[On the Job] Breaking Boundaries: Exploring Human-Centered Innovation at LG Labs
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By News Reporter
Good product design is all about understanding and meeting customers’ needs. As a leader in the home appliance industry, LG integrates ‘customer-centricity’ into every stage of the design process to ensure its products deliver a more convenient and emotionally satisfying user experience. The company continues to show the way forward, making innovative appliances and smart home solutions for a better life based on its ‘3F’ design philosophy.
The Essence of 3F: Fit, Feel, Finish
“LG uses the term ‘3F’ to refer to the appearance, performance and other tangible and intangible qualities of its products experienced by the customer,” said Chung Wook-jun, vice president and head of H&A Design Lab at LG Electronics’ Life Innovation Design Center. “In essence, 3F is a set of principles that guides the company as it weaves the core values of completeness, ease of use and emotional satisfaction into each product it makes.”
3F stands for Fit, Feel and Finish. ‘Fit’ refers to seamless (zero gap) product design and overall design uniformity, while ‘Feel’ encompasses the smooth and resilient operation of moving parts as well as the satisfying feedback that interfaces, doors and other components provide when handled by users. ‘Finish’ focuses on matching the right colors with the right materials and achieving a clean, consistent aesthetic across product lines. The definition of 3F has gradually expanded over time and now extends to elements such as ergonomics, user experience (UX) optimization and user interface (UI) usability.
Officially introduced in 2001, 3F is now deeply ingrained in the way LG works. The company even formed a specialized organization to focus on 3F, which collaborates closely with several departments – including product planning, design, development, quality control and sales – to maintain a cohesive approach to customer-centric design.
Customer-Centric Design Research
The core aspect of 3F work is to guarantee the completeness of every product LG develops. Through securing a high level of completeness in the development phase, the company helps to prevent potential quality issues from arising during production.
At the concept planning stage, LG identifies and addresses any deficiencies or inconveniences associated with previously released models to prevent their recurrence in new products. Using its own internally developed ergonomic standards, the company thoroughly evaluates products for ease-of-use and to determine if further improvements are needed. Prior to finalization and mass-production, LG re-evaluates its products using up to 160 different criteria to assess whether completeness has been achieved.
When a prototype is produced at the design verification stage, it is tested under actual usage conditions. Data-driven feedback derived from these tests – such as the precise measurement of the force needed to open an appliance’s door – enables the relevant departments to make necessary adjustments.
Quality testing at LG involves extensive processes to ensure products meet usage and reliability standards. Should a product fail any test, LG carefully identifies and addresses the root cause of the issue. Subsequently, the product undergoes hundreds of additional tests until it meets the company’s exacting internal standards. Multiple methods are employed to confirm that each unit produced matches the usability and reliability standards set during the development phase. The data gathered throughout these various processes is meticulously analyzed to refine future designs.
Subtle Details that Reflect LG’s 3F Design Principles
The recently launched LG SIGNATURE washer/dryer exemplifies the company’s commitment to its 3F design principles. Manufactured using the same methods employed to produce luxury goods, the washer/dryer successfully delivers the ‘high-end’ aesthetic and feel of LG’s original design concept. The attention to subtle details that is so much a part of 3F design can be seen in the dryer’s filter grip, which has been designed in accordance with knuckle-width studies and numerous customer acceptance surveys to provide optimal usability.
To enhance the sophistication and operability of the control knobs applied to its washing machines, LG conducted a comprehensive range of 3F research initiatives and even developed its own custom measuring equipment. The company’s efforts led to the creation of a control knob reminiscent of the center-console control dials found in luxury automobiles, providing a pleasingly premium look and feel while also contributing to a better user experience in both a practical and emotional sense.
Introduced last year on select LG refrigerator models, the Auto Soft Closing System is another example of LG’s customer-centric 3F design. The system uses dampers to ensure that the refrigerator door closes softly and quietly, enhancing usability, convenience and customer satisfaction.
