I am originally from S Korea and currently studying Product Design at Parsons in New York. I would say my key concepts and design aesthetics are artistic explorations with architectural integrity. Influenced by my father, an architect, I am much interested in geometric principles and have a great curiosity of materials. Moreover, since I transferred from Fashion Design Department, I have always been studying about the latest trend of various design fields in order to keep my sense awake. I am proficient at understanding current trends quickly and resolving them in my own way. On top of this, as a Product Design student, I am very aware of the significance of being considerate, providing the practical and understandable solution through research, development and user testing. I would say my own design philosophy has been developed in practicality and aesthetic. This is why I am more into furniture and home goods in that I am able to apply my own aesthetic style with practical considerations to work. A table named “bann” above shows this design philosophy well.
“bann” is an assemblable yet elegant dining table for everyday use. It creates a visual play with cultural activity. The table is designed to work practically but its overall look is very playful and artistic. Both children and adults are encouraged to interact with it by its transformative feature and sophisticated forms. It consists of 6 pieces which are a round tabletop, four leg pieces, and a half-moon shape tray. The round tabletop is made of solid wood carefully painted for a beautiful and unique pattern. The assemblable legs create a harmonious balance with shapes and colors.
In terms of background of the product, I referenced a traditional object in Korean culture. There is a typical type of dining table called “Bob-sang,” which is relatively lower than a coffee table and has foldable legs on four corners and normally setting up this table is usually a father or children’s role while a mother is cooking for them. I personally remembered I was helping my father to unfold this table and setting up on the floor as a daily task. This simple activity offered me an opportunity to have a small sense of accomplishment in that my parents gave me a compliment by doing that and it made me experience the meal in an active and meaningful way. Based on this experience, I wanted to add more playfulness to this cultural object so that it empowers the value of the family meal from the opening stage.
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