Herald forum explores expanding role of design

Top architect Rem Koolhaas, advertising guru Alex Schill and other prominent figures shared their vision, philosophy and professional knowledge at the nation’s largest conference on design held at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza.

“The biggest adversary of a good design is not a bad design, but a mistaken belief that one is creating a good design,” Herald Corp chairman Jungwook Hong said in his opening address.

“Good design is the combination of aesthetics, effective engineering and attention to detail. A lot of factors restrict the role of design, such as focusing only on aesthetic aspects, practicality or maximizing profits. But good design should be based on the love of human beings and nature,” he added.

South Korean President Park Geun-hye noted that the creativity and imagination that drive good design are also qualities that help promote a creative economy, a key motto of her administration.

“The government is pushing ‘creative economy’ as the new paradigm of the Korean economy. The imagination, creativity and diverse ideas from each and every individual are ultimately what will drive the growth of this new paradigm,” Park said in her congratulatory letter presented on the video screen at the forum.

Culture Minister Kim Jong-deok and Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon stressed that the forum is a productive and rich platform for the discussion of design and its growing role.

“Design is producing new values when combined with other areas. It is a tool that realises the world’s most innovative technologies and effectively delivers them to people. There are no set boundaries for design. Its potential is unlimited,” said Kim.

Seoul Mayor Park said design has been the key strategy for city governments around the world to improve infrastructure and take further steps toward becoming green cities in the 21st century.

Ten speakers gave talks on the latest innovative undertakings in their fields, under the theme of the forum “Design Spectrum, Expanding the Definition of Design”.

The first speaker was prominent architect Rem Koolhaas, founder of the OMA and curator of this year’s Venice Architecture Biennale. He talked about the changes in perspectives on design through the years. He said design has moved on from being a form of aggressive intervention in our surroundings to being a soft, attractive tool, which aspires to make our lives comfortable. He cited his latest exhibition at the Venice Architecture Biennale as an example of the changing perceptions about design. He examined changes in elements of architecture such as ceilings, walls, doors and staircases in the history of architecture.

Architect Joon Paik introduced some of his recent architecture projects, including the Spaceport America in New Mexico.

Mathew Cockerill, associate design director at Seymourpowell, brought up the most pressing issue in design today: sustainability. He stressed the importance of creating sustainable design in a modern world where “90 per cent of products end up in waste in three months”. He noted efficient processes for maintaining, remanufacturing and recycling products.

Daniel Kim, Asia partner of Daylight Design, a San Francisco-based innovation and design consultancy, stressed the responsibilities of designers. He raised issues that designers should ask themselves, such as why they are designing, the impact of design on society and their social responsibility.