ddp design fair

You`ve just finished reviewing the launching products.

I think the vibe is a little bit more remarkable, and you can see that we`ve really focused on it through a solid story and context. Whereas just a few years ago, there were a lot of products that were just an experiment, now each step from idea to production has been solidified, and now they have the qualities of a standalone brand product, so I think they would be able to stand tall anywhere.

Very positive. Not to compare, but is it a lot different than last year?

Now that the pandemic is over, we`re able to do this fair in a much freer atmosphere than last year. I think the pandemic has a lot to do with the intensive branding that we`re able to do this year. It`s a new way of looking at life where you don`t see everything as negative and you find positivity in it. I think the effort to focus and look back at your life and delete what you don`t need and find “what” is practical but you can see and enjoy has been applied to both designers and makers who make products.

As a launching curator, what’s your standard when screening?

I tried to look at it from the perspective of a consumer who is choosing a product that they want to buy and use, such as thinking, "What would it be like to have this in my home? What would it be like to use this?". Because a product is only valuable when it is used in someone`s space or in their hands. We focused on brands and products that are consistent with ESG, considering people, the environment, and ethical aspects, and that can make everyone happy and not just focused on one value.

I hear you`ve met some familiar brands too.

At last year`s fair, I was surprised and delighted to see a brand that made a product I had bought myself participating. It was a brand that seemed to have a lot of potential, and I wasn`t wrong. This year, they participated with new products, and I hope that more users and companies will hear their story through the Design Launching Fair. I think connecting brands and companies is another important role of the fair. 
 

What advice do you have for the fifth Design Launching Fair?

I think it`s at a “stage” where it’s going through various processes before it reaches completion, and as many people are trying to make an impactful and attractive fair, we have to take the criticism with a grain of salt. First of all, I want the theme to be free, out of the box, because I think we live in an era of diversity that is full of individuality and individual tastes, and if we try to fit into a narrow theme, we can only create designs or products inside that limit. Also, I would like to say to the participants of the fair that they should make something that can be shared with life, that can naturally be a part of life. If it is far from our lives, it is bound to become a useless thing that is easily forgotten and that disappears. I am enjoying thinking about making something that can be used for a long time, something that people don’t get tired of looking at every day, by identifying exactly what we need while going through our daily lives.