The 3F design principle, which reveals LG’s strong commitment to the pursuit of perfection, is intertwined with another uniquely LG concept: ‘Affection-ism.’ Affection-ism could be described as a ‘design mindset,’ centering on caring for customers via the delivery of ‘Uncompromising Customer Experiences,’ ‘Human-centered Innovation’ and the ‘Warmth to Power a Smile.’ By staying true to its core values and customer-first philosophies, LG will continue to provide products that exceed expectations and make everyday life that much better.
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By News Reporter
Milan Design Week, also known as Salone del Mobile, is the world’s preeminent furniture and design fair. Held in Italy’s famous fashion capital, it is a truly global showcase of innovation, creativity and luxurious style. Amidst this year’s celebration of inspiring and aspirational home living, LG presented its latest premium built-in products, including collaborations with renowned designers, at the Signature Kitchen Suite Showroom on Milan’s Piazza Cavour.
Open since 2020, the showroom artfully exhibits the sleek offerings of the Signature Kitchen Suite while introducing visitors to the brand’s True to Food philosophy. This stylish space, where tradition meets innovation, spans three levels – ground floor, basement and mezzanine – each featuring stellar Signature Kitchen Suite built-ins designed and made to the most exacting standards. The advanced appliances on display are complemented by a nature-inspired décor designed by Calvi Brambilla, an esteemed multidisciplinary design studio based in Milan.
One of the showroom’s special zones cleverly evokes the natural beauty of Italy through the use of Milano Pink, a warm, soothing color inspired by the pink hues that adorn the Alps when viewed from Milan at sunset. Visitors can experience the unique value of Signature Kitchen Suite and LG home appliances firsthand by exploring the showroom’s Food Academy and simulated domestic spaces, which include a kitchen, living room, bedroom and laundry room.
Structured around the theme of the Art of Precision, the showroom compellingly conveys the Signature Kitchen Suite design philosophy through a hand-picked selection of artworks and engaging experiential programs. Visitors can discover different examples of the ‘art of precision’ via the exhibit’s Master Craftsmen encounters, where a flavorist, a watchmaker, a baker and a glazier each demonstrate the level of care and skill that LG’s premium built-in brand has come to represent.
A delightful display of delicate origami decorations, which greets guests as they enter the showroom’s reception area, serves as another symbolic tie to the craftsman-like quality of Signature Kitchen Suite appliances. The origami pieces are accompanied by dozens of bottles containing artisanal vanilla essence, each with its own unique aroma.
Coinciding with Milan Design Week, LG showcased a variety of stunning appliances brought to life through its collaborations with high-end furniture brands and design groups. This year, acclaimed furniture designer and architect Patricia Urquiola, known around the world for iconic designs such as the Dudet Chair and Sengu Table, partnered with LG to create a new masterpiece for Signature Kitchen Suite. Visitors to the Signature Kitchen Suite Showroom have the privilege of seeing Urquiola and LG’s ultra-chic undercounter modular refrigerator in person.
A seamless fit for both kitchens and living rooms, Urquiola’s unerringly elegant creation aligns with the popular home and interior design trend of blurring the boundaries between living spaces. Resembling a sophisticated cabinet or set of drawers,the refrigerator offers custom size and color choices to suit the specific needs and preferences of each customer. Its upper compartment can be used for the efficient storage of bottled water, beer, wine (or other beverages) and even cosmetics, while its lower compartment functions as a convenient freezer.
Another aesthetically-unimpeachable appliance that debuted during Salone del Mobile was the Signature Kitchen Suite Wine Cabin. A collaboration between LG and m2atlier, a Milan-based architectural design group, this remarkable piece provides temperature-controlled wine storage in its lower compartment, storage space for wine glasses and bottles in its upper compartment, and a beautiful cigar box in between.
The Wine Cabin’s central rotating base supports a structure that can be customized with different finishes. Encased in micro-ribbed glass, the effortlessly luxe m2atlier design was conceived as a “precious container” for the Signature Kitchen Suite under-shelf wine cellar.
From creative collaborations with leading designers to carefully curated exhibits, the Signature Kitchen Suite Showroom in Milan celebrates the essence of design, technology and luxury living.
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By News Reporter
In business, meaningful growth can’t happen without innovation. It’s essential if your organization is to evolve and thrive, and if you’re serious about adding value to people’s daily lives.
