Taking personal expression to the next level with a truly personalized experience – Samsung Newsroom Malaysia

Since its inception, one of the core tenets of Bespoke by Samsung Electronics has been to enrich lives through creative design. To this end, Samsung has collaborated with designers and artists and encouraged user participation through design competitions around the world. Now, with the latest design experiences from Samsung, Bespoke takes personalization to the next level by giving consumers the freedom to create designs that truly reflect their personality.

Read on to learn more about Bespoke’s design journey and how, through creative collaborations, this font has become a vehicle for personal expression for artists and consumers alike.

universal by design

Creative inspiration comes in many forms. As part of an ongoing exploration to discover new design ideas, Samsung has taken cues from artists around the world. Beginning in Korea in 2019, Samsung has collaborated with famous artists such as furniture designer Seungji Mun, interior designer Hasuk Jang, and space and strategy designers Jong Kim and Teo Yang. Together, these dreamers led an original design campaign that highlights the adaptable and customizable features of bespoke hardware.

From this first approach, bespoke design inspiration ventured outside Korea. In 2021, French painter Thibaud Herm and American artist Andy Reminer introduced European architecture and pop art to bespoke refrigerator designs, which are now available worldwide. Also, earlier this year Alex Proba, founder of Brooklyn and Portland-based design studio StudioPROBA, created their own limited-edition, custom-made refrigerator panels. Proba has used colors and shapes from nature to express joy through her panel designs, which are also available to consumers. Through this collaboration, the artists contributed to the development of the design language of Bespoke by infusing their own artistic styles.

Global design inspiration also came in the form of cultural representation. In the United States, Samsung introduced Flex™ 4-Door refrigerator panel designs based on the stars and stripes of the American flag to celebrate the country’s Independence Day on July 4th.

Across the pond, even the Queen of England has been cited as a source of inspiration. In May, Samsung released limited edition panels featuring Union Jack designs for UK Bespoke users to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Made by consumers, for consumers

A key aspect of expanding the ethos of bespoke design has been to listen to consumers. For example, Samsung launched a global design competition, providing consumers with custom-made refrigerator panels as a blank canvas to express themselves in person.

Contests kicked off in Korea with #BESPOKE Rendezvous in 2019. Samsung took to the fashion streets of Hongdae, Seoul with a 3-day event to launch the design contest, joined by celebrities and artists. Attendees were able to see the modularity of Bespoke coolers in various configurations and were encouraged to create their own designs to explore design freedom. Also in attendance was world-famous graffiti artist Artime Joe, from street art group Stick Up Kids, who has painted a neighborhood on fridge bars.

The competition featured over a thousand design submissions ranging from scenes from Korean history to modern abstract art, and concluded with the announcement of the top three winners at the #ProjectPRISM lifestyle showroom at Samsung’s digital headquarters Gangnam Square. The winners were subsequently invited to display their work to designers from all over the world at the Milan Furniture Fair.

In September 2021, competitions were held in Singapore and around the world from the UK, followed by Vietnam in December. After that, Samsung also launched a design competition in the UAE earlier this year.

In Singapore, Samsung commissioned artists Candice Phang, Michael Mindflyer and Tan Zi Xi, as well as furniture retailer Commune and interior design firm Root Studio, to create panel designs to inspire entrants ahead of the #BespokeDesignedByYou competition. After showing their work, the three artists – Phang, Mindflyer and Xi – also participated in the competition as judges, choosing the grand prize winner.

In September, Samsung and British magazine Wallpaper* organized a global design competition in which 1,581 entries were submitted. The Top 50 were selected by a jury made up of Samsung CEOs, Wallpaper Editor*, and local artists. From there, the offerings were narrowed down to 15 by voting among consumers. The winning designs will be on display at the Samsung KX space in London throughout 2021.

In Vietnam, Samsung launched the Bespoke Be You Design competition in collaboration with the Vietnam Design Association (VDAS) and a community of design students. Participants were pushed to the limits of their creativity and tasked with creating kitchen spaces that showcase the endless design possibilities of Bespoke. Ten design experts and professors from the fields of interior design and architecture, as well as representatives of organizations, international design associations and communication agencies, served as judges in this competition.

In the United Arab Emirates, Samsung launched the #InspireByTheNation competition to celebrate the nation and its uniqueness through painting designs that reflect important cultural elements such as landscapes, food and architecture. Local food and lifestyle influencers Jacob Abrian and Nasreen Lababidi, as well as celebrity chef Alexandros Sperxos, acted as expert judges to select the event’s top three winners.

In essence, Bespoke has evolved as a brand logo capable of transcending countries and cultures. Bespoke design has been inspired by artists from around the world, and has become a reflection of the diversity and creativity of its client base.

Beyond the possibilities of home décor

In addition to design, the role of technology has been pushed to its limits with Bespoke. In 2021, Samsung introduced the Bespoke Creator AI color recommendation service in Korea, which helps make designing home appliances more intuitive with AI technology; Which analyzes the images consumers upload from their homes to develop color recommendations that best suit their environment.

Detailed real customization

Building on the success of collaborations and competitions, Samsung launched MyBespoke, giving users in the US the opportunity to express their individuality by designing their own fridge panels from start to finish.

To start, three influencers co-designed custom French door refrigerator panels. Later this year, MyBespoke will open to the public in the US, marking the first time users will have the opportunity to create truly unique panels of bespoke refrigerators.

By drawing inspiration from artists, using advanced technology, and unlocking a customizable design experience, Samsung hopes to transform traditional home appliances into pieces that matter. Samsung is constantly innovating to provide consumers with home devices that make life at home more personal and comfortable. Read more about bespoke appliances and their inspiring designs at samsung.com.