ddp design fair

Could you tell us about how the mentoring is going for the designers and makers paired in teams? Instead of making prototypes driven by the situation, we are developing prototypes based on a clear direction. It means that there are many teams working on eco-friendly products centered on circulation of resources. As we aim to create products, not artworks, we are talking with each other in more detail with a variety of ways, including the temperature felt by consumers, practicality, distribution processes in Korea and even distribution prices.   It looks like two-way communication rather than mentoring. There are many veteran makers with a lot of experience and a growing number of designers who are making important contributions in the industry as much as popular designers, so I try to be cautious with my position as a curator. That’s why I try to tell as much as possible from the perspective of a consumer, instead of giving advice as a mentor. After all, this is a process of making a product for consumers, and a product survives in the market only when consumers find it attractive and buy it.   You have only seen the initial prototypes, but is there any product that has captured your heart? I have only seen the initial prototypes, but I could tell from the first sight that there were quite a lot of teams with great potential. Looking at the careers of designers and makers, I was pretty sure that high-quality products will be launched. Also, there was a product I wanted to purchase right away, which was a toy car made of wood. Even though I am not interested in wood and cars at all, I felt that warm materials and generous curves added to the commercial product were designed to evoke emotions that transcend age. Practicality is essential, but I think it is also important to make products people want to keep for a long time. Like this wooden car.   Despite all the expectation and attention, there are some things that could have been better. Um, to be honest, I could not help but feel I have seen some of the products somewhere else before. The fair’s purpose is to develop and launch new products, but I felt it would have been better if we could put more thoughts into things and bring them to the next level. Of course, they may not be copies of other products in the market, however, this was the impression I got after traveling around the world and seeing a lot of products.   What kind of attitude do you expect from the participants of the DDP Design Fair? I was also one of the judges two years ago and was surprised to find that the best product selected by consumers and the best product selected by the judges were completely different. The conflicting results show that there is no right answer, however, I think designers and makers should know how to compromise in order to meet consumers’ needs with more adaptability and flexibility. Participants need to have an open mind once they submit their application for the DDP Design Fair.   Returning as a curator for the second time, are there any suggestions you have for the DDP Design Fair? As well as other curators, I was pleased to see many previous participants joining this year’s fair again and excited to see the DDP Design Fair establishing itself as an unmissable event. I think one of the remarkable achievements is that the fair is recognized as a turning point and a great platform for promotions, especially for domestic designers and makers who work on a small scale or individually. Moreover, I am confident that the fair will be served as a textbook example for more and more people as we archive data for each year’s event. However, we need to enhance the quality of the finished products. This requires a sufficient amount of time. When it comes to product development, the longer it takes, the better it gets. I heard that some people hesitate to participate because of the deadline stress. Wouldn’t it be a lot better if we could have more time to prepare? Also, while designers quickly get information from a variety of sources, makers seem to have a hard time getting information about the DDP Design Fair. I also suggest creating a more accessible platform to attract more talented makers.

You have participated as a curator since the first fair. What makes this year’s fair special compared to the previous ones? I think the biggest difference this year is that we focused more on smaller things. We used to pay more attention to the collaboration itself, which was mostly about the appearance and scale. However, this year’s fair is more about quality and reflects each individual's emotions a lot.   What is the reason behind this? Many of us have been spending more time indoors while we are going through the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This made us communicate more with objects and spaces, perhaps considered insignificant, we had never paid attention to until the pandemic came along. It seems that we are starting to care more about things that are familiar but considered unimportant. We are now having a huge interest in things that used to be regarded as minor and trivial. Emotions coming from interest in our surroundings, concerns about our environment and relationships with people were fully displayed in the initial prototype. I could see that designers and makers have developed unique styles of their own. One more noticeable change is that designers and makers are embracing the collaboration, which once seemed as something alien to them, as a very natural process, and it looks like they are trying to find more meaning beyond the collaboration.   Could you be more specific about finding more meaning beyond the collaboration? All designers and makers must have had a purpose when they created something, however, as time goes on, they feel frustrated and start to question, “Am I creating something that would end up becoming a white elephant?” I’ve been there, done that. Even though they thought they had made something useful, once the spotlight swings elsewhere, they start to question, “Why did it fade into insignificance?” I have noticed their efforts to find answers. I have also been encouraged by how hard they tried to offer greater usability and practicality and extend the product life cycle.   You may feel like you are growing together with the fair. How do you feel? I feel great pride in growing together with the fair every year. It is surprising how different things are now than they were even just 4 years ago, so I am already looking forward to how innovative and different it will be in the future. I still have great ambitions for the fair. I hope to discover star designers in Korea through the DDP Design Fair.   What advice would you like to give to designers and makers who have participated and will participate in the DDP Design Fair? We are now living in a world where the role of people who design and make things is becoming increasingly important. It also comes with greater responsibility. A small object can have a huge and good influence on the other side of the world, so I hope designers and makers can gain more confidence and courage in this aspect. However, this should not be confused with arrogance. It is a pity to see an eye-catching cover letter that does not focus on the basics but looks pretty on the outside. It is also important not to be misled or swayed by “someone else’s creation” seen from social media. We all lead different lives anyway, so there is no need to be envious or self-conscious about following the trend. The more time you spend to stay true to yourself and do what you love, the clearer the path becomes for you.   This year’s theme for the DDP Design Fair is “Beautiful Life”. What is a beautiful life to you? I think a beautiful life is seeing other people enjoying objects or spaces I created. Designers cannot be happier when they are able to increase happiness through interaction based on relationship and interest. It is because if there are more designers who can have a positive impact on the lives of others, even with small and trivial things, the world will become more beautiful.

