Some people just grow on you. As you get to know them more and more appealing. What that appeal is, exactly, is difficult to put into words. Even F. Scott Fitzgerald or other character writers found it difficult to pinpoint what it is that makes a person so pleasant. Is it the appearance? The way one speaks, or expresses themselves? Or the way they wear their clothes? Surely those are virtues worth having, but are only skin deep. It is no different with product design.
Take the MX7 LX for example. Granted, at first glance it doesn't really grasp your attention, but once you get to know the product, your views change. Think about it, like people, a product takes time to understand and use. And like people, once you have a working knowledge of a product, you gain an opinion, or a perspective toward it. Just like people. The MX series is a people–centric product that we're confident you'll get to know, and like over time!
The printer is your typical B2B product. Once purchased and installed it usually stays in one place for 5–7 years and rarely seen by retail consumers. Why would Samsung Electronics imbue a design identity on a product like this? Shouldn't it just work... well? We wanted to go beyond merely manufacturer and instill a sense of trust through our design values. Not a superficial identity but through meaningful innovation that you, the user, experience firsthand. This meant going back to the basics of the product and enhancing the user experience by adding new functions to a staple office appliance. Adding a sense of meaning to a timeless design approach.
In order to establish a design identity that increases over time, the MX Series design incorporated two main design principles:
Rather than look for vague conceptual values, we chose a practical, functional design approach that could have direct application. The result is Split Design and the Samsung Smart UX Center.
A printer is commonly divided into the interface, where the user interacts with the product and receives the printed material and storage where the mechanism and paper is stored.
Ergonomically designed, the interface considers the appropriate angle you need to comfortably bend in order to retrieve your print–outs. A warm ebony brown color is selected as the main color for this section as it contrasts well with the white paper.
The storage section has a straight geometric contour and a light grey color throughout making this office appliance blend in well yet retain a stately composure in any workspace.
As the times change so too does the office. The MX series was designed to operate perfectly in a digital and mobile office environment. Instead of buttons, a touch screen control panel running Android OS is a first for this market. Even without a computer it's possible to edit or change documents, photos straight from the printer. Download the application to your mobile device and send a variety of commands to the printer. Truly a next generation office appliance!
Admittedly, design that grabs your attention or looks cutting edge dominate the airwaves. However, it's the product that goes back to basics for a truly user–centric design experience that lasts the distance. The MX series does exactly that, the Basics of the Printer. And then some.
A design that stays with you, and gets better with each time you use it; surpassing the competition in unique innovation, and retaining a sense of performance with each new model, the MX series is, oddly enough, not about adding design, but subtracting it, working with only the essence of a product. With the passing of time, the Samsung Electronics MX series will surely grow on you like a good friend.
