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Designed in Seoul: Culture, Objects, Everyday Life
June 3 @ 5:00 pm - 7:15 pm
This immersive event celebrates the vibrancy and plurality of contemporary Korean design, bringing together a curated group of design agencies whose practices span product design, branding, mobility, consumer technology, and cultural experience. Blending tradition with modern innovation, the event highlights how Korean design continues to evolve across disciplines while maintaining a strong cultural identity.
Attendees will explore a diverse range of design expressions—from physical products and industrial objects to digital interfaces, brand systems, and experiential storytelling. The exhibition will feature visually striking installations, material explorations, and interactive media, offering a layered and engaging view into Korea’s dynamic design landscape.
This program is presented through a collaboration between the Asian Art Museum, the Stanford Center for Innovation and Design Research (SCIDR), and the Korea Institute of Design Promotion (KIDP), bringing together institutional, academic, and global design perspectives.
Through dialogue, presentation, and exhibition, the program reveals how multiple design perspectives converge to form a vibrant ecosystem, aligned with this year’s theme, Multitudes: The Power of Plurality.
The event opens with a panel discussion featuring:
- Soh Kim, Executive Director, Stanford Center for Innovation and Design Research, Stanford University
- Yoon-Jee Choi, Curator, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco
- Sung Bai, Director of Industrial Design for Home Devices, Google
- Ippei Matsumoto, Industrial Designer, Devices and Services, Google
The panel will explore the evolving role of Korean design within global creative industries, addressing themes of cultural identity, technological innovation, and cross-cultural collaboration.
Following the panel, participating design agencies will be introduced through short presentations, offering insight into their design philosophy, process, and key works.
The event then transitions into an open exhibition and networking session, where attendees can directly engage with the showcased works and interact with designers.
Participating Korean Design Agencies
The participating agencies collectively represent the multitudes of Korean design—spanning material exploration, brand strategy, technological innovation, engineering integration, cross-industry application, and emotional storytelling.
Program Schedule
- Opening Panel Discussion (30 minutes): A curated dialogue on Korean design, global influence, and plurality
- Korean Agency Presentations (30 minutes): Short introductions by participating agencies
- Curated Exhibition & Showcase: Physical and digital works presented through spatial storytelling
- Open Networking Session: Informal engagement between attendees and designers, accompanied by Korean-inspired food and beverages