Designers Younghoon Lee and Banseok Seo both belong to a generation without the collective memory of televisions before they became the thin, large, and hi-definition panels standard today. Gen Z is also notably a demographic with a sizable percentage living in households with roommates or at home with family due to rising costs. These realities are the driving forces behind the concept design of the LG FLOW, a format-shifting 42-inch television with an easel-style stand accessorized with a pair of pop-out surround speakers conceived as a “movable platform.”
When converted into vertical mode the FLOW is intended to be enjoyed as a digital art canvas, a use case further emphasized by the set’s easel stand.
Designed in partnership with the Korea Design Membership and LG Electronics, the same industry + academic cooperative that aided in the design of the LG Witty, the LG FLOW is not remarkably different from that concept nor existing vertical format transforming sets like the Samsung Aero and TCL Smart Screen. Each of those televisions are designed to flip between horizontal and vertical orientation, allowing for flexible placement and easy storage.
Where the LG FLOW concept distinguishes itself from other televisions – existing or conceptual – is with the addition of a pair of wireless speakers designed to detach from the rear of the set. Deployed from two flush slots, and engineered to work alongside an up-firing array and front-firing soundbar attached to the television, the two book-sized speakers allow FLOW viewers the ability to add a layer of spatial sound without the hassle of running cables or snaking power cords.
When fully calibrated and connected with a smartphone, the speakers are designed to auto-detect the user and optimize spatial audio output toward the viewer/listener for an immersive experience.
The FLOW’s easel style legs can be folded to allow the set to be leaned against the wall when converted into vertical mode, allowing for more flexible placement (or storage).
The LG FLOW is yet another example of how televisions continue to evolve to reflect user habits, where time-shifting viewing on smartphones and tablets have chipped away at dedicated television viewing. It’s debatable whether a vertical-orientation television really serves the viewing habits of Gen Z in any meaningful way, but with a space-saving mode and paired with wireless speakers, the LG FLOW undoubtedly thinks out of the 16:9 ratio box.
