SAMSUNG DESIGN LANGUAGE PROJECT

Envisioning next generation of Samsung mobile phones

Brand: SAMSUNG
Development: 2007

Global design vision for the future of Samsung Mobile

In 2007, the new CEO tasked select global Advanced Design Teams to define Samsung’s future design language.
I focused on the Sporty Casual segment, envisioning simple forms with bold CMF integration and proposing new innovations for evolving mobile behaviors.

Three modern flip phones in red, green, and black, with the black one opened showing a screen and keypad, displayed on a white background.
Four young people posing together, with a Levi's logo and '501 Jeans' branding in the corner, against a plain background.

BRIEF

SPORTY CASUAL

Envision the Sporty Casual user group, asking who they are and what they care about. Explore the designs that bring personalities.

Hand holding a Blackberry cell phone outdoors.

FUTURE OF TEXTING

Envision the future of texting in mobile phones. How might emerging technologies reshape behaviors, and what innovations could enhance the experience for text-heavy users?

Black background with the white Samsung logo in the center.

DESIGN MOCKUPS

Create and present mockups served as future archetypes, demonstrating new directions for Samsung’s design language.

PROJECT 1: IDEATION FOR THE FOLDER PHONE

The project began with sketching as a tool of exploration and personal expression. By taking creative liberty, the sketches captured not only the functional aspects of a future Samsung mobile device, but also the emotional qualities that could define its next design language.

Inspired by modern masters like Donald Judd, Joan Miró, and Picasso’s Cubism, I drew from their bold use of form, color, and abstraction. Color blocks, playful markings, and minimalist clarity informed my sketches, appearing simple at first glance yet layered with depth drawn from art history.

To me, storytelling and the “why” behind design choices are essential. Knowing that the Lee family, who lead Samsung, are passionate art collectors with a renowned museum in Korea, I wanted to create a bridge between their deep interest in the arts and the company’s vision for technology. This project explored how Samsung’s future products could cross those boundaries, connecting design, culture, and artistic expression.

  • Drawing of a pink flip phone with annotations, a pink soda can with handwritten notes, a sneaker, and a pink MP3 player. The flip phone has labeled parts including metal sheets, etched letters, and a round dial.
  • A conceptual sketch of a flip phone in pink, showing its exterior and interior. The inside reveals a vaporized or heated screen, a control pad, and a keypad with a rubber dome membrane. The sketch includes diagrams of the phone's display, home screen, and steps for a vaporized or heated temperature indicator, with notes and labels in handwritten text.
  • Sketch of a pink flip phone with the screen open, showing multiple view angles, signed 'Simom Kang 9.7.07'.
  • Drawing of a pink flip phone with a vaporized screen, sheet aluminum and rubber dome key separations, display, and control buttons, accompanied by handwritten notes and small components.
  • Colorful hand-drawn design sketches of a pink portable music device, including a sleeve concept, various view angles, and features like a large screen, navigation, and a music fading function.
  • Sketch of a pink Samsung flip phone from three angles: front with lighting features, back with logo, and fully opened with a full rubber pad and screen, dated 8.9.07.
  • Sketches of a pink and black mobile phone with annotations and design details, including front, back, and side views.
  • A hand-drawn schematic of a portable music player with labeled controls and a small display, showing a slide control and markings for different modes and functions.
  • Sketch of three mobile phones with pink touch area, black chrome or metal finish, and black accents. The first phone is green with pink and black touch elements, labeled as 'touchy touchy...'. The second phone is white with black accents. The third phone is black with a pink accent, and has handwritten notes. There is also a drawing of a music folder at the bottom with a pink inside.

MIRÓ

Sketches of various mobile phones, flip phones, slide phones, and gadgets, with some being colored and others in black and white, showcasing different designs and features.
Sketches of various mobile phone models, mostly pink and some green, with design notes and labels.
A wall mounted wooden light fixture emitting pink and red light onto a wall.
Abstract painting with yellow upper section and red lower section.
Abstract artwork with colorful brushstrokes and shapes, including a blue star-like shape, red and green arrow shapes, a yellow spiral, and black lines on a white background.
Abstract painting with a large red swirl pattern on the right side and a small black dot on the left side against a light background.
A person's hand holding a black, rectangular remote control device with a rotary dial on the top against a dark background.
Hand holding a small black electronic device against a dark background.
A person holding an old flip phone with a small screen and keypad against a dark background.
  • Design sketches of a purple Samsung flip phone, showing front, back, side, and open views, with a pink and silver color scheme and a digital display.
  • Design sketch of a flip phone with a pink and silver color scheme, showing multiple angles and a digital clock display.
  • Design renderings of a new Samsung flip phone in pink, showcasing front, back, and side views with a foldable screen and keypad.
  • Design sketch of a green Samsung flip phone viewed from multiple angles, including front, back, side, and opened with keypad and screen visible.
  • Multiple views of a pink and silver Samsung flip phone, showing front, back, and side profiles, with a digital display and keypad.

