[Design Forum] Seoul promotes itself as hotbed of creativity, innovation

Seoul Design Week 2015, the biggest celebration of creativity and innovation in design, kicks off Wednesday at various spots in Seoul. The second edition of the annual design festival presents more than 10 programs highlighting the unique ideas and products of young designers and entrepreneurs. Programs ranging from exhibitions, sales of design products and lectures by leading designers and entrepreneurs to a late-night networking party for designers and citizens will take place at Dongdaemun De

Dec. 1, 2015

Winter fashion forecast

For those rummaging through their closets for inspiration or hitting the shops for new bits of insulation against the chilly year’s end, The Korea Herald has pinpointed two fashion trends expected to prevail this winter. Left) Model sporting long coat and wide pants from clothing brand 8seconds (Samsung C&T Fashion); (Right) Model sporting khaki jogger pants from Style Men (Lotte.com)Coats, large and leanWith Korea’s coming months forecast to be less frosty than winters past, retail brands are s

Nov. 25, 2015

‘Design for the sake of people, not objects’

“The world is about people, not objects,” according to industrial design expert Arik Levy. That philosophy fuels his belief that design should focus on improving people’s everyday lives in new ways.“In the end, it’s only people that will help people,” said Levy, who opened a “Premium Talk” session held as part of the fifth Herald Design Forum in Seoul on Tuesday.Industrial designer Arik Levy (center) discusses the essence of good design with contemporary dancer Kim Seol-jin(right) during the Her

Nov. 11, 2015

[Design Forum] ‘People-oriented design improves life in new ways’

Though design is often discussed as a craft that walks the line between form and function, Israeli-born Paris-based contemporary designer Arik Levy holds a more unconventional understanding of the concept.Driven by a philosophy that “the world is about people, not objects,” Levy believes that design should focus on improving people’s everyday lives in new ways. His human-oriented philosophy is well reflected across his lighting, furniture and interior designs.Arik Levy (Park Hyun-koo/The Korea H

Nov. 10, 2015

[Design Forum] ‘Technology and art create synergy’

Technology and art, which seem to be from two different worlds, have been increasingly interconnected as the two fields merge to create unexpected innovations and push each other’s boundaries. Two figures standing on the opposite side of the technology-art spectrum ― founder of Pixar Alvy Ray Smith and media artist Lee Lee-nam ― spoke about successful convergences of the two fields in the seventh session “The Collaboration of Pixel and Art” at the Herald Design Forum 2015 on Tuesday in Seoul. Al

Nov. 10, 2015

[Design Forum] Forum to discuss design as platform for convergence, value creation

The Herald Design Forum 2015 is set to kick off Tuesday in Seoul, bringing together some of the world’s brightest minds in design to share their ideas and insights. The one-day celebration of creativity and innovation in design, scheduled to be held at Grand Hyatt Seoul, will invite 11 creative minds across diverse fields of design from architecture, art, and branding to 3-D printing, who will speak at seven lectures and discussions with design aficionados in Korea and at a networking dinner eve

Nov. 9, 2015

Gwangju Design Biennale aims to connect global networks

The Gwangju Design Biennale, Asia’s largest and oldest design biennale celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, is eyeing an expanded role as a facilitator of exchanges among Asian countries in the field of design.  The monthlong festival of design, which opened Oct. 15 in the southern city of Gwangju, presents 12 exhibitions -- all based on local and global networks of designers. Held at the Gwangju Biennale exhibition hall, the event convenes some 3,900 Korean and foreign designers, about 1

Nov. 9, 2015

[Design Forum] Series of design events in store

Korea will hold a series of design fairs and business events in and around Seoul, starting with the Herald Design Forum on Tuesday. The Herald forum, to be held at Grand Hyatt Hotel in Seoul, will bring together 11 creative minds in diverse fields of design, ranging from architecture, art, food to 3-D printing, who will share their experience and insights with local audience. They include Randi Zuckerberg, founder of Zuckerberg Media and former marketing director at Facebook, Pritzker Prize-winn

Nov. 8, 2015

[Design Forum] Narrow cultural gap through design: industrial designer Levy

Arik Levy, a world-renowned industrial designer, said Korea’s design sector should keep working toward narrowing the communication and cultural gap between people.Arik LevyIn an interview with The Korea Herald, Levy said that this would take some time to develop using art and technology. But given Korea’s rapid progress in the field of design arts and technology, he said the country would be able to take that challenge.Best known for his signature “Rock” sculptures, the designer said he is drive

Nov. 8, 2015

[Design Forum] Shigeru Ban - innovator, humanitarian, architect

Shigeru Ban is no ordinary architect.Unlike conventional architects of this era, Ban does not only use iron or steel as the primary materials to structure houses, museums, community centers or churches.Shigeru BanHe uses paper tubes, cardboard, beer crates, containers and other inexpensive recycled materials to “design and rebuild” places and buildings devastated by natural disasters or conflicts such as earthquakes, tsunamis and civil wars.As he uses those materials so beautifully with an aesth

