[Interview] Designing for Joy: The Creative Journey Behind Eva Cremers’ Character Collection for the Galaxy Watch6 Series

Watches are for more than just keeping time – they're an expression of our personalities. With a new collection of cheerful characters for the Galaxy Watch6 series, Samsung Electronics and Dutch artist Eva Cremers are making it easy for Galaxy users to flaunt their style, right from their wrists.

Eva Cremers is a 3D illustrator and animation director from the Netherlands. Her playful, graphic computer-generated imagery(CGI) style perfectly complements the Galaxy Watch6 series’ bigger, brighter display and upgraded interactive interface.

Samsung sat down with Eva to discuss her design journey with Samsung and how her Galaxy Watch6 characters can become trusty sidekicks around the clock.

[Unpacking the Collaboration]
Q1. Could you share your experience working with Samsung on the Galaxy Watch6 project? What was your creative process?
Certainly! This partnership with Samsung for the Galaxy Watch6 series was a wonderful experience. I was asked to design a range of fun and quirky characters that users could choose from. These characters were designed with various activities in mind, such as listening to music or engaging in sports, and I was able to experiment with creating personality traits for each character in my own style.

It began as most projects do – with lots of sketches exploring different characters and brainstorming how to illustrate different activities to make them interactive with the user. From there, I closely collaborated with the Samsung team to fine-tune every detail, from color palettes and textures to lighting effects and character animations to optimize the experience to the Galaxy Watch6.

Q2. Can you tell us about your and Samsung’s roles in this collaboration? How did this collaboration stand out from your previous experiences?
In this partnership, Samsung and I had distinct roles. My job was to design a bunch of unique characters for the Galaxy Watch6 series while Samsung brought expertise in the watch's technical capabilities to guide me on what was possible. The team gave me lots of room to be creative, and it was so much fun to see my characters in a new setting!

This collaboration was different in the sense that I was creating characters that people could take with them wherever they went. I really had to think about how to design characters that felt universal and appealed to a broad audience.

[Designing for the Galaxy Watch6 Series]
Q3. You've created five characters for the Galaxy Watch6's watch faces: Ball, Frog, Flower, Heart and Abstract. What makes each of these characters unique?
The Ball character is perfect for sports enthusiasts. It's full of energy and bounce, making it an ideal companion for your runs. Then, there's Frog – a cool character, but keep an eye on your battery level as he gets tired when it runs low! For nature lovers, the Flower character is always in sync with the weather outside, giving you a heads-up on what's happening outdoors. The Heart character is a music aficionado, so just put on some tunes and watch it groove! Lastly, Abstract is a special character that stands out from the others – it's bold, graphic and colorful. Abstract even reacts to incoming messages, giving users a dynamic and visual way to stay connected. Q4. What inspired you to create these characters?
I’ve always been inspired by old cartoons and classic characters. I love characters that are full of life!

For these particular characters, I found inspiration in imagining all the ways people use their watches throughout the day. The Galaxy Watch6 series’ versatile capabilities really sparked ideas about what the characters could do and how they would appear. For example, there is an energetic basketball helping you exercise and a drained frog serving as a low-battery alert.
Q5. Tell us more about the design process. What posed the greatest challenge? How did you feel after viewing the finished product?
The design process presented its own challenges, considering I had to work on a small scale and ensure that the character movements seamlessly fit within the watch screen. Despite these hurdles, I was thrilled when I completed the project. I love seeing my characters out in the world and knowing that people will carry them everywhere!

It’s so easy to hang out with these characters on the new Galaxy Watch6 series. The watch face features a higher resolution and larger display, meaning users can see the characters come to life onscreen in a more vibrant and vivid way.

Q6. How do your designs reflect Samsung’s vision of personalization?
These designs perfectly reflect Samsung's commitment to personalization. They allow users to choose from a variety of characters that cater to diverse interests – whether it's music, sports or nature. These characters allow users to find a character that reflects their personality, along with many other watch faces options available for the Galaxy Watch6 series. Through these watch faces, I believe even more users will be able to tailor their wearable experiences. Users can also meet these characters in their Galaxy Z Flip5. Users can even match their watch face designs with the Galaxy Z Flip5’s Flex Window to create a more cohesive, personalized look.

[What’s Next?]

Q7. What does this collaboration with Samsung mean to you? What are your next steps?
I have a soft spot for projects that people can wear or interact with. Seeing so many individuals sporting my design on their wrists is huge! I always want my characters to help people express themselves, and this collaboration accomplished that. As users incorporate the Galaxy Watch6 series into their daily routines, it’s fulfilling to think that my designs might add an extra layer of happiness to their lifestyles whether they’re building healthier habits or improving their sleep cycles.

Looking ahead, my goal remains the same – to create work that brings smiles and spreads joy in all kinds of ways. For my next projects, I wish to continue designing playful worlds where people have fun. I absolutely loved this collaboration, and I hope to be working more with Samsung in the future!

Eva Cremers' delightful character designs for the Galaxy Watch6 series seamlessly blend creativity with technology, enriching the wearable experience for millions of Galaxy users. Stay tuned to learn more about the Galaxy Watch6 series’ purposeful design upgrades and other enhancements.