Asian Interior Design Symposium: Korea

Speaker

Her work as a designer has won her many awards, including the 2007 KOSID Best Design Award and the 2009 KOSID Golden Scale Award.

Identity

What is design? How is design process different from strategic thinking and problem solving?

• Design process can be generalized by the following pattern:Commit → State → Collect → Analyze → Evaluate → Ideate → Choose → Implement

• In design process, sense and sensibility are important values

• Design is Art + Craft, and in this example from a restaurant in Seoul, the designer wants to have a big column inside the room, which is not necessary and expensive, but became a drawing point. Some designs are not practical, but turn out to be successful.

What are the core values of interior design?

• Interior design is a field that can be very broad and very detailed at the same time.

• For example in this house in Korea, the interior designer understands the outside environment, lighting, furniture, decoration, materials, and the result is a well organized interior space

How does/should interior design education differ from others?

• Interior design education focuses on theoretical study of color and material, lighting and furniture—these are the main elements of interior design

Should interior design education be re-balanced to include a greater exploration of the effects on aesthetics on occupants?

• It would be ideal if both aesthetics and visual realization of client requirements be balanced.

• The designer should consider the aesthetic effects on the occupants in the design process. For example in this restaurant in Seoul, they decide to have a big window facing the street instead of walls to create communication between the restaurant and the street. This creates harmony between inside and outside.

What is the role of human senses and emotions in interior design?

• Human senses cannot be understood logically in the process of design

• Using humanity in the process of design can move people emotionally. For example, in this house in Korea, the designer creates a lot of empty spaces, which may be inefficient, but makes the occupants more happy.

Relevance

Are interior designers able to relate their professions to ecosystems and evolution?

• Having eco-friendly in mind is very important for interior designers. For example, this boutique in Seoul is covered in grass, which saves money on air-conditioning.

What is the proper relationship among urban design, building architecture, interior architecture/design and furniture and equipment design? Should this relationship be reflected in interior design education?

• In this town in Korea, the line of the buildings connect with organic line of the mountain. The interior designer also understands the environment and reflects that in the lighting and spatial design.

Is decoration truly interior design?

• Interior design needs wider perspective, an understanding of the architecture and environment.

How should the value of design be measured?

• The value of design is recognized as crucial in the business world, in design marketing and aesthetics marketing.

• Even governments realize the value of design. As you can see from this picture of a park near Han River, street furniture is well designed.

To what extent is interior design regulated in your region?

• The legal status of Korean interior designer is relatively negative. KOSID has tried to keep their status positive.

Value

What is the meaning of human-centric design in your region?

• There are many reflections of the natural world in design, which is considered beneficial to the psychological and physical health of humans.

• Human-centric design means to naturally absorb into the naturalization of design

• Design is considered for everyone in society

• For example, this house in Korea is made of natural materials. The designer incorporates as many windows as possible so that the occupants can enjoy the outside scenery, even opening up the ceiling to skylight.

• Using natural materials the design keeps the house cool in the summer and warm in winter

What role does interior built environment play in the survival and well-being of humans?

• Green design means that it is very important that design has low cost of maintenance, and be in harmony with the environment

• Spatial design should enable happy communications and relationships between humans

• In this building in Seoul in an expensive area of town, the designer wants to have as many balconies as possible where people can have a garden. They also have a big atrium with skylight so they can get sunshine.

• The visual aspect of interior design is a way to achieve an effect. In this bar in Seoul, the designer wants to have a relaxing effect on people, so he uses floor lighting with transparent materials, so people feel like they are floating. In this dental clinic, the same designer uses a reflective material for the floor and opening on ceiling as well as indirect lighting from the corners to create a wide and open effect in a small space.

Responsibility

What is the responsibility of interior designer to address various basic human and organizational needs?

• The duty of interior design is to make their clients environment restful and harmonious with their family

What is the responsibility of interior design educators?

• In the process of design, good communication skills brings successful results, so educating communication and presentation skills should be part of interior design education