[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

[Design Forum] Fast fashion meets designer names, changes consumer trends

This is the fifth in a weekly series that examines the expanding role of design in the run-up to the Herald Design Forum 2014 on Nov. 26. ― Ed.Over 300 people from their 20s to their 60s camped out in the rain in front of an H&M store in Myeong-dong, downtown Seoul, in the early morning of Nov. 6.Some were office workers who took a day off to stay up all night in the queue.With tents and sleeping bags on the streets, they were there to get a piece of “Al Wang,” (“Wang” means king in Korean) thei

Nov. 19, 2014

[Design Forum] Scrutiny of ‘homo mobilians’ key to designing mobile world

Like in the real world, there are rules in the mobile world of smartphones and tablets. The size of images, line spacing, location of buttons ― everything is carefully designed to help users find what they want more conveniently and efficiently.The IT industry is now awash with research and analysis on user interface and user experience.UI or UX designers design the mobile universe to enable users to easily find information on their 6-inch screens.Studying ‘homo mobilians’Understanding “homo mob

Nov. 12, 2014

[Design Forum] In-car IT logs driver’s habits, runs mobile devices

This is the fourth in a weekly series that examines the expanding role of design in the run-up to the Herald Design Forum 2014 on Nov. 26. ― Ed.The word “design” derives from the Latin word “designare,” which means “to mark out,” “to choose” or “to order.” In the past, most people recognized only the artistic aspect of design.Today, design blends with industries and expresses a product’s functions and a brand’s values and aims. Furthermore, even the development or achievement of technologies tha

Nov. 12, 2014

[Weekender] Designs for life

Nearly a decade after Seoul City’s urban beautification campaign, design has become an essential part of urban planning in Korea. In Seoul, flashy new buildings continue to pop up, creating some noticeable spots in its repetitive sprawl of cookie-cutter structures. Some even resemble a tsunami (the new Seoul City Hall) or a spaceship (the Dongdaemun Design Plaza). Although not as noticeable as the new edifices, traffic signs, bus stops and advertisements are being given a designer touch. Rooftop

Nov. 7, 2014

[Weekender] Urban renewal starts in the alleys

For the past decade, major urban projects in Seoul have centered on creating landmarks to achieve the ambition of making it the design capital of Asia. Old buildings and neighborhoods have been transformed into high-end locales designed by famous architects. While the Korean capital has gradually turned into an ultramodern city, the streets and alleys behind the landmarks have been left with indistinct buildings that still comprise much of the landscape.Recently, city planners and architects hav

Nov. 7, 2014

[Design Forum] Design resembles nature in Paju Book City

“We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us,” Winston Churchill said in October 1943 as he promised to reconstruct the British Parliament building, which had been destroyed by bombs during World War II.Against a backdrop of hasty urban planning, lousy buildings and a clutter of signboards that mirror Korea’s turbulent modern history, pricey structures continue to rise over each other in Seoul as if to compete to become a landmark of the capital.Min Hyun-shik, architectural magnate and form

Nov. 5, 2014

[Design Forum] Removing the unnecessary brings out the essence of design: architect

This is the third in a weekly series that examines the expanding role of design in the run-up to the Herald Design Forum 2014 on Nov. 26. ― Ed.“Less is more.”Joon Paik’s simple answer epitomizes what he puts above all else in architectural design.“It’s actually easy to add things. But if you keep adding, you end up with just a mixture of everything with no clear point,” said Paik, vice president of Seoul-based Chang-jo Architects.“The essence of a design unveils itself when unnecessary bits are

Nov. 5, 2014

Design ideas with a twist

Using 3-D printing technology, Dutch design studio Minale-Maeda has designed a set of plastic connectors that make it possible to assemble your own wooden furniture. Without using any tools, the connectors can be used to join wooden legs and a wooden tabletop to make a functional table.  The design studio has gone a step further by disclosing the blueprint for the connector so that anyone can make one with a 3-D printer. A 3-D-printed connector for the wooden legs of a table by Minale-MaedaThe t

Nov. 4, 2014

[Design Forum] Timeworn structures regain life through makeovers

This is the second in a weekly series that examines the expanding role of design in the run-up to the Herald Design Forum 2014 on Nov. 26. ― Ed.A dingy overpass that blocked the sky was torn down to make way for a stream full of life. A waste landfill was transformed into an ecological park with meadows and silvery grass fields. Dilapidated factories were turned into work spaces for artists, museums and galleries.Urban restoration is the fashionable new paradigm of urban design and can change pe

