This is that.
Friday, December 9, 2011 at 5:10PM 
There has been much talk about design in the tech space recently, mostly from the UI/UX community on the "bullshit" that is skeuomorphism. A friend, Jon Gold has made a nice write-up of his thoughts on the topic, focused on Apple's horrible UI direction of recent years. The UI world isn't the only space with problems though, the hardware space is also facing loads of issues. The source is from something similar; the inability to create logical and cohesive metaphors. Products of the past were directly dictated by the function they fulfilled. The fork has narrow tines to poke with. The chair has four legs to support with. Things have real and honest correlation in this pure "analog" world.
Just like forks and chairs, headphones can be easily understood in terms of function. They produce sound and direct it to your ears. Therefore, the design is directly dictated by the function and use, making it much more easy for a designer to imagine such a product. And this shows. The headphone market has been filled vibrant design, from the minimal to the flashy to playful.
But things become messy with mobile phones and other "slabs" where the design has less relation to the form. As soon as you put a piece of glass in front of an LCD display, things start looking the same. Or do they? The problems faced in the hardware is worse than skeuomorphism in the UI space in that there is no alternative. There is a total lack of differentiation and diversity. Too many companies are taking the same approach, and even just imitating.
We've all heard the debate on whether Samsung is copying Apple's design or not. There has been an increasing number of people debating that it's inevitable for Samsung's devices to look like Apple's. I don't think this is the case.
Arguably, every pair of headphones look the same. They all have 2 cups and a headband. But they really don't all look alike. Every pair has its own notion on what it's trying to "be". I'm going to pick on Samsung because it's easy. The Samsung Galaxy S is clearly an imitation of the iPhone/iPod. It doesn't express anything. It's the difference between the The Hofmeister kink on the Accord and a 3 series.
Case in point. These phones are extremely similar. I think it's dangerous for people to not demand more. The excuse that a phone and tablet can "only" look like Apple products have created a market with no character. There is no soul in the Galaxy S.
Phones like the Xperia and Nexus One prove that a phone doesn't need to look like the iPhone. I'll be honest, these aren't handsome examples and don't really excite me personally but nevertheless, they don't look like like clones.
When Apple demanded that Samsung tablets look different from the iPad, there was some outrage from people saying that it's impossible. I don't think so. Even by looking at the side profiles with some recent tablets, it's easy to see that the Samsung is easily mistakable for the iPad to an untrained eye. Yes, it's hard to make something that doesn't look like an iPad. But that's the job of designers. Consumers need to demand more from us.
This is my second post criticizing Samsung. I get questioned why I do this so much. It's because they have so much uncapped potentional. They are arguably the second most powerful electronics manufacturer other than Apple. They make everything. If Samsung wanted to, they could make the best phone in the world. Problem is that their products have no emotional value. Some of the products above were ones that had caught by eyes in the past. From the laptop designed by Naoto Fukasawa to the DVD player that looks like a pebble - there is potential.
Competition is the fastest way to innovate. It's how America went to the moon. It's how we're seeing gasoline cars that go 40MPG on the roads. I want to see people challenge Apple. But I don't want a KIRF manufacturer do this.
It truly is difficult to design a phone. Much harder than a fork or a chair. It's very tempting to follow Apple but it just isn't working out. The first problem is that Apple is just too good at manufacturing. In my opinion, true minimal design only works with incredible engineering and quality. When you copy an iPhone, it just ends up looking like an imitation with poor build quality. Secondly, Apple is minimal because honest design is honestly their philosophy. If your brand isn't based on this philosophy, don't do it. I find it brilliant that Apple can create so much emotion through their products. I clearly remember the first time I used a Mac and iPod. But if your product can't do this, it just ends up being forgettable and bland. We need to step past pure "aesthetic minimalism". We need to create emotional design now. There is simply too much being produced and the best way to capture consumers is through emotion.
It's very rare to see a desirable phone with a story. Other than the Nokia N9, I don't think there has been a device I had actually really wanted. But in the mysterious land that is Japan, there is a brand called iida. I want to see diversity, emotion and spirit like this. I've had enough of iPhone imitations and Verizon phones like look like battle gear. It's time for change. It's time for diversity.
Reader Comments (19)
You make some fair points, but that iPhone Galaxy comparison shot is edited slightly. I think it's inevitable that the market leader will have imitators, however Samsung is a big enough, and a well established enough, that it shouldn't be the ones doing that. I have a Galaxy S 2 and the worst part about it for me is how similar it looks to the iPhone family.
"They are arguably the second most powerful electronics manufacturer other than Apple." Well. Samsung is the biggest electronics company in the world, so you could argue they are also the most powerful.
Great post. One small correction, I believe the Samsung laptop was designed by Naoto Fukasawa, not Jasper Morrison.
Thanks MP, I meant to say that the phone is by Morrison. Fixed.
Ahh, right. It makes your points even more salient that a company that once recruited designers as talented as Fukasawa and Morrison has now resorted to blatant copying.
A shame, really.
I agreed with your comment. People may say that they choosen Samsung device becouse it's 'cheeper and better'. Maybe in few parameters but there is one main different between Apple's and Android phones like Samsung's - the soul. Thing that they can't forge.
