Celebrating a Night of Luxury and Innovation
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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
Last month, Europe’s biggest football competition kicked off in Germany. With the final scheduled for July 14, LG offices around the world announced various promotions to give football fanatics an opportunity to experience every kick of the ball as if they were witnessing it in person, all from the sublime comfort of home.
As our office in the host country, LG Germany implemented various promotion campaigns and highlights to ensure consumers could live every world-class goal and line-breaking assist during the four-week celebration of ‘the beautiful game.’
On its socials, LG Germany raffled a CineBeamQ projector at the beginning of the championships, making private viewing with friends as immersive as it is memorable. And to let local sports fans enjoy every game to the fullest, the company also shared its Life’s Good Fan Snack recipe for half time. A new Life’s Good Fan Snack recipe is shared every month and can compliment other sport occasions like the championships.
For those who prefer watching sports on their TV – perhaps because live broadcasts provide replays of every major event and closer shots of the action – LG Germany offered several valuable promotions such as a national cashback campaign for selected LG TVs and soundbars, which replicate the stadium’s atmosphere in the living room, with up to EUR 5,200 cashback.
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LG OLED evo TVs have set new standards in TV processing technology, boasting unbeatable picture quality after years and years of pioneering innovation. In the same way, it takes over a decade of practice until a footballer can even think about turning pro, let alone being called up to the national team. So, who better to show off the prowess of LG OLED evo TV than German footballers Kevin Trapp and Niclas Füllkrug?
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Niclas Füllkrug not only enjoys watching the big game on his LG OLED evo TV but also entertains thousands of football fans sitting at home in front of their TV by scoring crucial goals for club and country, like his stoppage-time equalizer against Switzerland in the group stage. LG Germany is proud to work with exceptional footballers both on and off the pitch, celebrating the joy football brings to billions of people around the world during the European Football Championship.
And, before the championships even began, LG Germany’s football-related marketing activities were launched with a fantastic shirt raffle on its social media channels alongside an online store sales event, offering ten sets of tricots for sports clubs up for grabs.
With many European players being household names across the world, the excitement for the Euros extends far beyond Europe. Committed to ensuring customers enjoy the Life’s Good experience all year round, particularly during football season, LG Malaysia launched its Frenzy Bola Bola promotion in May. This initiative provided ample opportunities for locals to immerse themselves in the play by scoring some amazing deals on LG products.
In addition to major savings, customers could also win an exclusive trip to Europe and enjoy rebates of Touch ‘n Go eWallet credits upon purchasing selected LG products. These products include 2024 LG OLED TV, Soundbar, WashTower, Styler, InstaView refrigerator, CordZero vacuum, ARTCOOL air conditioner, and PuriCare Water Purifier and Air Purifier.
LG’s home entertainment lineups are fully equipped with innovative technology to ensure viewers feel like they’re living the action from kickoff to final whistle without leaving their home. Powered by unparalleled LG OLED technology, the company hopes consumers can cheer on their teams and believe that ‘Life’s Good’ when we can enjoy our greatest passions without limitations.
Contributed by LG Germany and LG Malaysia
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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
Earth Day, observed annually on April 22, serves as an essential call to action for the preservation of our planet for future generations. LG is dedicated to promoting this cause through local initiatives, underlining the impact of every action in protecting our environment.
LG USA aims to foster a greater appreciation for our environment and promote sustainable practices, with the goal of instigating positive change and contributing to the long-term health of our planet. The company is actively seeking to make a real difference by inspiring the next generation of conservationists and addressing urgent issues such as the extinction crisis and climate change.
To reinforce its commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship, and to reflect its ‘Life’s Good’ ethos, LG organized the ‘Life’s Good Earth Day Fair’ on April 22 at its Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey campus. This public event featured a range of activities emphasizing the importance of sustainable practices.
In collaboration with the National Wildlife Federation (NWF), the fair provided useful information on sustainable best practices and guidance on creating a Certified Wildlife Habitat® in living, working and recreational spaces.
A key component of the event was the e-Waste Drive, which,
link hidden, please login to view, provided attendees with the opportunity to responsibly discard unwanted electronics. Participants who brought e-waste for recycling were granted a ticket to join the campus activities.
LG also unveiled a new pollinator garden at its headquarters. The garden, which has been recognized as a Certified Wildlife Habitat® by the NWF, features native plants designed to attract a variety of pollinators such as bees, butterflies, moths and beetles. LG anticipates that this initiative will boost biodiversity, stimulate plant growth, enhance air quality and support wildlife. Attendees were encouraged to plant a flower in the garden, contributing to a healthier ecosystem.
Additionally, LG offered tours of the to students, teachers and local community members, showcasing its innovative technologies and sustainability initiatives. Visitors had the opportunity to participate in scavenger hunts organized by the NWF, enjoy food vendors and giveaways, and meet Ranger Rick® and NWF Naturalist Dave Mizejewski.
The Life’s Good Earth Day Fair is just one of LG’s initiatives to commemorate Earth Day. Last week, the company , showcasing content that highlighted some of the world’s most vulnerable and endangered as well as recovered species in need of ongoing protection. Beginning with the snow leopard and followed by the bald eagle, Galapagos sea lion and reindeer later this year, the series will portray each animal in stunning 3D that appears to be extending out of the actual display.
And, through partnerships with global edtech leader Discovery Education and the NWF, LG will host a K-12 educational series about vulnerable and endangered species. The LG Endangered Species Series will provide K-12 students with a deeper understanding of the unique qualities of endangered animals, and the role they play in maintaining a healthy ecosystem while fostering an appreciation of what makes each species special. Educators and students may access the free, standards-aligned digital resources created with Discovery Education at .
In addition to these activations, LG is working to make Earth Day every day by developing the most innovative products that help provide consumers with significant savings through energy efficiency. As a , LG , showing the company’s commitment to helping U.S. consumers make energy choices that make a difference, from cutting household utility bills to reducing impact on the environment.
Contributed by LG USA
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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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