Samsung Solve for Tomorrow
Power Up Empathy
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Overview
Human-centred design
Human-centred design means designing with people in mind. It’s about understanding what they need and want, so your idea actually helps them. Empathy – putting yourself in someone else’s shoes – is key.
To learn what people need, designers:
- look at similar products
- talk to the people they want to help
- watch how they use a prototype.
Inclusive design
When you think about people of different ages, abilities and backgrounds, that’s called inclusive design – making sure your solution works for everyone.
In the UK, about 1 in 4 people has a disability, and 68% of disabled adults have felt excluded from products due to accessibility issues. Inclusive design matters because great ideas should work for everyone – not just a few. When you design for different ages, abilities and backgrounds, you make solutions fairer, smarter and more useful for all.
In the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition, you design for one “persona” (a made-up person). In real life, designers go further – they think about lots of personas to make sure their designs include everyone. At Samsung, designers follow an Inclusive Design Playbook to make products easy for all to use.
Case study
Samsung’s Inclusive Essentials
Ever tried using a new gadget and had no idea which button to press? For older adults or people with low vision, that’s more than annoying – it can stop them from using the appliance at all. (Appliances are everyday machines like washing machines, ovens and fridges.)
Samsung wanted to fix this. Their Inclusive Essentials range makes appliances easier for everyone by:
- Using clear shapes and colours for buttons
- Adding raised textures you can feel
- Giving feedback with lights and sounds
- Keeping controls simple and consistent
During testing, one man who had lost his sight said:
“It may seem like a small detail, but it makes me feel respected and considered. Now I feel that I can use appliances on my own.”
That’s what inclusive design is about – independence and dignity. And these changes help everyone, not just people with disabilities.
Top tips for making your designs inclusive
Think about what happens if someone can’t see, hear, or move easily. Here are practical ways to adapt your design:
Are they blind or partially sighted?
- Use high-contrast colours (e.g., dark text on a light background)
- Add voice feedback or sound alerts
- Include tactile features like raised buttons or textured surfaces
- Make sure your app works with screen readers
Are they d/Deaf or hard of hearing?
- Provide physical or visual cues for sounds (e.g., vibration or flashing light for alerts)
- Add captions to videos or audio content
- Make sure your product works with hearing aids
Do they have reduced mobility?
- Design for one-handed use or voice control
- Avoid tiny buttons – make touch areas big and easy to tap
- Think about hands-free options like gesture or speech commands
Struggle with understanding?
- Use plain language – short sentences, no jargon
- Add step-by-step guides or simple diagrams
- Allow time for users to think and respond between actions
Want more detail? See the interactive Samsung Accessibility For Everyone guide.
Quick checklist for your idea
- Can someone use it without seeing?
- Can someone use it without hearing?
- Can someone use it with one hand?
- Is the language clear for everyone?
Career spotlight
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“The best part of my job is creating innovations that will benefit people’s everyday life and getting to work on Samsung’s large product portfolio! To do this, we start our process with research into real users and people. We always talk to a wide spectrum of people to understand the full scope of pain points, needs and challenges. Always include the user from beginning to end and co-create the idea and design together. Never make assumptions about people and leave your bias at the door! My tip: Develop inclusive principles that work for your project. Some don’t work for every project, especially digital vs physical. Thinking critically about this can guide your process and improve your result.” |
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