Sophia Ko and Moonyoung Kim
1. Please give us a brief bio of yourself and your design background.
Seunghee Ko (Sophia)
I'm a product designer born in South Korea, now living in New York, and working as Brand & Graphic Designer at KISS Product Inc.
Previously, I worked at Mimicle and Beyond J as a freelance UI UX designer. Interested in branding and interactive design, creating tailored solutions.
Moonyoung Kim (Moon)
Product Designer with a background in service design engineering and marketing.
Currently, I'm a Web & Graphic designer at KISS Product in New York, leading a UIUX project for nail measurement. In the past, I won an international brand competition held by L'Or
2. What made you become/why did you choose to become a designer/artist?
S: From a young age, I enjoyed creating things with my hands or expressing my emotions through drawing. As I grew older, I developed a desire to create on behalf of others, to bring to life what they wanted to express. That
3. Tell us more about your agency/company, job profile, and what you do.
M & S: Kiss Products is a renowned beauty company celebrated for its diverse and creatively designed range of beauty products, notably artificial nails, eyelashes, and related accessories.
S: I work as a brand package designer in a creative team, collaborating with art directors and production designers to develop and execute brand design strategies for various projects, such as packaging design, POP, marketing campaigns, and product launches.
M: I work as a web designer in a creative team, designing comprehensive visual assets for digital use. Additionally, I actively participate in UI/UX related side projects.
4. What does “design” mean to you?
S: I think it
5. What’s your favorite kind of design and why?
S: I prefer straightforward and minimalist design that clearly communicates its purpose. Starting with UI/UX design and developing into design studies has made me think more from the user
6. To you, what makes a “good” design?
S: I think a design that is genuinely loved by many people would be a good design. I believe a good design is one where the intention behind it is understood and appreciated by a wide audience.
M: A good design, regardless of the design field, is one that people can understand without the need for explanation-this is the most significant difference from art.
7. How did you come up with the idea for your award-winning design?
When I was young and saving money in a piggy bank, I always wanted to quickly fill it up to split open the piggy's belly and get the money. That's why we started the project, to let kids experience the joy of the process of saving money.
8. What was your main source of inspiration for this design?
The services we use in our daily lives, advertisements we pass by on the streets, and of course, Pinterest
9. Do you think your country and its cultural heritage has an impact on your design process?
We haven't thought about it, but since we've lived our whole life in Seoul, I think it must have had an influence. If we have the opportunity in the future, we would like to work on a project utilizing Korea's heritage!
10. Congratulations! As the winner of the London Design Awards, what does it mean to you and your company and team to receive this award distinction?
For us, this award was our first international design award. This accolade serves as the first stepping stone for us to showcase better designs to the world, and it holds significant meaning.
11. Can you explain a bit about the winning work you entered into the London Design Awards, and why you chose to enter this project?
If you
12. What were the main challenges you faced during the design process, and how did you overcome them?
The most crucial page in our design was the main page. We put a lot of thought into it because we wanted to make the garden easily and clearly understandable to children. We designed it by presenting the garden in the form of a 3D map, giving the feeling of being inside a virtual world, making it easy to comprehend.
13. How do you think winning this award will impact your future as a designer?
Receiving this award has allowed us to discover the possibility that our design can have a global impact. It has undoubtedly instilled a great deal of confidence in us for our future design endeavors, and we believe it will lead us to create even better designs.
14. What are your top three (3) favorite things about the design industry?
In the design industry, we still find it fascinating to contemplate color, typography, and layout. It
15. What sets your design apart from others in the same category?
Our
16. Where do you see the evolution of design industry going over the next 5-10 years?
Over the next 5-10 years, the design industry will further integrate advanced technologies like AI, AR, and VR to enhance user experiences. Sustainable and inclusive design practices will become standard, driven by environmental consciousness and the need for accessibility. Cross-disciplinary collaboration and a focus on ethical design will shape the industry, creating innovative solutions that cater to diverse audiences and societal concerns.
17. What advice do you have for aspiring designers who want to create award-winning designs?
Through research, you must understand current societal issues and trends. It's important to create distinctiveness from competitors through analysis and express it visually while maintaining the unique design concept.
18. What resources would you recommend to someone who wants to improve their skills in the design industry?
Stay informed about design trends through platforms like Dribbble and Behance, utilize Figma's free courses to enhance proficiency, and focus on honing communication skills to effectively convey and persuade stakeholders about the quality of your designs.
19. Tell us something you have never told anyone else.
We are a completely transparent person with no secrets haha
20. Who has inspired you in your life and why?
S: I was inspired a lot from Jong-min who is an interaction/creative designer who worked in Google. He showed a design with a pattern that wasn
21. What is your key to success? Any parting words of wisdom?
S: The key is
