ddp design fair

You gave a lecture at last year's DDP Design Fair, and this time you participated as a curator.

I have done a lot of collaboration projects as an in-house design expert, but I feel nervous and excited from the start of this journey to work with a variety of people, including individuals, studios, makers and companies. When we discussed on how to highlight the strengths of each product, we had a clash of opinions stemming from a difference in views, but this inspired me to pursue further opportunities. This process is a series of interesting decisions, such as focusing on each and every product that is completely different from home appliances while figuring out how to balance it with other products as a curator.

Which item did you find most intriguing, especially products that are completely different from the products you have worked with?

When I look at a product, I instantly take on the mindset of a consumer. I can’t help but find myself attracted to practical products that I need. There was a product that made me gasp. It was a partition that boasts exceptional formative beauty and is transformable according to the buyer’s lifestyle and tastes and preferences that are segmented from the micro- to the nano-scale. I was just amazed at the clever sense of design of young Korean designers.

Please tell us about a studio you would like to recommend as an expert of home appliance design.

I would like to recommend a couple of studios. My first recommendation is Youm Design Studio, a small studio run by a professor at Baekseok University, which commercializes the works of students with a sense of purpose and passion. Face masks designed and produced by Youm Design Studio are comfortable to wear and stylish enough to be worn like a fashion item. As someone who tried it on myself, this is the product I have recommended to others after listening to the feedback of people around me. The second one is Intops, a company specializing in color, material and finishing (CMF). It is a manufacturer of a variety of products that help save the environment using eco-friendly composite materials. One of its products, Tower Blocks, combines a game with environmental issues, so it is easily approachable by anyone. It is expected to see high sales and create a lot of attention when displayed. In addition, I would like to recommend some companies that design and manufacture products and materials representing their brand’s unique characteristics.

What are the ongoing trends in home appliance to watch in 2022?

Maybe the butterfly effects that come from the recovery to normal life? Emotions that have been suppressed for a long time are expressed through design, a sense of liberation and a pleasant deviation, and bold lines and colors that have never been tried are also applied to home appliances. It seems that home appliances, which used to bring together unusual mix of elements, will be more entertaining with eye-catching visual elements.

What are your advices to those who aspire to be home appliance designers?

As someone who has worked as a designer for 22 years, looking back on my career, the most difficult part was the process of constantly creating designs different from my previous ones. When I felt the pressure of creating something different, it was difficult for me to focus on the essence of the product, which made me neglect the basic values of a home appliance. The most important thing is to think about the essence and keep the middle ground. It is because if you only put value on the form, the product is highly likely to have a short life cycle.

What does the fair’s theme, “Beautiful Life”, mean to you as a curator?

When I heard that the theme of this year’s fair is “Beautiful Life”, as an extension of last year’s theme, “Wonderful Life”, I thought, ‘Ah, I will finally have some time to enjoy a beautiful life every day that I had not known before.’ As I see things slowly returning to normal, which is very different from when I felt anxious wherever I went, I think our return to normal represents true beauty. We still need to remain cautious, but I am really looking forward to the DDP Design Fair, which will be also held in person. I hope we can live a more relaxing life next year than we did this year.