Technology has long been defined by minimalist aesthetics, with tech executives espousing smart and sleek design.
But Samsung’s newly-minted President and Chief Design Officer, Mauro Porcini, is looking to change that.
The tech world should adopt a more “expressive design language,” Porcini told the crowd at the Fortune Brainstorm Design forum in Macau on Dec. 2.
“[Humans] are attracted by complexity, diversity and variety.”
He pointed to industries like fashion, automotives and architecture, which offer consumers a range of design options.
“We deserve the possibility of choosing different kinds of languages on the basis of who we are, to enable us to express ourselves through the products that surround us,” Porcini said.
Before overseeing design for South Korea’s leading tech company, Porcini spent years working across Europe, North America and Asia at firms like PepsiCo and 3M.
The Italian designer credited the diversity of cultures he experienced as a key source of inspiration at work—where he draws from Europe’s emphasis on craft and storytelling, the U.S.’ mission-driven culture, and Asia’s attention towards experimentation, agility and speed.
By “combining the strands” of these different cultures, Porcini seeks to “create something original, something new, [and] something that can really change the game.”
When asked about his vision for Samsung, Porcini pointed to an equation: AI x (EI + HI). It stands for: artificial intelligence amplified by emotional intelligence and human imagination.
“There’s a lot of fear that AI and robots and technology could erode human qualities,” he said. “[New generations thus] want purpose from individuals, from companies, from entities of any kind. They want positive impact. They want hope. They want optimism.”
And there is no better person to steer companies in the right direction than a designer, said Porcini, who is Samsung’s first Chief Design Officer. In this role, he oversees 1,500 designers across the company’s business in mobile, displays, TVs, and home appliances.
“We sincerely care about people,” he added. “This is why we decided to be designers, to create something valuable for people.”
Porcini expressed excitement at joining Samsung, calling tech his first love. While studying industrial design at Politecnico di Milano in Milan, he had worked on a thesis on wearable technologies.
“Back then, in the ‘90s, it was just a dream that we could actually wear technology. And then fast forward to today, it is really happening,” he said.
And technology has immense potential to advance the common good, the designer said.
“Life told me there is something so much more important than business and technology and growing these organizations financially—which is to do something good for the world, for society,” Porcini added.
“So I’m using these [tech] platforms to reach people and society, and in my own way, try to add value to their lives.”
