Signature Kitchen Suite Stuns With Its Precision and Innovation at Milan Design Week 2022
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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
Milan Design Week, the world’s largest and most well-known design and furniture fair, is a mecca for the aesthetically-inclined. At this year’s event, the biennially-held EuroCucina exhibition put the spotlight on the latest trends in kitchen appliances and furnishings, with many of the industry’s major players taking part. A regular at Milan Design Week, LG delivered a stunning showcase of premium built-in kitchen appliances at a booth designed by GamFratesi, the acclaimed architecture and design studio co-founded by Italian Enrico Fratesi and Denmark’s Stine Gam.
To highlight both the ultra-premium Signature Kitchen Suite and LG’s built-in appliance lineups, the diverse range of built-in products on display clearly reflected the company’s dedication to promoting an inspired culinary lifestyle centered around the joy of sharing and savoring quality food.
“One particularly memorable episode during our collaboration with LG was the differentiation strategy for Signature Kitchen Suite and LG built-in appliances,” said GamFratesi. “This differentiation strategy was well reflected in the booth design.”
The coming together of Signature Kitchen Suite’s True to Food philosophy – founded on the importance of preserving the original flavors of fresh ingredients – and GamFratesi’s design ethos revealed a new vision for kitchen design. LG’s emphasis on quality natural ingredients was echoed by the natural materials and design elements incorporated into the exhibition booth itself, which also reflected the impact of environment and culture on different cuisine traditions. GamFratesi’s subtle use of wood and stone accentuated the beauty of the natural world while simultaneously drawing attention to the connection we form with the planet when cooking and consuming real food.
“The key points to pay attention to are the design of each island and the materials used,” noted GamFratesi. “Each island represents an independent piece of furniture that reflects our design aesthetic.”
Within the booth’s Signature Kitchen Suite zones, GamFratesi complemented the built-in brand’s gorgeous kitchen appliances with natural materials and finishings. Each display kitchen represented a seamless harmony of appliances, cabinetry, counters and décor, highlighting the transformative power of design to create special sanctuaries that celebrate authentic cooking and nature’s beauty.
Evocative, entertaining, yet entirely elegant, the Signature Kitchen Suite wine cellar zone made a lasting impression on visitors to LG’s booth. Here, GamFratesi drew inspiration from the wine-maturation process to craft a calm, almost-meditative space with a ‘cave-like’ sense of depth and a rich, atmospheric mood.
Although the synergy between LG’s built-in appliances and GamFratesi’s kitchen designs is undeniable, the process of smoothly integrating the two for the Milan Design Week showcase was not without challenges. However, through the thoughtful and purposeful placement of appliances with distinct functionalities, and via the introduction of LG’s panel-ready concept, the two innovative companies achieved the ultimate union of form and function. The results, as one can see from the images, speak for themselves.
Through the unprecedented fusion of design, technology and space, the compelling collaboration between LG and GamFratesi presented a new kind of value and a refined kitchen lifestyle. As demonstrated at Milan Design Week, and at other major exhibitions around the world, LG is committed to partnering with like-minded innovators who share its passion for pushing boundaries and elevating everyday life.
Stay tuned to
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By News Reporter
Featuring Advanced AI Technologies and Sleek Design, Company’s Expanded Lineup
of Built-in Appliances Brings Outstanding Convenience and Style to the Kitchen
SEOUL, Apr. 18, 2024 — LG Electronics (LG) is unveiling its latest built-in kitchen appliances at Milan Design Week (MDW) 2024, taking place in Milan, Italy, from April 16-21. At the center of LG’s Milan showcase are the brand-new Signature Kitchen Suite built-in oven, free zone induction hob and downdraft hood. Boasting innovative, premium design and highly-convenient features, the company’s refined built-in solutions bring exceptional ease-of-use and effortless elegance to the kitchen.
Signature Kitchen Suite Built-in Oven with Advanced Cooking Technologies
Debuting at MDW 2024 and designed with European consumers in mind, the Signature Kitchen Suite 60-centimeter (24-inch) built-in oven offers a variety of cutting-edge features and AI technologies to elevate the culinary experience. Equipped with Gourmet AI, the oven can identify what the user is cooking and automatically select the appropriate cooking mode from 130 recipes. Gourmet AI also enables ‘browning’ control for foods such as pizza and steak, actively keeping tabs on the cooking process and notifying users via the ThinQ app as soon as their food is done. Thanks to video-recognition, LG’s intelligent oven can suggest the optimal settings for the dish being prepared, while real-time video monitoring and time-lapse recording make it easy to check on the progress of one’s meal using the ThinQ app.
Employing enhanced ProBake powered by inverter technology, the new oven delivers uniform heat and fast, efficient cooking with an A++ energy rating. LG’s innovative technology rotates the convection fan back and forth to ensure shorter preheating times, even heating and crispier results when using the oven’s Air Fry mode. The company’s unique InstaView technology further enhances user convenience, making it possible to see inside simply by knocking twice on the oven door.
Free Zone Induction Hob for Convenient and Flexible Cooking
The Signature Kitchen Suite’s 90-centimeter (36-inch) free zone induction hob presents next-level flexibility and ease-of-use, allowing users to place any size and type of cookware – such as Paella pans and moka pots – anywhere on its cooking surface.* The new appliance can detect and track the position of cookware, eliminating the need to manually cancel and reapply settings when moving a saucepan or skillet from one part of the cooking surface to another. What’s more, the AI technology embedded in the hob can detect the temperature of cookware and automatically lower the heat when necessary, helping to minimize spills and splatter when boiling water or preparing soups and sauces.
Expanded Built-in Lineups for Diverse Kitchen Lifestyles
LG is further bolstering its built-in product lineup with the introduction of the new Signature Kitchen Suite downdraft hood. Made to integrate seamlessly into islands and countertops, the 90-centimeter (36-inch) hood offers a sleek, sophisticated look with its chic black glass and modern frame design. It also provides powerful ventilation, effectively extracting steam and odors for a more pleasant cooking experience.
Additionally, LG has expanded its portfolio of built-in appliances for the European market. Along with new products, such as an 80-centimeter (30-inch) induction hob and built-in combi refrigerators and microwave ovens, the company now provides a wider range of options within its oven lineups – from more product variation to a greater choice of colors and sizes. Among the new models are the Signature Kitchen Suite 122 centimeter (48 inch)-wide French-door refrigerator and stunning appliances from the Transitional lineup, featuring slim handles and satin stainless steel exteriors with a velvety matte finish. To help customers create a curated kitchen aesthetic, the company offers an array of new finishes for its premium built-in products, with black stainless steel and stainless steel joining the previously-introduced black glass finish.
“We are thrilled to showcase our latest built-in innovations at this year’s Milan Design Week, demonstrating our commitment to leading new design trends and meeting the diverse needs of European customers,” said Lyu Jae-cheol, president of LG Electronics Home Appliance & Air Solution Company. “LG will continue to strengthen its presence in Europe through an expanded range of built-in appliances delivering style, performance and convenience in the kitchen.”
Visitors to MDW 2024 in Milan from April 16-21 can experience LG’s latest built-in lineups at the LG booth at Milan Fairgrounds.
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* Cookware recognition may vary depending on the size or number of items placed on the surface.
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