Andrew, i have to say you might want to start doing some meta-cognition about your articles on Apple. Not to call you a fanboy, but your latest posts have been under-researched and a bit unprofessional.
I agree, in some ways samsung copied apple, but I think it was more in the software not hardware.
Samsung has made very strong decisions to build lightweight phones/tablets that will be more durable (as in resistant to catastrophic screen and body damage, not resistant to every scratch) rather than built out of "premium" materials (glass, aluminum) which in of itself makes their devices much different.
Yes you can make different tablet style devices, but Apple does not have a monopoly on minimalist design. Those edges Samsung is "copying"? Realize that those are just basic rounded edges.
You should fixing the scaling on the iPhone next to galaxy s picture. Other than that I agree with everything.
Josh, how can you imply that Andrew did not do research when "design" is not something that is about data? Since when was there a committee or publication that would make a designer's thoughts on design valid or not? I would like to ask where you got the information on how Samsung made a "strong decision" to use the materials they use. The Galaxy S is not a copy of the iPhone just because of the rounded edges but because of multiple characters from the bezzel treatment to the material and finishes.
Thoughts on design are from the opinion of the designer and not taken as "fact" I think you are being unfair.
@Forfait
whoa whoa whoa, sorry if I offended you.
the data which I am talking about is from the coffee time posts (the list of phones that samsung offers, implying that all 200 or whatever are trying to compete with the iPhone) and the resized Galaxy S photo.
I totally agree with Andrew that phone companies could be much more creative with their designs. I also am saying that Apple doesn't own minimalistic design.
I wasn't saying his opinion is wrong at all, in fact i agree with it on many points, I was just pointing out that having more accurate graphics would make said opinion more convincing.
While I found this to be a very passionate entry, and I certainly did enjoy the BMW/Honda example, it is very raw--not typical of you. I completely agree but I sense a large amount of frustration with an industry that continually proves its lack of value on individuality and creativity. You pose a problem to which there simply is no easy solution, "wicked problems" as we call them here at Parsons.
@Josh
How can you honestly suggest Andrew is a "fanboy" when he quite clearly displays respect for Samsung, other products they have made and outlines his argument quite objectively. Just because he isn't a Samsung lapdog it doesn't mean he's an Apple fanboy. I'd say Andrew is a design fanboy, not one of any single company.
ugh. i hate posting any sort of opinionated post on the internet.
as a recap:
-i think andrew is great, his work has helped inspire me to pursue industrial design while all of my family members are pure engineers
-i don't think he is a "fanboy"
-because of the half-true graphics he has posted he could appear so to people who don't visit his blog often.
pretty sure andrew can take some constructive criticism now and then, in the real world not all people will agree with his opinions. If this was a presentation, I know myself and others would have called him out on the resized galaxy s graphic and some of the graphics from coffee time.
I appreciate Andrew's opinion even if I disagree with him from time to time. I would say that adding 'statistics' to 'prove' opinion rubs me up the wrong way.
However in this post I think Andrew is spot on. This is the same way I feel about HP's design path in recent years, such an awful waste.
I would be interested in Andrew's opinion on the Current Sony Ericsson line up as these are likely the last of of designs before they become Sony. In partucular: Arc, Neo, Active, Play and Mix Walkman.
Hi Andrew,
You should try the Nokia Lumia 800.
And have a look at the so clean WP7 UI ;)
Cheers.
what's the model name of the black samsung mobile on the left? it looks great!
I am an Android fanboy and this blog has been very instrumental to the understanding of the design world of smartphones
and yes, Samsung phones do look iPhone-ish. And their UI overlay looks too iOS.
Apple doesn't own minimalistic design. But they do own the iPhone design.
Android should really do better
The Samsung Galaxy Nexus no longer looks iPhone-y, but it still doesn't give me that "zing"
for me, the best designed Android phone is the Motorola Devour
Motorola Devour
nice clean lines, curves. I especially like the symmetry, something Android QWERTY phones don't seem to have the hang of.
Motorola Devour QWERTY
I like how the back features integral rubber/plastic pads which prevent the aluminum finish from getting scratched.
Motorola Devour back
It's a bit butch but Megan Fox did use it.
(That's another thing BTW. Android phones can't seem to get the hang of gender neutral phones)
The Motorola Devour is the best designed Android phone in my opinion, and that's not just because I'm impartial to slideout keyboards
Too bad that phone is now very much outdated. And it didn't get much love from users and developers. And Motoblur was ugly.
Motorola is very capable of making good phones (read: RZR). Too bad they seem to have forgotten them with the new Android phones. And is marketing them all wrong. And are terrible with software.
Thanks for this post. It puts into words what is wrong with Samsung. I think they can be a great company, but it's annoying to see so many copies of Apple products when they can clearly do better. They just simply don't care about making the best phone. They focus on too many products and sees what sticks.
To those saying the comparison image of the two phones is fake, the image is to show the similar proportions, not the size of the device.
I apologize I have absolutely no demand for difference, aesthetics, innovation, emotion. Further, I don't want to pay for the "difference, aesthetics, innovation, emotion" parts. I just want something ugly that works, if ugly means lower price.
Hi,
do you know which brand is the green chair on the first photo in the post?
Thanks:),
Monika