to the people it serves. The leader of Samsung’s award-winning design team shares a rare glimpse into the creative strategy behind some of their most recent innovations and how the company’s unique design philosophy guides all aspects of the business. Don-Tae Lee, Executive Vice President and Head, Corporate Design Center, Samsung Electronics Interviewer: Clay Chandler, Brainstorm Design Photograph by Stefen Chow/FortuneStefen Chow/Fortune

If good design is about creating a seamless experience, there are few who understand this better than Samsung’s (SAMSUNG-CT) executive vice president Don-Tae Lee, who spoke with Time Inc. executive editor Clay Chandler at the Brainstorm Design conference in Singapore Wednesday.

“We always think of how we can create sense of seamlessness and cohesiveness across our products so we can deliver a singular experience to consumers,” Lee said. As the head of Samsung’s seven corporate design center studios (only his second job, Chandler noted), Lee oversees a staff of over 1,500 designers working to harmonize Samsung’s diverse family of products — from smartphones and TVs to home appliances and computing devices. When a customer is using a Samsung product, Lee said, the experience must be identifiable as one that flows from a Samsung product. “That’s the kind of seamless experience we try to achieve,” he told Brainstorm Design.

Lee joined Samsung in 2015 from London-based design firm Tangerine, his first stop in the design world. The company also famously produced Apple (AAPL) design mastermind Jony Ive.

Samsung was then reeling, battling smartphone rivals Apple (AAPL) in a costly lawsuit and seeing off competition from Chinese upstarts Xiaomi (XIAOMI), and Huawei (HUAWEI). The South Korean tech and electronics giant’s last quarter profits dropped 37% in 2014, while reviews found its flagship Galaxy S5 smartphone a lackluster reboot of the S4.

Lee has since overseen a reinvention of Samsung’s design identity by helping “move the brand of Samsung” from being a technology-driven company to being “a user-and life-style centric brand.” The company is also stepping up to competitors Apple and Google in the next major tech battlegrounds: smart home appliances like the Frame TV, a new television that’s “designed as a beautiful object, whether turned on or off,” Lee said, after Samsung learned that most consumers spend four hours per day watching TV — meaning 20 hours per day, the television was turned off. “We realized that the TV needs to be branded into the home environment,” Lee said, by allowing users to customize their “off” display with famous pieces of art, or family photos.

Another product, Family Hub, promises to “change the pattern with the kitchen environment,” often the heart of a family home. With a smart refridgerator at its core, Family Hub aims “to combine different products in the home environment” with an interactive screen that will help simplify domestic tasks, Lee said.

Read more: ‘We’re Going to Get Better at This.’ Samsung Is Still Betting Big on the Smart Home

Lee also oversaw the reimagining of Samsung’s Galaxy Note smartphone series, adding real metal and glass to improve the feel of phones while also boosting cutting-edge hardware, like a revamped high-speed camera and facial and iris recognition software. The New Galaxy Note also incorporates pioneering features, like a writing stylus that aids rapid communication between teams, Lee said.

Samsung also presented a slew of new digital Smart apps at CES 2018 that connect users in their cars to all of their SmartThings-enabled home appliances via a “digital cockpit,” Lee said. Users can turn on lights, or turn up their heating before even entering the house.

In fact, combining new digital opportunities with the experience of driving a traditional car is “one of the biggest challenges” facing designers today, Lee said. That’s where seamlessness comes in again. Focusing on user experience helps Samsung’s global design teams “coordinate” their efforts in markets across the world and create “products in the home environment to work together,” Lee said.

“We respect the consumer and we try to make meaningful innovations inspired by consumers to create the future.”

For more coverage of Brainstorm Design, click here.

About the Author
By Eli Meixler
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in

Trump’s IRS suit may end with a $1.7 billion compensation fund
PoliticsDonald Trump
Trump’s IRS suit may end with a $1.7 billion compensation fund
By Zoe Tillman, Chris Strohm, Hadriana Lowenkron and BloombergMay 16, 2026
13 minutes ago
World’s largest aircraft carrier returns from 11-month deployment, longest since Vietnam, after supporting Iran war and Maduro raid
PoliticsMilitary
World’s largest aircraft carrier returns from 11-month deployment, longest since Vietnam, after supporting Iran war and Maduro raid
By The Associated PressMay 16, 2026
30 minutes ago
Ray Dalio says China’s ascent ushers in era of ‘tribute system’
AsiaChina
Ray Dalio says China’s ascent ushers in era of ‘tribute system’
By David Westin, Edward Dufner and BloombergMay 16, 2026
38 minutes ago
Oil markets could be a month away from the moment of truth. Brace for a ‘non-linear’ price spike and panic buying, analysts warn
EnergyOil
Oil markets could be a month away from the moment of truth. Brace for a ‘non-linear’ price spike and panic buying, analysts warn
By Jason MaMay 16, 2026
1 hour ago
SpaceX heads into a record-shattering IPO with the ‘deepest moat that exists today’ as investors vow to ‘never bet against Elon’
InnovationIPOs
SpaceX heads into a record-shattering IPO with the ‘deepest moat that exists today’ as investors vow to ‘never bet against Elon’
By Jason MaMay 16, 2026
4 hours ago
tarot
AICulture
We talked to 12 tarot card readers who are using AI. They split in 2 camps, with big implications for the technology
By Ziv Epstein, Farnaz Jahanbakhsh, Vana Goblot and The ConversationMay 16, 2026
5 hours ago

Most Popular

Despite having a $165 million net worth, Scarlett Johansson says work-life balance doesn’t exist—and the first step to success is admitting that
Success
Despite having a $165 million net worth, Scarlett Johansson says work-life balance doesn’t exist—and the first step to success is admitting that
By Preston ForeMay 13, 2026
3 days ago
Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI
AI
Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI
By Jake AngeloMay 16, 2026
8 hours ago
The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
Politics
The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
By Jake AngeloMay 12, 2026
4 days ago
Current price of oil as of May 15, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of May 15, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerMay 15, 2026
1 day ago
Meet the 20-year-old CEO who launched a company in high school to solve Gen Z's entry-level job crisis
Future of Work
Meet the 20-year-old CEO who launched a company in high school to solve Gen Z's entry-level job crisis
By Jake AngeloMay 16, 2026
12 hours ago
‘You’re not a hero, you’re a liability’: Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary warns Gen Z founders to stop glorifying hustle culture
Future of Work
‘You’re not a hero, you’re a liability’: Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary warns Gen Z founders to stop glorifying hustle culture
By Jacqueline MunisMay 16, 2026
8 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.