[Design Forum] Innovators discuss bridging gap between business and design

As part of the Herald Design Forum 2014, four leading experts in the fields of marketing and design gathered at the JW Marriott Dongdaemun Seoul on Wednesday to share their insights during the Herald Design Premium Talk. This year’s talks featured two separate sessions under the theme “Design Changes the World ― Design Management and Design Storming.” The first session touched upon issues of corporate social responsibility and design innovation and was led by Alexander Schill, global chief creat

Nov. 27, 2014

[Design Forum] Herald forum explores expanding role of design

World-renowned thinkers and practitioners of design on Wednesday explored the growing role of design in making human life richer, healthier and more sustainable in the fourth annual Herald Design Forum in Seoul. Top architect Rem Koolhaas, advertising guru Alex Schill and other prominent figures shared their vision, philosophy and professional knowledge at the nation’s largest conference on design held in Dongdaemun Design Plaza. “The biggest adversary of a good design is not a bad design, but a

Nov. 26, 2014

[Design Forum] Mixing couture with ready-to-wear

In 1998, at age 21, Olivier Theyskens was already a darling of the fashion world. Ever since Madonna wore his dress to the year’s Golden Globes, his creations won many praises from fashion people around the world and the media. After wrapping up his own brand in 2001, he worked as creative director for Rochas from 2003 and then moved to Nina Ricci in 2006, both in Paris. In 2011, he moved to New York to work for Theory which he left in June. “It was like a systematic move every few years,” the d

Nov. 26, 2014

[Design Forum] Injecting new life into derelict structures

An abandoned elevated railway line is reborn into a lovely public garden. A derelict factory becomes a food cosmopolis, attracting not just local grocery shoppers, but also foreign tourists.The former is the High Line and the latter Chelsea Market. Both in Manhattan, New York, they are regarded as the most celebrated urban reuse projects of our time. The architects behind the two projects shared their experiences in Seoul, a city with noticeable design aspirations. Speaking at the Herald Digital

Nov. 26, 2014

[Design Forum] The true virtue of modern art

Chris Riggs, a New York-based artist who is best known for its art toy “Dunny,” on Wednesday stressed the power of modern art that changes the way people feel, think and act. “Modern art has no boundaries. If you can think it, you can make it happen,” he said. “Everyone is born an artist. I just continued to be an artist, making art my life’s work.”The 40-year-old artist was delivering a special lecture during the Herald Design Forum 2014 that was held at Seoul’s Dongdaemun Design Plaza.A former

Nov. 26, 2014

[Design Forum] Adding familiar vibe to most special occasions

How to throw a party that is unforgettable, fun and classy?Celebrated caterer Peter Callahan, who has catered some of the finest events for Martha Stewart, Barack Obama, Vera Wang and many more A-listers, offers his food for thought: “shrink it.”He is known for specializing miniature versions of deserts and American comfort food favorites, including mini-burger, finger-sized tacos with mini Patron bottle margarita and teensy lobster rolls, starting the mini-food craze in New York.  Peter Callaha

Nov. 26, 2014

Herald Design Forum stimulates discussion on design

The 2014 Herald Design Forum explored key issues of design in modern society: What makes good design? And how can design make the world a better place?Some of the world’s most highly renowned designers gathered to talk about the fundamental, pressing issues that design faces in the contemporary world. 　The forum opened with a speech by Herald Corp. chairman Hong Jung-wook, who stressed the importance of good design in a complex, profit-chasing world.　“Good design is the combination of aesthetics

Nov. 26, 2014

[Design Forum] Advertising guru cites open-mindedness as first condition for creativity

Alex Schill, the global chief creative officer and a partner of Serviceplan Group, loves to challenge his juniors. Whenever his younger associates succeed in a project that he did not approve of in the beginning, he grants them a bonus. “That happens quite often and I do lose a lot of money,” Schill said in an interview with The Korea Herald on Monday. Schill, who holds 50 Cannes Lions, including two Grand Prix in 2012 and 2013, believes admitting to his failures has helped him become more creat

Nov. 25, 2014

Seoul to celebrate homegrown design

Seoul Design Week kicks off Wednesday, introducing homegrown designers and their products while facilitating discussions on design with some of the world’s most renowned creative minds. The five-day design festival, co-organized by the Seoul Design Foundation, Herald Corp. and Design House, will provide programs throughout the capital city with two hub venues, Coex and Dongdaemun Design Plaza, hosting the main events.Design product exhibitions and markets will be held at Coex and DDP from Wednes

