Samsung explains ‘Modern Flash’ UX and back cover design concept behind Galaxy S5

• Samsung is back with yet another in-depth look at some of the thought that went into designing the Galaxy S5 and its hardware. This time, the company has talked about the UX and back cover design concept behind its latest flagship, which its engineers dubbed “Modern Flash”, a “sophisticated and youthful urban style with emotion.” The new design ideology is noticeable right from the lockscreen, where Samsung has opted for “colorful diamond-like shapes” and ditched the nature-inspired look from previous Galaxy S flagships, with the diamonds giving it a sophisticated look. The wallpaper itself was selected to showcase colors that would look good on the AMOLED display, something that it has also done on devices like the Galaxy Note 3.

• The interface and app icons have also been redesigned to be more simpler and stylish. For example, gone are the 12 hour dots in the clock icon, leaving just the hour, minute and second hands; similarly, the music icon is now a music note inside a circle instead of a play sign inside a circle with the music note at the side. Icons are also rounder and cleaner, though this does make things look a bit odd in some areas, like the notifications area. Also reduced is the number of total apps installed on the device, from 51 on the Note 3 to 40 on the Galaxy S5, something which Samsung did after reading data on what apps its consumers use the most.

• Samsung also details why it went with the band-aid-like look for the back cover, with the design team having “touched hundreds of fabrics in different colors, sizes, and types such as plastic, wood, textiles, glass, and adhesives” before deciding on sheepskin leather with small holes for a more tactile feel in-hand. There’s a lot more Samsung talks about, so go ahead and check out the source link for all the details.