The matching process has ended successfully. 220teams of designers and 110 teams of makers submitted their applications throughthe online matching platform (ddpdesignfair.or.kr), andmore than 180 teams were paired with each other through workshops that tookplace in June and July. Currently, the teams are having endless meetings withthe 2022 DDP Design Fair’s theme, “Beautiful Life”, in mind, and what’sespecially noteworthy about this year’s event is its effort of creating a sustainableconsumption culture through designs. Plastic Bakery Seoul, which bakesplastic instead of bread, makes upcycled products using natural plastics madefrom plastic waste in the form of polymers. The founder felt pity for productsthat are disposed when they are no longer useful and was heartbroken to see theenvironment deteriorating at a rapid pace, which led him to put a lot ofthought into circulation of resources and create home and lifestyle objectswith a melding of environment and craftsmanship.In addition, Studio Chon started from a project as thefounder became aware of Isopink, which is mostly used and thrown away aftermaking furniture models before going to production and also an insulationmaterial used at construction sites. It focuses on building a closerrelationship with architecture and continues to take great steps towardfulfilling its ambition.Lowlit Collective produces lighting,furniture and art piece objects using plastic scraps that cannot be recycledeven at waste sorting sites. It is a company that connects people, environmentand design and is trying to come up with ways of how to create somethingbeautiful and useful with recycled resources. There is a lot of expectation andinterest about what kind of products all the paired teams will present. After each team's product development isfinished, the top 120 teams will be selected through two rounds of review byexperts. The selected teams will be awarded 1.5 million won for productdevelopment and will be given the opportunity to exhibit their work at theCollaboration Hall and on the online platform throughout the year. They willalso be entitled to receive support for profile and studio photoshoots, as wellas a video shoot for the behind-the-scenes story of the collaboration betweenthe designer and the maker. Plus, they will have a chance to publish theirinterviews about the product and the designer in the “2023 Design Trend Book”. Amongthem, 7 teams, including six winners of “DDP Design Fair Best Awards”, which representthe best products, and one team for “Citizen’s Award” selected by the votes of citizens,will be granted 5 million won for mass production cost, an opportunity to moveinto the Seoul Design Incubating Center and sell products at the DDP DesignStore, both online and offline, and a chance to promote themselves as anup-and-coming designer. Collaborationproducts to be developed after a four-month journey has already got theattention of consumers who are expecting something new and unique and will beintroduced to the public through the DDP Design Fair held at DDP Art Hall 2from October 19 to 28.

Therewas a buzz of excitement at the DDP Design Fair’s workshop, which was held inJune ahead of the event’s official opening in October. This is because 220teams of designers and 129 teams of makers finalized through the onlinematching platform (ddpdesignfair.or.kr) attended workshops, which were split intwo days, first on June 2 (83 teams participated) and later on June 24 (44teams participated), to find their perfect partner for collaboration with greatenthusiasm. Thisyear’s theme is “Beautiful Life”. It is very simple and clear, but it holds adeep meaning inside. It is a theme for everyone who has come to realize howbeautiful an ordinary life is by experiencing the standards and values of lifethat have changed before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Collaboration teams planto develop new products across categories, such as living (furniture, lighting,lifestyle products, stationery, etc.) and beauty (shoes, fashion, cosmeticpackage, jewelry, etc.) for ordinary but beautiful life moments that happenevery day. Inearly July, more than 180 teams of designers and makers were paired with eachother and are currently developing new products to be presented at the DDPDesign Fair. Collaboration products to be developed after a four-month journeywill be introduced to the public through the DDP Design Fair held at DDP ArtHall 2 from October 19 to 28.

