Problem

In 2014, Samsung was looking to develop a strategic technology direction for the future of smart cities and IoT. They needed a comprehensive understanding of what a city in 2020 would look like and what technologies would be used. The challenge was to create a vision that could inform Samsung's product development strategy.

I was charged with gathering insights from experts in various fields through in depth expert interviews, understanding user needs and behaviors, and translating it into a compelling vision for the future.

Watch our video showcasing the future trends and projected technologies in use.

Solution

To create a comprehensive vision for the future, we started by creating user personas and user journey maps. We then conducted interviews with experts in 12 different technology arenas to understand emerging trends and potential use cases.

Based on these insights, we created a video showcasing what a city in 2020 would look like. The video highlighted how smart connected objects could improve daily life, from transportation to healthcare to entertainment. We also provided recommendations for Samsung's product development strategy based on our findings.

Impact

Provided Samsung with a clear understanding of emerging trends and potential use cases for smart cities and Samsung's large IoT consumer electronics portfolio
Created a compelling vision for the future that informed Samsung's product development strategy

30+

Unique products assessed and integrated

400+

Digital capabilities and opportunities audited and mapped to new solutions

10

Year vision and roadmap developed

Team

Team Member #1 - UX Researcher
- Conducted user research and created user personas and journey maps
- Coordinated expert interviews and analyzed findings
Team Member #2 - Strategist
- Conducted technology trends research
- Created database of thousands of technology examples divided into trends and opportunity areas
Team Member #2 - Video Producer
- Produced the video showcasing the future of smart cities and IoT
- Collaborated with UX researcher to ensure the video accurately reflected our findings

Samsung's Smart City & IoT Strategy for 2020