Oct. 29, 2014

[Design Forum] Restoration or removal: Communication is key

The elevated road that stretches above the railway tracks at Seoul Station felt its first human footsteps earlier this month in 44 years since it was built in 1970.The overpass was open to pedestrians and closed to vehicles in a promotional event led by the Seoul City government on Oct. 12 to gain public support for a project to repurpose the structure into a grassy elevated park.Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon announced during his visit to New York last month that the Seoul Station overpass would be

Oct. 29, 2014

[Herald Interview] Designer Ko Tae-yong goes beyond runway

Designer Ko Tae-yong has no doubts that he is one of the hottest and busiest menswear designers in Korea.He recently held his label Beyond Closet’s spring-summer 2015 fashion show at Seoul Fashion Week from Oct. 17-22.The collection won rave reviews from buyers and critics at home and abroad, for its unique, fun and preppy clothing lines. “But the finale never means an ending in the fashion business,” Ko said in an interview with The Korea Herald on Oct. 20 at his showroom in trendy Sinsa-dong,

Oct. 29, 2014

Tassels and textures: 2 style-setters create accessories collection

In the fashion world, creativity and collaboration go together like needle and thread. Ever since legendary couturier Elsa Schiaparelli and pal Salvador Dali won rave reviews for their stiletto hat in the ’30s, designers and retailers have realized the power of teamwork to push aesthetic boundaries and inspire buyers to splurge on something they’ve never seen before.That’s sure to be the case with a new accessories collection, the result of a collaboration between two of Fort Worth’s most succes

Oct. 29, 2014

Seoul fashion blends luxury, high street

When Steve J & Yoni P’s Seoul Fashion Week show on Oct. 20 surprised many in the star-studded front row and packed auditorium with its combination of romantic colors and playful graffiti prints. “I think Steve J & Yoni P fits the mood of what is going on in Korea, between high street fashion and luxury,” said Danny Stienen, a buyer from Antonioli in Milan. It is difficult to be both sexy and feminine at the same time, added Stienen. “But I think this year’s womenswear collections, along with Ste

Oct. 26, 2014

[Design Forum] Herald Design Forum seeks to expand definition of design

This is the first in a weekly series that examine the expanding role of design as the run up to the Herald Design Forum 2014 on Nov. 26. -- Ed.The Herald Design Forum 2014, a celebration of creativity and innovation in design, will explore the changes that design will bring to life in its fourth edition in November.Under the title “Design Spectrum, Expanding the Definition of Design,” the forum, organized by Herald Corp., will discuss the influences of design in various fields, including archite

Oct. 22, 2014

[Design Forum] Herald forum draws top design innovators

Japanese architect Toyo Ito speaks at the Herald Design Forum in 2013. Herald Design ForumHerald Design Forum has established itself as one of Korea’s leading platforms to discuss design.The forum has shed light on the growing role of design in contemporary life since it was first held in 2011. The significance of design has been stressed by a number of key figures in design from around the world. It is the speaker lineups of world-leading designers that put the forum on the map.In 2012, the for

Oct. 22, 2014

Seoul fashion is all about wearable and practical designs

Models, designers, fashionistas and celebrities descended on the newly opened Dongdaemun Design Plaza and Park to take note of Korea’s hottest fashion trends for the upcoming 2015 spring-summer season, as the six-day extravaganza of runway shows kicked off Friday.Seoul Fashion Week, a biannual fashion festival in its 15th year, opened to a large crowd from home and abroad with menswear collections on Friday and Saturday. Both top and up-and-coming Korean designers are presenting 85 fashion shows

Oct. 19, 2014

Nina McLemore: go-to fashion choice for chic CEOs

You won’t hear her name at Fashion Week or in red carpet coverage. But Nina McLemore designs for some of the most influential and affluent women in America: Hillary Clinton, DuPont Co. CEO Ellen Kullman, former New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman.Many more law firm partners, executives, entrepreneurs and civic leaders wear Nina ― pronounced NINE-uh, as her clients refer to her brand ― for their most decisive moments.These are not neutral Armani suits, though the design, tailoring and fabrics

Oct. 8, 2014