Nov. 24, 2014

[Design Forum] Creative minds flock to Herald Design Forum

The fourth edition of the Herald Design Forum is bringing together the world’s most prominent designers and industry experts in Seoul to discuss innovations driven by design thinking. Gurus in architecture, product design, fashion, urban design and art toys will give lectures and lead discussions between industry experts and Korean audiences. Here are brief introductions of the key speakers at the 2014 Herald Design Forum, to be held at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul on Nov. 26. Rem Koolha

Nov. 23, 2014

‘IT and sustainability can be reconciled’

Sustainable design isn’t just about reducing environmental impacts.“It can (also) be about design that tackles some of the world’s big sustainability challenges like climate change, resource shortages, waste and poverty, access to water, poverty and equality,” said British product designer Matthew Cockerill in an email interview.Cockerill, associate design director at Seymourpowell who is taking part as a speaker in the Herald Design Forum 2014, stressed how IT could be more sustainable. Matthew

Nov. 23, 2014

[Weekender] How design affects our lives

A couple asked architect Cho Min-suk to build “the most unique house in the world” in the scenic area of Heyri in Paju, a town near the border with North Korea. The couple believed that the design of their house would affect their children’s behavior and thinking. “The couple told me they didn’t want their kids to grow up in a thicket of identical-looking box-like apartments and look at the same views as others,” said Cho at the press preview of his architecture exhibition on Tuesday. Experts sa

Nov. 21, 2014

[Weekender] Master of mini foods weaves design with fun

Sitting at a dinner table with strangers, it is often hard to avoid the awkward silence.You try to think of what to say but you are not sure what would be appropriate. This is when you turn to the one thing that is always safe as an ice breaker ― food.Everybody is interested in food. Food is the universal medium of communication.Peter Callahan, who is participating as a speaker at the Herald Design Forum that opens on Nov. 26, made his name as a food stylist by reinventing food into a fabulous m

Nov. 21, 2014

[Weekender] Food packaging evolves as imagination meets science

This is the sixth in a series that examines the expanding role of design in the run-up to the Herald Design Forum 2014 on Nov. 26. ― Ed.“Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works,” said Steve Jobs as he gave a new lease of life to ailing Apple Inc. by transplanting design into its heart.Had its purpose been merely artistic inspiration, design would have remained a subcategory of art.Design, however, plays a functional role in association with products and even

Nov. 21, 2014

[Weekender] ‘No boundaries in art, design and ideas’

“Art has no boundaries. The boundary of art is the boundary of ideas, and ideas have no limits. If you can think it, you can make it happen with lots of hard work. You can create whatever you imagine,” said Chris Riggs, creator of the art toy Dunny, in an email interview.“I plan to use more gold, silver and Barbie dolls in my new paintings and sculptures and I am currently using a Chanel bag with gold and silver bars coming out of it as an installation.”Riggs creates art with a single theme ― lo

Nov. 21, 2014

[Weekender] ‘Designers should be socially responsible’

Designers should be more than a beautifier, but a person who makes improvements for the world, said Daniel Kim, principal of Daylight Design. By following the “design thinking process” to draw out user-based solutions, designers can improve the community, the environment and the world, said Kim, who heads the Asian division of the San Francisco-based design consultancy.Kim started his career at IDEO, the cradle of “design thinking,” moved on to work for online game developer Nexon America and th

Nov. 21, 2014

[Weekender] Art toys dazzle kidults

Toys are no longer just for children. The website of Mattel, the maker of Barbie dolls, has separate pages for parents and collectors. Male adults go to Lego cafes where people can play with Lego sets and buy them.The designs of Barbies and Lego for adults are highly refined and precise to meet the grown-ups’ tastes. Such toys produced in small quantities by artists and designers are called art toys, or designer toys.Art toys are immensely popular among kidults, or adults with interests traditio

Nov. 21, 2014

[Design Forum] ‘Bringing emotion to people’

Belgian fashion designer Olivier Theyskens debuted in the high fashion world with a much-praised show for Rochas in 2003. Imbued with Parisian elegance, Theysken’s creations were regarded as a redefinition of haute couture, as he made it relevant to younger people. His fresh take on fashion continued when he moved to Nina Ricci in 2006 and to Theory in 2011 as creative director. His creations fascinated many young women who wanted to look chic and sleek while retaining a feminine and romantic am

Nov. 19, 2014