A seminar was held to celebrate the opening of the DDP Design Fair on the special stage of Art Hall 1 for two days from October 22 to October 23. On October 22, the seminar’s first session was held under the theme of “Design Marketing”. The first presenter, Hoonkyu Choi, the managing director of IOne Design, addressed the topic of “Furniture & Objet” and stressed that there should be a lot of unique products (furniture, etc.) that can also become objects. Looper CEO Yongwoo Lee, focused on crowdfunding and addressed the topic of “Besides products, what else do successful crowdfunding projects sell?”. In addition, NoTag CEO Woong Choi addressed the topic of “Design , How to Sell?” and offered his thoughts about how to find new opportunities in overseas markets.On October 23, SuperBin CCO Fori addressed the topic of "SuperBin - Waste culture: Turning waste into money. Making recycling fun.” and suggested to solve the waste problem through design. Sanghee Lee, Director of the Color Design Center of Samhwa Paints addressed the topic of ”SHIFT: 2022-23 Color Trend”, and Coway Senior Researcher Jihyun Lee address the topic of “Home Appliance Trends of 2022 for Wonderful Life”. Lastly, Nayoung Kim, Director of Chong Kun Dang Healthcare Design Department, concluded the seminar by addressing the topic of “Job Search Strategies in 2021: Reading the trends will lead to a successful job search”.This seminar was held both virtually and in person and was full of great content so that young job seekers were able to obtain useful information and wisdom for their career through the Young Designer Job Fair, as well as various topics related to waste, which is one of the most pressing issues in today’s society, and the color and product trends for next year.

The 2021 DDP Design Fair attracted a lot of attention for its products with experimental approaches based on sophisticated designs, fresh ideas and innovative technologies and materials such as a one-person lounge chair tailored to each user’s body with 3D printing technology, a home office lighting piece made from pipe materials that can be transformed into various forms, a wall-mounted lamp or a floor lamp, and an incense holder that delivers the value of emptying the mind and feeling focused, especially at a time when many people want time to relax and refresh themselves.On October 21, the 2021 DDP Best Design Award was held on the special stage of the DDP Art Hall 1 and awarded the seven finalists. The products were put to a vote by citizens and reviewed by professionals. Mayor Sehoon Oh attended the award ceremony and presented the “Seoul Mayor’s Award.”Among 162 products of 162 teams developed through collaboration over five months under the theme of “Wonderful Life,” the seven finalists of the 2021 DDP Best Design Award were selected in three stages: curator review in the first stage, public voting in the second stage and expert review in the third stage. Each team of the three categories (furniture, lighting, lifestyle and living) received the “Seoul Mayor's Award”, the grand prize, while four teams received the “Seoul Design Foundation CEO Award”, the excellence prize. Among 162 design products of the 2021 DDP Design Fair, 106 teams were selected through the product review based on the real size in the first stage. For the selected teams, 2 million won was provided for the prototype development so that they can focus more on the product quality. After that, the top 50 teams were selected by adding up online public votes in the second stage, and the seven finalists (Furniture: 3 teams, Lighting: 2 teams, Lifestyle & Living: 2 teams) were selected through the expert review in the third stage.The main evaluation items are marketability, suitability for exhibition and creativity. In the third stage, well-known distributors, multi-brand store merchandisers and buyers in Korea participated as judges to evaluate the product’s marketability and feasibility of mass production. Online public votes were also tallied up together to reflect consumer preferences. Jihoon Ha, the Furniture Curator of the 2021 DDP Design Fair and professor of Kaywon University of Art & Design, said, “There were many products using new technologies and eco-friendly materials, and the versatility of products grabbed the attention of many people.”The seven finalists will receive various benefits including 6 million won for the cost of mass production, the opportunity to sell their products online and offline via the DDP Design Store, advertising on monthly design magazines and major daily newspapers and the opportunity for an online exhibition on the crowdfunding platform. The winning teams will also be provided with comprehensive marketing support as “up-and-coming designers of the year”.The winners of the “Seoul Mayor's Award” — the grand prize — are three products: a one-person chair called “The Butterfly” (Studio Plastic x Jh Studio); a home office lighting piece called “Light Now No.1” that can be transformed into various forms (Makemake x Hwangduck Engineering); and an incense holder called “Bincense” (DSLSM x likethix).○ The Butterfly (Furniture) : It is a one-person chair made based on 3D technology. Studio Plastic designers Sido Kim and Taeyeon Lee developed a chair tailored to each user’s body, which is suitable for the era of hyper-personalization. They are planning to add more color options.○ Light Now No.1 (Lighting) : It has received the “Seoul Mayor's Award in the lighting category for two consecutive years since last year. It is a product that uses the characteristics of pipe materials and can be transformed into various combinations including stand, wall-mounted or floor type. Makemake designer Bonggeon Shin said that collaborating with a great maker through the DDP Design Fair was such a valuable experience.○ Bincense (Lifestyle & Living) : It is an incense holder that burns an incense stick and a product for your office that delivers the value of emptiness and concentration. DSLSM designer Sungmook Lim said he developed this product to help people empty their mind of complex thoughts and focus on one important thing while burning an incense stick, especially at a time when people spend more time at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic.The “Seoul Design Foundation CEO Award” was given to four products: a series of modular furniture pieces that can be expanded along the curved space or wall endlessly according to the user’s environment (TTTT x Give&Take); a piece of furniture for single-person households that reflects Korea’s traditional beauty (Raan Bang x OUTRO); a set of flower pots with holes on the top inspired by Sunuimi Ceramics’ signature openwork technique and the plum blossoms of Dancheong (Studio Mindeulae x Sunuimi Ceramics); and a piece of 3D-printed lighting that can control the shape and amount of light desired by the user with the light source placed in the center of the polyhedron (intenxiv x Seojeon Lighting).Please check out our official website (http://ddpdesignfair-ex.or.kr) and our Instagram page for further information about the winners of <2021 DDP Best Design Award>. 