Nov. 6, 2015

[Design Forum] Tommy Li’s design anchored in black humor, Zen

Tommy Li, a branding designer known for his audacious visual designs and black humor, is one of Asia’s few designers with a global presence spanning across Hong Kong, China, Macau, Japan and Italy.The Hong Kong-based designer currently heads the Tommy Li Design Workshop, which was selected among the 10 best branding companies in China by Chinabico.com in 2010.He has received over 580 local and international awards for his innovative design concepts, including the Gold Pencil Award from the One S

Nov. 6, 2015

[Design Forum] ‘Create stories behind brands'

Global brand designer Bob van der Lee said South Korea’s public and private sectors have made tremendous progress in design over the years, but not yet in branding.Bob van der Lee (Total Identity)Korean companies are still focusing too much on branding their products around their features and qualities in an effort to boost sales, but not on developing stories behind those products, he said in an interview.They still need to work on creating their own unique identities and legacies that can appe

Nov. 6, 2015

[Design Forum] Entrepreneur seeks to bridge digital divide for the blind with design

In this digital world, information is becoming increasingly easier to access. But not for all. Such accessibility still falls far short for people with disabilities. Young entrepreneur Kim Ju-yoon has turned to the issue of discrimination in information accessibility and decided to tackle it with the power of technology and design. His belief in the fair distribution of digital benefits led him to create smartwatches for the blind that are light, affordable and as appealing as other smartwatches

Nov. 6, 2015

[Design Forum] Blurring lines between industrial design, art

This is the fifth in a series of articles introducing key features at the upcoming Herald Design Forum 2015 to be held in Seoul on Nov. 10. -Ed. 　Design today seems to be the horse that is pulling the cart. No industry can survive without it anymore.From leaning on design as a strategic marketing tool to subtly expressing a company’s signature values, industrial design has been constantly evolving to where it stands now.Contemporary sofa “Platform for Viccarbe” by Arik Levy (Courtesy of the desi

Nov. 6, 2015

[Design Forum] Design Thinking: How innovative designs change world

Design is about more than aesthetics. Its role has expanded to diverse areas of life, helping people live efficiently, safely and comfortably. It has brought innovations in all aspects of life, from consumption of products, living environment and use of technology to how we work in organizations. “Design impacts everything around us. Design means adding creativity into every aspect of our lives, not just choosing the color and form of a product,” said Janne Kyttanen, a designer and pioneer of 3-

Nov. 6, 2015

[Design Forum] 3-D printing designs every aspect of our lives

This is the fourth in a series of articles introducing key features at the upcoming Herald Design Forum 2015 to be held in Seoul on Nov. 10. ― Ed.Forget about the magic of unwrapping a bar of chocolate Charlie Bucket oh-so-dearly held in his hands in “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” It is time to push the “print” button of the “Magic Candy Factory,” and voila! Gummies will start dropping out right in front of your eyes. Avoid stool, 2014 (jannekyttanen.com)Katjes, a German manufacturer of je

Oct. 30, 2015

[Design Forum] Designer Guixe on food for thought

Marti Guixe (copyright knolke/Imagekontainer)For Marti Guixe, a world-renowned designer, food is an object that has to be carefully designed and contextualized to enhance its usability and consumption for the mass.In an interview with The Korea Herald, Guixe, who has been designing food since the 1990s, said food design is beyond art that has to converge different fields of knowledge and studies to create its concepts and ideas.Designers need to consider various political, socioeconomic and ergo

Oct. 22, 2015

[Design Forum] When design thinking meets food

This is the third in a series of articles introducing key features at the upcoming Herald Design Forum 2015 to be held in Seoul on Nov. 10. --Ed. 　Food has certainly been an important part of Korean culture and lifestyle. Try any number of channels on the television these days, and you will find food at any time of the day. Celebrities take mouthfuls of gourmet meals while chefs whip up dish after dish of their secret recipes. No wonder the recent Washington Post wrote an article on how “sexy co

Oct. 22, 2015

[Reporter's column] Seoul Fashion Week has a long way to go

Seoul Fashion Week for spring-summer 2016 was held from Oct.16-21 at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul. (Yonhap)Seoul Fashion Week is arguably the biggest and single most important event in Korean fashion. Held twice a year since 1997 -- once in spring and again in autumn -- it is an occasion for the country’s most visible designers to present their collections, offering style previews for the seasons ahead. This year’s event, which ended Wednesday, was therefore a chance to check on Korea’s pres

Oct. 22, 2015

Seoul Fashion Week womenswear recap: Holiday luxury and exotic prints

Two themes that stood out in womenswear at Seoul Fashion Week’s 2016 Spring/Summer collections were holiday glamour, reminiscent of the beach and the marina, and intricate prints inspired by both the exotic and the familiar.Luxurious getaway From left: pushBUTTON, Andy & Debb, Steve J & Yoni P, Jain Song (Seoul Fashion Week)A handful of designers chose glamorous holiday looks for their collections this season. “I imagined a rich girl, married young, and her family away on vacation, at a cruise p

Oct. 21, 2015