The following is an introduction of some of the firms that participated in a joint program to support small and medium-sized companies pushed by the Small and Medium Business Administration (SMBA) and the Korea Institute of Design Promotion.

The program included support for training employees, improving product design, conducting overseas marketing research, searching for buyers and participating in overseas exhibitions for the SME sector.

The centerpiece of the program was helping SMEs redesign their key products with the help of innovative designs. SMBA officials hailed it as a win-win project between manufacturers and designers by boosting overseas sales.

‘Minimalized’ staple gun aims at export growth

Buoyed with the right design, an ordinary staple gun became an export driver for a South Korean manufacturer.

Jeil Tacker, a leading fastener maker founded in 1983 that produces pneumatic nailers and staplers, is expecting an eightfold increase in exports next year, thanks to the innovative design of one of its stapling products.

Under the Korea Institute of Design Promotion’s initiative to support the nation’s small and medium-sized enterprises, Jeil Tacker was able to work in alliance with Design Tree, a product design company in Ingye-dong, Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, which provides one-stop design solutions for small and medium-sized companies.

Design Tree gave a whole new minimalized look to Jeil Tacker’s Air Staple, a crown stapler used to put furniture together.

The designer made the handle more user-friendly with a comfortable grip and a sleeker design. The new design, stylish yet kept simple, opens the possibility of the creation of a full-family lineup of other tools.

“The product is drawing attention in the market for paving the way for tools that reflect the latest product design trends. (Working with Design Tree) was a precious experience for Jeil Tacker to learn how to enhance credibility among consumers on the quality and design of our products amid the tough competition with foreign brands,” said Jeil Tacker officials through a statement.

While only about 500 Air Staples were sold per month before the design was enhanced, Jeil Tacker expects that the revamped product will sell over 4,000 a month and reach an export of about 500 million won ($500,000) next year.

The product will be introduced in markets all over the world including in the Middle East (Iran, Saudi Arabia, Syria), Europe (Turkey, Germany), South America (Brazil, Chile, Peru) and also several Southeast Asian countries.

The headquarters of Jeil Tacker is situated in Jik-dong, Gyeonggi Province. The company’s U.S. arm is located in Santa Fe Springs, California.

By Park Min-young  (claire@heraldcorp.com)

Multi-blade saw gets cutting-edge makeover

Hana Tools, a Korean manufacturer of multi-purpose cutters, recently brought a fresh design upgrade to its “Magic Saw” cutter set in partnership with design consultancy Ion Design.

The product, consisting of separate cutters and saws for cutting different materials such as wood, glass and metal, used to be carried in a somewhat rough and heavier container.

The design was overhauled as part of a consultancy program supported by the Small and Medium Business Administration. This has greatly improved the product’s design and efficiency.

Considering recent trends in the do-it-yourself market, excess space was dramatically reduced, while tools were rearranged to maximize convenience and efficiency for users.

As a result, the company was able to reduce logistics and supply costs. The curved design, in particular, has renewed consumer awareness and attracted them to the toolbox.

This year, the company participated in several global trade shows with the new product, gaining positive reviews from buyers.

The company aims to see 7 billion won in sales this year, of which 6 billion is expected to come from overseas markets such as Japan, Germany and the United Kingdom.

“We have created a product that satisfied consumers’ long-held demands both for design and convenience. Our strengthened competitiveness will create more sales opportunities among existing and potential customers,” said a company official.

“We realized that design approach can improve products in diverse aspects such as function, convenience, efficiency, safety and creativity, and that the improved consumer experience is directly linked to more purchases.”

This kind of design development program seems essential for integrating creative thinking and sculptural beauty at the same time, the official said.

“Joining the program also helped the company’s design team better communicate with each other and work more effectively. We hope similar opportunities are shared by other companies,” the official said.

By Lee Ji-yoon (jylee@heraldcorp.com)

Heavy vehicle seats blend style with design

Top management of Woochang, a leading auto seat and accessory manufacturer, have decided to invest in design, which has become important even for heavy vehicles like trucks and forklifts.

As part of such efforts, the company launched a project to upgrade its seats for heavy vehicles with support from the Small and Medium Business Administration, aiming to improve its reputation in the global market by adopting design management as a key strategy for growth.

It partnered with T&T Good Terms, an industrial design company, which developed the key concepts of the product design. The project is for a heavy-vehicle seat suitable for people weighing more than 150 kilograms.

The design company sought product design that is elegant but convenient, while infusing the brand identity of Woochang. The company’s brand colors are white and blue. Blue implants a positive and active image, while white symbolizes transparent management.

It also aimed to raise the comfort of the product, given that users tend to work overtime.

Woochang was satisfied with the project results and set a higher sales goal for the next year. Woochang expected it would post 800 million won ($737,000) in sales of the seat this year.

With the product focusing on design and style, the company will increase its penetration in the global market, targeting such areas as farm machines, commercial vehicles, and national defense industry equipment.

Woochang has provided seats for tractors, heavy equipment, offr-road vehicles and forklifts since its establishment in 1977. Key clients include Daewoo Bus, Ssangyong Motor, Kia Motors, Samsung Heavy Industries and Hyundai Heavy Industries.

By Seo Jee-yeon  (jyseo@heraldcorp.com)

Stylish, chic design concept added to CCTV camera

With its chic but formal concept, mid-sized firm Korea Communication Electronics has injected stylish design into something that surrounds us every day ― closed circuit television ― with the help of design consulting firm Tritops.

The newly designed CCTV camera includes an on-screen display, or OSD, in the small, bullet-type camera. Some highlights of the OSD’s features are dynamic noise reduction, privacy masking, motion detection, picture quality control and white balance control among others.

Going a step further from fulfilling the security industry’s requirement to generate user-defined text and graphics on a video image, the two firms concentrated on improving the items’ unsophisticated exterior.

As a result, it was chosen for its outstanding design and efficiency in a consultancy program supported by the Small and Medium Business Administration.

“Focusing on the chic and formal, we not only supplemented the product’s functions, but also added a special touch of style, which is simple and concise, to create the new product,” said KCE officials.

As the new security item was released in the market, KCE has been busy sealing a $70,000-deal with Russian buyers for the new CCTVs, according to its officials. It also has been receiving positive feedback in a number of exhibitions, and countries close to Russia are expressing strong interest in the product, they said.

The firm added it expects to sell at least an additional $200,000 worth of CCTVs in Russia and its neighboring nations with the newly designed hit item.

KCE, based in southern Seoul, develops other products including a series of cameras such as a color dome camera, digital video recorders, DVR cards and mini compact DVRs.

Tritops, the design and patent consulting firm that carried out the new design, has also assisted in the designs of industrial products like security lights, box and dome cameras, set-top boxes and the website of Korea University’s Research and Business Foundation.

By Cho Ji-hyun (sharon@heraldcorp.com)