Prominent designers and innovators in design shared their design philosophy and visions with Korean audience at the Herald Design Forum on Tuesday, a main lecture event held during the Herald Design Week 2013.

The forum opened with the renowned Japanese architect Toyo Ito, the winner of the Pritzker Prize 2013, who introduced some of his major architectural works that demonstrate some of his key values in architecture - social responsibility.

In a comprehensive, detailed lecture, Ito revealed key requirements that the architecture in the 21st century should have such as openness, sustainability, being close to nature, having local characteristics and serving people’s needs, and talked about the processes of his architecture projects.

Italian designer Stefano Giovannoni and American designer Maggie Macnab talked about their own strategies in designing brand identity in the following lecture.

Giovannoni, behind some of the unique and functional household products, led the audience through his design thinking process, taking some of his successful products such as Alessi’s Miami pots, Magis Bombo Stool and Boogie Woogie bookcase as examples.

American designer Maggie Macnab, founder of the design consulting firm Macnab Design, talked about how she incorporates natural elements in her design, and by doing so, how she furthers problem solving.

Another duo-lecture followed with two leading Korean designers in the international design scene, Don Tae Lee and Joon Oh!, who discussed design future in Korea. The two designers agreed that understanding the needs of the customers as well as the power of soft industry are key factor to developing Korea into a design powerhouse.

Joon Oh!, creative director of Amorepacific, a leading Korean chemical and cosmetics company, noted that Korean design firms have been mostly focusing on IT, automobile, shipbuilding, steal and energy industries, and said they should expand its influence to soft industries such as beauty, fashion and health.

Don Tae Lee, co-president of London-based strategic design consultancy tangerine, stressed a mix of insight and foresight for Korea to step up as an innovator in design.

The fourth session featured two British designers Gary Card and Gavin Hughes. The two with different expertise in design talked about their common material “space” in the lecture titled “Defining Space Through Design.”

The forum’s youngest guests Shravan Kumaran and Sanjay Kumaran, one of the world’s youngest programmers and CEOs, presented their young, but innovative vision for software industry in the future.

The forum’s highlight lecture was delivered by IDEO CEO Tim Brown, a leading figure in design thinking.

Working at the forefront of design-driven changes in companies, products and services, Brown talked about changing roles of design in a world that is becoming less predictable, more volatile and more complex. He listed some of the transforming forces behind such shift as the emergence of social media and subsequent social changes.

Closing the day was veteran French fashion designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, who shared his source of inspiration with a quick drawing demonstration and by presenting unique, quirky objects like a Lego-themed necklace. De Castelbajac took audiences through his nearly 40-year fashion career with photo slides showing his signature pieces such as a double poncho, a teddy bear coat, and dresses featuring the faces of Andy Warhol and President Barack Obama.

By Lee Woo-young (wylee@heraldcorp.com)