With a thirst to drive innovation, and a wealth of knowledge in the area of IoT, I set out to establish and grow my own startup. I’m happy to say I succeeded in this endeavor. However, with the business model being rather narrow – a continuous cycle of making products and then selling them – there were limitations to what I could do.
After making the decision to sell my company, I went on to serve as the Presidential Innovation Fellow for Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS), a program run by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. It was a valuable and enlightening experience. There, I had the chance to work with leading tech companies to further develop and execute plans for industrial IoT and global smart cities. During my seven years in the U.S. federal government, I realized that there are limits to what governments can do with regard to building smart ecosystems. In the end, private companies are the ones bringing the ideas and concepts of smart solutions and businesses to fruition.
This was when I was first approached by LG Electronics. The company wanted to create a new organization dedicated to the discovery of future businesses. LG offered me this amazing opportunity to head up a team they were in the process of putting together.
I thought deeply about the prospect of joining LG. While the company is universally recognized as a strong player in the consumer electronics field, looking in from the outside, it seemed to lack what some might call, a certain ‘disruptive innovation.’ However, I was intrigued by its determination and desire to uncover future businesses and was confident that the company possessed the agility necessary to change and ‘disrupt.’
Personally, I believe that if there are ten great ideas on the table, seven or eight of them will fail to develop into successful businesses. While many people view this way of thinking about business creation as just plain crazy, LG CEO William Cho is, thankfully, not among them.
At LG NOVA, an initiative I am grateful to lead, our mission is to establish a community for nurturing, growing and creating new businesses in new market areas for LG. Early in the LG NOVA journey, we realized that entering new businesses – or new business areas – is difficult if you’re relying solely on your internal capabilities.
If LG wants to create new home appliances, it is in a good position to do this internally because it is already a global leader in consumer electronics, with all the necessary expertise and experience at its disposal. LG NOVA’s mandate is to explore entirely new and different concepts, not currently in LG’s wheelhouse. Although there are thousands of engineers and experts working in LG’s R&D centers, their expertise is in products and areas of business that LG is already in. This is why the LG executive team resolved to look outside of LG.
Our goal is to explore new business avenues that would, ultimately, help contribute to the advancement of LG Electronics. Startups, by the nature of their business model and ability to be at the ground-level of market needs, are leading the forefront of innovation. However, startups will not partner with just any firm that approaches them. This is why we needed to show that LG, as a company, has the commitment and capability to go far beyond home appliances and TVs. This is where LG NOVA comes in.
To establish ourselves in the market, we came up with the idea of hosting a grand challenge. In September 2021, we announced the launch of
link hidden, please login to view, an annual, global competition for startups where we could identify innovative technologies and business ideas for a better tomorrow. The participating startups were tasked with developing and presenting technology-based solutions for improving daily life, our communities and the planet. The tech areas we asked them to focus on included clean tech, healthcare and future tech/AI. To give you an idea of how it works, imagine there is a startup that creates sensors for use in healthcare devices. They might pitch a scenario or concept where their sensors are deployed in TVs to enable innovative new services. Our own business experts, or entrepreneurs in residence (EIRs), would then work with the startup to assess the feasibility of their idea. In many cases, EIRs would work closely with the startup to develop a relevant, but entirely different business idea that could be exciting to both parties. If the idea was deemed to be viable, and in alignment with LG NOVA’s goals and values, a partnership agreement might result and LG NOVA would launch a new business based on the collaboration. This is how a small, fledgling company can set its unique concept on the fast track to becoming a commercialized product.
Through this process, and by combining our capacity with the startup’s capacity, we can create a joint business where LG has as much ‘skin in the game’ as the startup. And at every step along the way, LG NOVA will be right there with them, from meeting with investors to introducing and marketing the ‘final product’ to customers. Through LG NOVA, we can create new products and services that can make a positive difference – and do it at a much larger scale than a startup could manage, if it were to go it alone.