STORY BEHIND THE DESIGN (MIRÓ)

The foldable phone design was inspired by whimsical color and the playful abstraction of JOAN MIRÓ, bringing artistic expression into everyday technology.

LED lighting that indicates time emerges from the electroplated faceplate, creating a sense of magic in the interaction. The Samsung logo was intentionally subdued, treated as a subtle design element rather than a dominant mark. Taking a graphic design approach, I carefully considered font, text proportions, and button sizes to achieve visual balance. The call and end buttons were reduced to simple, intuitive icons instead of relying on conventional text or awkward shapes.

The choice of materials such as metal, silicone, polycarbonate, paint coating and half mirror ion-plating was deliberate, each contributing to a CMF story that conveys refinement, tactility, and expressive detail.

A person holding a green Samsung flip phone with a digital clock display showing 12:45.
A green Samsung flip phone with a digital clock display on the front, lying on a black textured surface.
Close-up of a white and red landline telephone keypad with red buttons and gray accents, showing numbers 0-9, star, and pound keys.
A close-up of a vintage flip phone with a silver faceplate and red sides, featuring a circular navigation pad and red and black buttons.
A flip phone with a silver and red design, open on a white surface, showing a screen and keypad.
A flip phone with a pink exterior, display shows the time 12:45, set on a white surface.
A person holding a vintage flip phone with a large screen and a circular navigation pad, displaying the Samsung logo.
A flip phone with a green and gray design on a wooden surface.

PROJECT 2: IDEATION FOR THE TOUCH SCREEN PHONE

This concept explored how Samsung could enter the emerging era of touchscreens. At the time, texting was central and BlackBerry devices still defined mobile interaction. I envisioned a removable cover with physical buttons that could clip on for typing and slide to the back when not in use, allowing users to shift easily between tactile input and full-screen experiences while highlighting the growing role of the camera.

  • Hand-drawn sketches of various smartphones and electronic devices laid out in a casual arrangement.
  • Sketches of five different cell phones from various angles, with one colored in black and green and labeled 'hand edges'.
  • Sketches of various Samsung mobile phones including flip phones and slide phones, with some labeled and others detailed with buttons and screens.
  • Sketch of various Samsung USB flash drives, including a colored blue one, with mechanical and scribbled annotations and some foliage detail in the lower right corner.
  • Hand-drawn sketches of a mobile phone with expansion components, including a pink phone with a grid-like keyboard, a smaller phone with an expandable cover, and accessories like a yellow cover and a white cover, with handwritten notes and dates.
  • Sketch of a flip phone with the keypad highlighted in green, showing different angles, with handwritten notes about the key panel and touch screen features.
  • Sketch of a modern remote control with a white body, green accents, a circular navigation pad, and a green rectangular section with textured dots, viewed from a top and side angle.
  • Drawing of several smartphones and a hand holding a phone, with blue accents, in an abstract style.
  • Colorful hand-drawn sketch of an old Samsung mobile phone and accessories, including two batteries and a charger, with the date 9-5-07 and artist's signature.
  • Drawing of a vintage mobile phone with a slide-out keypad, shown from the front, side, and back, with the back labeled Samsung.
  • Sketch of three phones with green covers, one with a keyboard, one with a screen, and one with a sliding mechanism, held by hands
  • Sketches of a foldable device with green and black components, showing its different positions and features such as a touch screen, keyboard, and foldable screen with fold lines.
  • Hand-drawn sketches demonstrating a device with a green, gel-like substance that can be attached, peeled, or slid out, featuring various attachments and a flexible rubber pad.
  • Hand-drawn instructions for assembling a collapsible green and gray accessory, including multiple steps and diagrams, with some measurements and notes.
  • Sketches of shoe-like patterned objects and electronic devices, including a remote control, a keypad with buttons, and a display panel, with annotations and labels.
  • Sketch of a mobile phone with a sliding pink keyboard, shown from multiple angles, including the phone open and closed, with a pink stylus.
  • Hand-drawn sketch of a pink flip phone with a detachable camera attachment labeled with instructions, including a circular rotating dial and a note about opening the lens. The phone has a keypad and an antenna, with handwritten notes indicating style and date.
  • Sketches of four green Samsung mobile phones in a casual, youthful design. Each phone has a circular or oval camera lens on the back.
  • Sketch of a rectangular device with two color variations, one with a blue panel and one with a red panel, showing different sides and features including a camera and a screen.

