TV FOR THE WORLD WE LIVE IN

We are no longer impressed by the relentless working robot. Instead, we look to the soft touch of a robot as it gently grasps a child's hand as the next breakthrough. Technology is no longer about high–tech but how it moves hearts and changes lives.

The Bouroullec Brothers, world renowned product designers from France, and Samsung Electronics have joined together to design a TV that no longer belongs to television, but to the world we live in. Introducing the Serif.

This isn't your typical wafer thin, cutting edge technology TV. Instead, we introduce a TV that fuses harmoniously with the world you live in. An experience similar to what happens in the morning; a slight mist and then a break of sunset. The Samsung Serif TV was designed to be a part of your life with color, materials and form that belong to the language of everyday objects and furniture.

Technology and comfort do
not necessarily go hand in hand.

In fact, if the needs of users are not met, even the most advanced technology is a moot point. Samsung Electronics, together with the Bouroullec Brothers started their journey with this simple truth. From the exterior of the TV to the UI, even the packaging, everything and anything has been reconsidered from the viewpoint of the user; simple, natural and inviting in one unified design — a TV that no longer belongs to television, but to the world we live in, in a meaningful way.

In profile, the Serif TV forms a serifed capital ‘I’, its slim body tapers out to form a flat surface at the top as well as at the bottom. The serif in typographic terms is a small attachment at the end of a column in a letter.

One single frame, one color, one shape
blending into the home —

Not a wall or stand mounted TV, the Serif can rest on a counter or a desk with ease. Optional feet allow you to set it on the floor, anywhere in the house, like you would comfortable furniture.

The Serif TV has a unique interface called ‘Curtain Mode’. When turned on, the generic bouncing logo screen is replaced with a filter much like a curtain pulled over the screen, veiling the image and leaving only an impression of what is going on behind it.

Imposed upon this shimmering, almost poetic pattern are displayed simple default functions such as a clock, speaker volume, or photo gallery applications. Additional settings function enables the consumer to change the main color of the curtain from blue to green, red or grey. It also enables the scale of the pixel blur to be customized through four different levels, creating progressively more abstract screening of the content playing behind the curtain.

The interface design also reflects the form of the TV; to fuse harmoniously with its surroundings. This gives the Serif TV the appearance of more than just a screen appliance. With Curtain Mode on, the cold indifference of a digital product is imbued with a warmth and sense of emotion unseen in a TV until now.

We handled the Serif like typographers would a letter. Instead of digital tools or programs we made drawings, sketches and ‘homemade’ mock ups in our workshops. Even with 3D printing we tried to achieve a look that was reminiscent of woodwork.

Despite the industrial nature of its finished production, the Serif was imbued with the virtues of metal, wood and stone; materials that were inspirational in developing the final design of the TV. Serif comes in three colors: white (slightly ivory), dark blue (nearly black), and red. The back of the TV was a crucial area because it condenses a number of technical elements. We developed a fabric panel to cover and hide connectors and screws giving it a singular appearance from any angle. The fabric pattern naturally echoes the digital graphics designed for the interface.

Even the packaging was designed to be simple and inviting, rather than be filled with lavish product images, infographics and laden with descriptions and specifications.