The DDP Design Fair, a project that facilitates small businesses to get access to design resources, is being held for the third time this year. For small businesses, design is considered something good, stylish, not lagging behind the trend and necessary for business, however, but most of them are not well versed in design. Meanwhile, designers have a lot of difficulties in translating brilliant ideas into action and mass-producing them into excellent products. The DDP Design Fair is a project where makers and designers — the grassroots of Korea’s industrial ecosystem — meet and collaborate to actively demonstrate their abilities. The collaboration between designers and small businesses leads to mass production and ultimately new products and design brands. The theme of the fair this year is “WOW! Wonderful Life!”. It is welcoming visitors with unique works not seen anywhere else. Unlike other design fairs that focus on finding markets for existing products, the DDP Design Fair is the only professional industry fair that provides support from the product development stage.After passing through the tunnel of the DDP Art Hall 1 and passing by the panel that offers an overview of the 2021 DDP Design Fair, visitors will first meet the Collaboration Zone which features the works between designers and makers. The exhibition hall is a circular space, which creates a seamless spatial connection. It also includes a rest zone that seems to be brought directly from the nature. It is installed right behind the Collaboration Zone so that visitors can rest their tired legs. The Launching Zone, the Trend Zone, and the market are located behind the Rest Zone.

On August 25, the screening committee for the 2021 DDP Design Fair was held on the 4th floor of the Seoul Design Foundation to select 106 teams for the exhibition that features collaborative products. It gives small and medium-sized manufacturers a competitive edge in design and provides business opportunities to designers by matching designers with makers. Since last March, the DDP Design Fair has received applications from small and medium-sized manufacturers and designers through its online matching platform. 161 designers (teams) and 132 makers (teams) applied for this year’s fair, and a total of 162 full-scale prototypes were submitted (Furniture: 47 teams, Lifestyle & Living: 88 teams, Lighting: 27 teams). Then, 106 teams were selected by experts in each field (Lifestyle & Living: 46 Teams, Furniture: 38 Teams, Lighting: 22 Teams). Among the many products of designers that cater to the trends of single-person households, companion animals, telecommuting and sustainability in accordance with the changing lifestyle, innovative ideas such as an upcycled product made out of plastic waste stood out from the rest.The DDP Design Fair is a fair that represents Seoul and aims to revitalize the growth of small and medium-sized companies by matching small manufacturing businesses of central Seoul with young designers, fostering the design industry and operating Asia's leading design business launching platform. For the 2021 DDP Design Fair, 84 types of collaborative products were developed, and 150 types of new products will be discovered and exhibited, which has increased by 110 percent compared to the previous year. The selected teams developed new design products that combine the technology of a small manufacturer with the idea of a designer. Each team received support through mentoring with experts in each field, legal advice on contracts, and professional training over the past 5 months.The screening committee for the 2021 DDP Design Fair performed a quantitative evaluation of the chief director and curators for the entire collaborations between makers and designers participating in product development. The evaluation items include marketability, creativity, suitability for exhibition and pre-evaluation. When the DDP Design Fair is held in October, the selected 130 teams will have the opportunity of receiving grants for product development and participating in online and offline exhibitions of the DDP Design Fair. In addition, for the “DDP Best Design Award”, all of the scores given by curators and professionals and online public votes will be tallied up together to determine the seven finalists. Three teams will receive the “Seoul Mayor's Award” while four teams will receive the “Seoul Design Foundation CEO Award”. The awarded teams will receive benefits to sell their products in the DDP Design Store, grants for mass production and support for crowdfunding training courses and platform services.