I am proud to be a part of LG and to help guide LG NOVA into exciting new territories where boundless innovation awaits discovery. And I can say, without exaggeration, that I truly love this role. Ultimately, I’m striving for Innovation for Impact – which also happens to be the motto and the philosophy of LG NOVA. While there are many, many ways to make a profit, we have committed ourselves to achieving profitability in a meaningful way, and to leaving a lasting, positive impact on the world.
By Dr. Sokwoo Rhee, executive vice president of Innovation for LG Electronics, head of LG NOVA
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By News Reporter
LG remains steadfast in its commitment to actively nurture ideas with the potential to fuel the company’s future growth. By fostering a corporate culture that not only encourages challenges but also embraces failures as stepping stones to success, LG aims to embody the principles that have been at the heart of CEO William Cho’s leadership philosophy since his tenure began. CEO Cho consistently champions the ‘Brave Optimist’ mindset, inspiring everyone to boldly undertake challenges and relentlessly innovate, anchored in the belief that the customer is always the key to unlocking solutions.
A prime embodiment of this ethos is ‘STUDIO341,’ an initiative launched by LG last year. This program is designed to identify and cultivate in-house ventures that encapsulate the spirit of challenge and innovation, a mindset that has been instrumental in propelling LG from its humble beginnings as Goldstar in 1958 to its current status as a global leader in home appliances. The ‘341’ in ‘STUDIO341’ serves as a poignant reminder for LG’s ‘Brave Optimists’ to stay true to the company’s roots, symbolizing the original street address of Goldstar in Busan, Korea’s second-largest city.
The initiative welcomed anyone with a creative idea that can solve a problem worth solving and provide a new experience to customers. The response was impressive, with over 100 internal submissions received.
In the previous year, LG shortlisted the top thirteen ideas – one more than the originally intended twelve – which were further narrowed down to six during an internal IR event. This process involved evaluating the ideas based on their potential to provide unique customer experiences. The selection criteria encompassed business value, feasibility, potential impact and team capabilities.
The chosen teams were relocated to an external office to be able to fully immerse themselves in developing their in-house venture ideas. By March 2024, the top six teams had the opportunity to present their business proposals at the ‘STUDIO341 Demo Day’ in Seoul, in front of LG executives and potential investors.
After thorough deliberation, the top five teams selected for spinoff were unveiled: ‘MASKIT,’ a mobile ticketing and admission service for performing arts that removes the necessity for queuing; ‘FreshGo,’ an original cold chain transportation solution that leverages individual refrigeration technology; ‘Cucumber,’ a platform focused on local food pickup services; ‘Found Objet,’ a digital transaction platform for recycled plastic materials; and ‘X-UP,’ a solution for diagnosing and maintaining golf courses using robots and heat mapping technology.
Meanwhile, LG partnered with Bluepoint, a partnership-driven Korean startup accelerator, to leverage their ability to objectively assess the teams’ capabilities and provide more effective support. This approach has helped streamline the whole process to a year, with six months for selection and six months for development. During the process, each team will receive a joint investment from LG and Bluepoint up to a maximum of KRW 400 million.
In parallel, LG is intensifying its collaboration with global startups, as exemplified by its partnership with Amwell, a U.S. telemedicine company, to provide remote medical treatment solutions across North America. The company also aims to evaluate the viability of services in prevention, diagnosis, post-management and recovery, among others.
LG NOVA, LG’s North America Center for Innovation, launched its “Mission For the Future” by presenting the Eureka Park showcase at CES 2024 in Las Vegas. It also leveraged its influence to introduce startups operating in the digital healthcare field, such as XR Health, Mindset Medical and C.Light Technologies.
Stay tuned to
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By News Reporter
The concept of the ‘home’ has evolved beyond a mere roof over one’s head into a stage for self-expression. The home reflects unique tastes and individual lifestyles, and consumers have become increasingly proactive in curating living spaces that cater to their preferences, whether living alone or in a shared space with their family.
Photo credit: @oh_desk / Model: OLED48C2ENA
Emerging as a critical medium to express personal preferences into living spaces, LG OLED TVs offer an immersive and thrilling entertainment experience within the comfort of one’s home.
