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(L-R) Irene Ng (VP Corporate Marketing), Ken Ding (Head of Product Innovation), President Tony Tan, Yong Sung Jeon (CEO and President) and Robert Tomlin (Chairman, Design Singapore)

On 9 December 2016, Samsung Electronics was honoured with the President’s Design Award (PDA) for the design of the Samsung AddWash washing machine at a ceremony held at the Istana in Singapore. Samsung was one of the recipients of the prestigious “Design of the Year” category.

According to the jury citation, the AddWash feature is “a result of deep consumer insights, ease-of-use ergonomics and design for assembly and manufacturability”. It should also be noted as the world’s first distinctive access door on front load washing machines, as it allows consumers to add any item during a wash cycle without opening the main door or pausing.

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Yong Sung Jeon, CEO and President, Samsung Southeast Asia with Ken Ding (Head of Product Innovation Team) at the display zone featuring the winning product design, Samsung AddWash

“This is a great testament to our Product Innovation team because it demonstrates the importance of smart design and how consumer insights can lead to innovative touches, to make consumers’ lives easier. They are now able to do their daily chores efficiently and spend more time with their loved ones. We will continue to invest in understanding our consumers and creating products which enhance their daily lives.” said Irene Ng, Vice-President, Corporate Marketing, Samsung Electronics (Southeast Asia & Oceania).

Aside from having the convenience of opening the second door without pausing the washing process, AddWash also consumes less water and are more energy efficient, providing a superior wash quality. From a commercial perspective, the outcome of this design innovation will result in better margins for Samsung, proving the tried and tested adage that good design is good business.

The President’s Design Award is Singapore’s highest honour accorded to designers and designs across all design disciplines with a total of 39 Designers of the Year and 99 Designs of the Year having been conferred the award since it launched in 2006.