Fabio Fodaro | Digital Design

Samsung LUMI Experience

Situation

samsung, 2013-2014

UX Designer

Interaction Designer

UX Analysis

UI Designer

Samsung’s Tizen-based smart TV faced usability challenges, particularly in its Out-of-Box Experience (OBE) and interface UI design. The onboarding process was lengthy, taking up to 25 minutes, leaving users frustrated as they waited to enjoy their new TVs, as came out from the user research we conducted. Additionally, the Tizen UI needed improvements in usability and interaction paradigms to better align with user expectations and with other devices, as the new UI was already live for mobiles.

To address these issues, SDE was tasked to participate to the final UX and UI production. I joined a core three-person design team at Samsung’s London office to lead the redesign of the OBE and improve the Tizen UI for a more seamless and engaging user experience. Our work was then taken by our colleagues in Seul who finalised the production package.

Check the full UI guidelines

Watch the OBE demo video

Tasks

As the UX and UI designer for Samsung’s TV experience redesign project, my key tasks included:

  1. Analyzing the existing Tizen UI to identify pain points and areas for improvement.
  2. Leading the design process for a new, unified TV interface based on One UI.
  3. Developing interaction paradigms focused on familiarity, calmness, and quick TV usage, as UX research pointed us towards.
  4. Redesigning the Out-of-Box Experience (OBE) to reduce setup time and improve user satisfaction.
  5. Creating guidelines for the first unified Samsung TV UX design. This was done in conjunction with other team members in London, and the website repository produced by the team in Seoul.
  6. Overseeing the creation of wireframes, prototypes, and production-ready assets throughout the entire process.
  7. Breaking down the lengthy onboarding process into smaller, digestible chunks. This included research, journey mapping, UX analysis, prototyping and production ready assets.
  8. Minimizing initial setup to allow users to enjoy their TV within 5 minutes of unpacking.
The team provided comprehensive UI and interaction specifications to the engineering department, laying the groundwork for what would eventually evolve into Samsung’s One UI a year later. Full specs on the link provided above.

Actions

As the UX and UI designer in the team for Samsung’s Tizen-based TV interface redesign, I took several key actions to address UI usability challenges and improve the Out-of-Box Experience (OBE):

  1. User Research and Insights Gathering
    • Collaborated with FoolProof, a leading research agency, to conduct on-site interviews with users in their homes.
    • Observed customers unpacking and setting up Samsung TVs, documenting pain points in real-time.
    • Identified that the onboarding process, which took up to 25 minutes, caused frustration and delayed enjoyment of the product.
  2. UI Design System Development
    • Led the creation of the new UI design system, including interaction paradigms centered on the themes of familiarity, calmness, and enabling users to “use the TV as soon as possible.”
    • Designed micro-interactions and visual cues to soften the interface’s look and feel, including subtle animations, clear navigation highlights, and hover effects.
  3. Out-of-Box Experience (OBE) strategy
    • Radically redesigned the OBE flow, reducing the initial setup time from 25 minutes to just 5 minutes for basic functionality.
    • Allowed technical processes to run in the background while users engaged with their new TV immediately.
    • Introduced gamification elements to familiarize users with the new Samsung pointer remote control, making it more intuitive and engaging.
  4. Collaboration and Production
    • Worked closely with engineers to ensure technical feasibility of design solutions while aligning with Samsung’s broader strategy.
    • Collaborated with a core three-person design team at Samsung’s London office to create wireframes, prototypes, and production-ready assets for implementation.

These actions resulted in a more user-friendly interface and onboarding process that significantly improved first impressions of Samsung TVs, reducing frustration and enhancing user satisfaction.

Gamification elements were incorporated into the OBE to demonstrate the functionality of the new remote control, making the learning process more engaging and intuitive for users.
The updated onboarding experience (OBE) included a series of “escape hatches,” allowing users to exit the setup at any moment and return to their previous point to continue finalizing the process.

Results

The redesign of Samsung’s Tizen-based TV interface and Out-of-Box Experience (OBE) delivered promising early results:

  1. Reduced Setup Time: The onboarding process was streamlined from 25 minutes to just 5 minutes for basic functionality, allowing users to enjoy their TV almost immediately after unpacking.
  2. Improved User Experience: Initial surveys comparing the old and new onboarding processes showed strong user preference for the redesigned flow, with users appreciating the ability to postpone in-depth setup steps and engage with their TV sooner.
  3. Positive Feedback: Although I left before full market implementation and long-term metrics were available, the early feedback indicated that the redesign significantly improved user satisfaction and first impressions of Samsung TVs.

These results demonstrate my contribution to the project’s success in addressing key pain points, enhancing usability, and laying the groundwork for a more user-centric smart TV experience.

The new UI was enthusiastically received by senior stakeholders, paving the way for its next iteration..