SAMSUNG / NEW FAMILIES

a seismic shift in family structure demands a new way of thinking about appliances

Globally, the family is undergoing rapid changes as roles, structures, and values are being redefined for the 21st century. Yet we are still designing appliances for a family that is no longer the majority.

SCOPE OF WORK

Understand how the families are  evolving, with a focus on emerging lifestyles, attitudes and behaviors. Target regions: US, Brazil, China, India, Europe, and South East Asia.

Build a strategic framework that enables global alignment and regional differentiation.

Generate actionable opportunities for Samsung’s Digital Appliance business to anticipate the shifting needs of these new households.

PROJECT ACTIVITIES

• Global ethnographic research in 17 cities worldwide

• 29 expert interviews

• Regional analysis / global synthesis

• Needs mapping

• Insight framing

• Strategy development

• Co-creative Design workshops

• Concept visualization

KEY INSIGHT

In each region that we studied, family structures are undergoing dramatic changes. Today’s families are more complex and dynamic than ever, but we are still designing appliances for a traditional family that is no longer the norm.

These new families need Adaptive Appliances that:

• ADAPT to a wide range of users

• EVOLVE with the family over time

outcomes

These new households are more dynamic than traditional families—with fluid roles, members, and structures. They live in households that are smaller (single member) and larger (multi-generational) than traditional families, and are more likely to change over time.

OPPORTUNITY ONE

• OBSERVATION
  The target user for household products is widening; it’s no longer just the mom who is using appliances.

• INSIGHT
  A “one size fits all” approach  doesn’t work because family members each have different needs and capabilities. 

• OPPORTUNITIES
  Appeal to everyone in the family (across gender lines).
  Adapt to the capability levels of different users (kids, elders, maids).

OPPORTUNITY TWO

• OBSERVATION
  Single member households are on the rise among the young and old.

• INSIGHT
  Independents demand right-sized appliances, but don’t want to compromise on power or performance.

• OPPORTUNITY
  Efficient “single serving” appliances that can scale up for occasional power use.

OPPORTUNITY THREE

• OBSERVATION
  Multi-generational households are more common than ever.

• INSIGHT
  Emerging Families struggle to find balance between mutual support and self-determination in larger households.

• OPPORTUNITIES
  Enable more collaborative and simultaneous use.
  Make it easier to share appliances among independent users.

OPPORTUNITY FOUR

• OBSERVATION
  Families don’t follow a predictable linear life path anymore. They are taking unprecedented trajectories with diverse individualized choices.

• INSIGHT
  Increasingly unpredictable life-stage changes mean that families are becoming resistant to making long-term investments in big-ticket items like appliances.

• OPPORTUNITY
  Appliances should be modular and future-proofed, evolving with families by easily accommodating emerging needs.