An outstanding example of spaces that uniquely reflect personal preferences, gaming rooms have gained significant popularity as esports and gaming have become as a favored form of entertainment. In order to experience full immersion, gamers are eager to create a space to ideally fit with their unique preferences and requirements. The screen plays a pivotal role in enhancing the level of immersion and the quality of visuals, both of which are crucial for delivering a lifelike experience in MMORPGs (massively multiplayer online role-playing game) and console gaming.
LG OLED TVs have been recognized for excellence in the gaming world through vivid colors mesmerizing gamers with dynamic visuals that breathe life into the gaming experience, while also boasting lightning-fast response time for seamless connection and engaging on-screen action. The expansive screens elevate immersion to new heights, whether in the living room, in a gaming space or at a desk. Moreover, LG OLED TVs offer convenient cloud gaming services, including NVDIA GeForce NOW,1 with no downloads or additional hardware needed.
Photo credit: link hidden, please login to view/ Model: OLED42C2KNB
In pursuit of elevating immersion and offering personalized settings, LG has launched LG OLED Flex. Featuring breathtaking OLED picture quality, LG OLED Flex lives up to its name with unprecedented flexibility, pushing the boundaries of traditional fixed screens.
Photo credit: / Model: OLED42LX3QKNA
Whether in dedicated gaming haven or a versatile space where work and leisure coexist, the flexibility of the LG OLED Flex shines through, allowing users to effortlessly switch between a flat screen for work tasks and an optimized curvature for gaming that adapts to the game genre or user’s posture. The screen can adjust to fine-tune the curvature, height and tilt, ensuring an optimized experience in any scenario, be it for entertainment or productivity.
Photo credit: Kang Seok-kyung / Model: OLED42LX3QKNA
The unique design of LG OLED Flex serves as an immersive and three-dimensional entertainment experience, with distracting elements absent from the front. Images of gaming gear shaped on the sides and back, as well as the stand’s shield-handle design give a sleek and strong appearance that elevates gaming to the next level. Dolby Atmos-enabled three-dimensional sound and the X-shaped lighting design add to the dynamic gaming environment.
One user remarked that the LG OLED Flex completed their gaming area, commenting, “Compared to the same amount of gameplay on other screens, LG OLED Flex makes the immersive experience so much richer.”
Photo credit: Kang Seok–kyung / Model: OLD42LX3QKNA
LG OLED TVs and LG OLED Flex have been praised for their stunning picture quality and versatile features that enhance personal entertainment, and also enable users to create their own unique spaces and lifestyles.
Photo credit: @oh_desk / Model: OLED48C2ENA
One user2 shared how they utilize LG OLED TVs for color correction in photography and video editing, highlighting the exceptional color accuracy essential for reviewing work quality. They also mentioned the versatility of the screen, as their family enjoys playing collaborative multiplayer gaming with the multiscreen feature as well as watching TV shows with stunning contrast and vibrant colors.
Photo credit: @oh_desk / Model: OLED48C2ENA
Another user emphasized how LG OLED TV enriches their personal time and hobbies. With its vibrant picture quality and expansive screen, the OLED TV enables them to enjoy complete immersion in their chosen activities. They’ve found that watching their favorite videos on LG OLED TVs during a workout makes exercise easier and more enjoyable. LG OLED has become a part of their daily routine, creating more relaxing moments for meditation or gameplay after a long day of work and taking caring of their children.
Photo credit: @oh_desk / Model: OLED48C2ENA
Delivering unmatched speed and stunning picture quality, LG’s OLED TVs and OLED Flex redefine the limitations of screen capabilities, allowing users to experience another level of versatility and immersion. LG is set to introduce new lifestyles to reimagine spaces and tailor experiences to individual taste, needs and routines.
For more on how the LG HE Design Lab delivers new experiences and enriches your lifestyle with innovative designs, stay tuned to the LG Newsroom.
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1 This service requires sign-up and subscription. Games may need to be purchased separately. Certain games offered by this service may require connection to a gamepad, mouse, keyboard, etc. The service may be discontinued due to circumstances of the companies that provide games. The service is available on LG OLED TV models released after 2020 and may not be available by country. The range of offered services may vary from country to country.
2 The interviewee has received compensation for contributing to the creation of this content.
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