PICASSO

A wall covered with posters and sketches of various mobile phones, accessories, and related products, organized into sections with handwritten labels.
Drawing of hands holding mobile phones with keyboard attachments, surrounded by camera devices, suggesting a collage of mobile photography tools.
Sketch of a flip phone with collaboration notes. The phone has a green outer shell and a gray keypad. Additional views and a disassembled step are shown, with handwritten notes about the parts.
A woman with closed eyes, wearing a pink garment, red jewelry, and a red dress, is lying down with her head tilted back. The background features a patterned design in black and red.
Cubist-style painting of a person holding a guitar, with abstracted geometric shapes and muted earthy colors.
Cubist-style painting of a woman with black curly hair, wearing a blue top and a pearl necklace, against a multicolored background.
  • Different views of a Samsung youth-oriented mobile phone, including front, side, and back views, with a black body and a stylish design.
  • Technical drawing of a Samsung mobile phone and digital camera from multiple angles, with specifications and branding.
  • Technical illustration of a Samsung mobile phone in front, side, and top views, along with a compact digital camera in top view, all in a collage on a white background.
  • Color sketches of a Samsung mobile phone with a black body and lime green accents on the side, bottom, and back, shown from front, side, and top views.
  • Design drawing of a Samsung mobile phone with a white body, orange accents, and a slide-out orange keyboard, shown from multiple angles.
  • Front, side, and back views of a Samsung feature phone with a small screen, physical keypad, and a camera on the back.

STORY BEHIND THE DESIGN (PICASSO)

Removable covers offered tactile keys in different styles, from QWERTY layouts to numeric keypads, allowing users to swap based on preference. The idea was inspired by PICASSO’s Cubism, where faces are portrayed from multiple angles and merged into one composition. In the same way, the phone could deconstruct and reconstruct its interface, offering different perspectives of interaction within a single device.

Hand holding a Samsung smartphone with a bright green keypad cover.
Two Samsung feature phones with black screens, one with a green keypad, displaying icons for music, camera, and messages.
Close-up of a mobile phone with a blue keyboard cover and a black bottom edge on a white surface
Two Samsung smartphones with circular camera lenses on back, one facing front with a blue slide-out keypad.
Portable blue keyboard with numbers and letters, a smartphone with a black case, and a green calculator on a white surface.
A hand holding a Samsung feature phone with a small screen and physical keypad.
Samsung flip phone with touchscreen displaying icons for music, camera, phone, email, TV, and messenger on a white background.
A mobile phone with a green and black stylus attached to its side.

FROM CONCEP TO REALITY

This concept anticipated a feature later realized by Samsung, which introduced its first smartphone keyboard covers in 2015, eight years after the touchscreen era began in 2007.

A Samsung smartphone with a touchscreen, displaying the time 12:45 and a date of Sunday, February 21, along with a small green phone icon and a camera icon at the bottom. Next to it is a compact, gold-colored keyboard with small raised keys and a trackball, featuring various alphabetic keys, special characters, and navigation buttons.
Smartphone with a digital clock display and a physical QWERTY keyboard auxiliary device.
A Samsung smartphone next to a compact black projection keyboard.
A person holding an older model Samsung smartphone with a physical QWERTY keyboard, displaying a webpage about OnePlus 3 smartphones.
A black Samsung smartphone with a physical keyboard placed on a light wooden surface. Part of a white plate, a black book or journal, and a brown textured item are visible nearby.
A person using a small mobile phone with a physical QWERTY keyboard and a smartphone screen displaying app icons. The phone is held over a wooden surface with a white earbud and a gray zippered item nearby.
Drawing of a cellphone with front and back views.
Patent diagram of a mobile phone showing front and back views with keypad and camera.
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