The Costume
Portable External Hard Drive
2007 for SAMSUNG Electronics Digital Storage Group
Samsung Electronics Digital Storage Group is a global leader in digital storage development and manufacturing. Despite their strong presence in the B2B sector, they had not entered the consumer market with their own branded products until 2007. To broaden their business scope and establish a foothold in the consumer market, the group initiated plans to develop a branded consumer product.
“The Costume” was one of the flagship concepts for their inaugural product launch.
Challenge: From Late Entrant to Trend Leader
As a late entrant into the consumer portable external hard drive market, I recognized that Samsung Electronics faced two options:
Introduce a completely new design that could establish and lead a fresh design trend in the market.
Follow existing design trends set by major competitors, but offer superior functionality.
I believed that Samsung should pursue the first path—presenting a design that consumers had never seen before in a portable hard drive, one that could set a new industry trend. This approach would align with the company’s broader vision of leading through innovation and design.
With this goal in mind, the design challenge was to define a direction that could create and lead a new design trend in the portable hard drive market.
Core Question: Why Are Consumer Electronics Masculine?
Based on research into general consumer electronics—particularly trends in portable external hard drives—the leading design keywords were: static, bold, rigid, minimal, and severe.These visually masculine aesthetics were intended to communicate reliability and strong protection of the digital data stored inside the device.
But, is this what consumers actually want in a portable external hard drive? Or are companies projecting these values onto consumers—focusing too heavily on data protection while overlooking user preferences?
These were the core questions driving the design concept. The design development process was carried out with a focus on exploring and answering these questions.
The Hard Drive Is Wearing a New Costume
The portable external hard drive now takes on the stylish and elegant appearance of a fashionable woman’s compact powder case—trendy, sleek, and sophisticated. It’s no longer just a computer peripheral; it has become an essential digital accessory—something you can carry with you every day and proudly show off.
“The Costume" protects your data in its own stylish way, just as a compact powder case securely protects the delicate cosmetics inside. It offers a fashionable and refined digital storage experience—unlike anything that has come before.
A Shift in Thinking That Creates Deep Empathy and Delivers a New Experience and Trends
“The Costume” received sensational feedback from the public when it was featured in several design and consumer electronics trend magazines and websites. People were craving a new kind of portable external hard drive—one they could interact with and experience differently from traditional models.
“The Costume” resonated deeply with people through its aesthetics and design story, both of which were grounded in real user needs. It demonstrates how a shift in thinking can foster a strong emotional connection, deliver a fresh and meaningful experience, and even set new trends.
*The Costume was produced with a modified design by Samsung Electronics’ internal design team and was sold exclusively in the South Korean market.
Design Team:
Joongoo Lee (Industrial Design Lead / Manager)
Design Credit:
Samsung Electronics Digital Storage Group. Suwon. South Korea.
Published:
Gazeta Wyborca. Polish Magazine. (www.wyborcza.pl)
Akihabara News. Japan. (www.akihabaranews.com)
Focus Knack. Belgian Magazine. (www.focus.knack.be)
KyungHyang Daily News. South Korea (www.khan.co.kr)
Exhibition:
2007 IDSA / ICSID Connecting Congress. San Francisco.