The conventional wisdom has it that a product’s key features are mostly confined to its functions and that design was mostly about decoration.

As technology advances, design is playing a key role in emergence of new industries and convergence of existing ones. In an era emphasizing comprehensive thinking skills, creative perspectives and empathy, the role of design and the human elements becomes even more prominent.

Under the theme of “Design for Humanity,” Herald Design Forum 2017 will bring together design gurus from across the world to share their knowledge and experience about sustainable design for humanity and the world.

The annual forum will take place at Hotel Shilla in Jangchung-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. It is hosted by Herald Corporation and sponsored by Seoul Metropolitan Government, Design Korea and Organica.

The star-studded list of speakers includes: Jaime Hayon, industrial designer and head of Hayon Studio; Claudio Francesco Bellini, CEO and founder of Claudio Bellini Design+Design; Naoto Fukasawa, product designer and head of Naoto Fukasawa Design; Carme Pigem, architect and co-founder of RCR Arquitectes; Seok Yong-bae, shoe design director and CEO of Seok; Aernout Dijkstra–Hellinga, design director of Bugaboo International; George Popescu, CEO and co-founder of Lampix; and Gen Terao, founder and CEO of Balmuda Inc.

These leading minds in the design world will discuss the future of design.

“I think individuals with a strong sense of identity, who have something more to bring to the table aside from function, will be leading the design industry,” Hayon told The Korea Herald in an interview. “The evolution of the way we live our lives requires objects to transmit emotions and make us feel.”

He will speak about how a designer’s imagination can prompt people to dream of a better world. Following him leading Italian designer and architect Bellini will talk on designs crossing boundaries, and Fukusawa will lead a session about the essence of design found in our daily lives.

The messages will be part of the forum’s first session, “Design for Humanity,” through which design masters hope to bring changes to the world.

The second and third sessions will take place in the afternoon; session 2, “Design Thinking,” is about solving issues imposed in this day and age by empirical design thinking. Session 3, “Design 4.0,” is about how design will lead changes in the future. Each session will be followed by a 30 minute panel discussion.

Bellini, Baek, Popescu and Sung will partake in the Herald Design Premium Talk from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., which will allow participants a chance to freely share ideas with the speakers and network with one another.

Since the inaugural Herald Design Forum in 2011, under the theme of “Design Changes the World,” the event has presented questions to the rest of the world on how to tap into infinite potential of design and maximize its values.

This year’s forum will give the people of all generations a chance to discuss, ponder and prepare for how the role of design will change in the new era.


By Yoon Min-sik
(minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)