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Interview with Seuk Hoon Kim |
Home > Designer Interviews > Seuk Hoon Kim |
Editor Frank Scott (FS) from DesignPRWire has interviewed designer Seuk Hoon Kim (SHK) for A’ Design Award and Competition. You can access the full profile of Seuk Hoon Kim by clicking here.
FS: Could you please tell us more about your art and design background? What made you become an artist/designer? Have you always wanted to be a designer?
SHK: I have started off my dreaming to be a sculptor when I was little, and wanted to study into that career. It was because I was interested in 3 dimensional objects. This thinking developed further more which I wanted to become an architect, specially focused in interior design where I can shape a space close with people.
FS: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
SHK: New York and Seoul based award winning studio, seukhoonkim, integrates and collaborates various disciplines of design, wide range from space design such as architecture and interior design to design branding, marketing, and styling.
FS: What is "design" for you?
SHK: A gateway to express my thoughts.
FS: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
SHK: Hospitality and F&B projects.
FS: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
SHK: Amore Pacific Headquarters by David Chipperfield. The space tells it all.
FS: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
SHK: a bathroom of Ando Tadao's building.
FS: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
SHK: concrete, wood, stone
FS: When do you feel the most creative?
SHK: As how all my accumulated thoughts are developed to find a new idea.
FS: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
SHK: The main concept and how details will be developed in order to fulfill the best in construction.
FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
SHK: Gets sharp and excited as I develop my design.
FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
SHK: Feels fascinating to see how my ideas in my head is now in front of my eyes.
FS: What makes a design successful?
SHK: Well balanced.
FS: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
SHK: What will be the main concept and how that is well expressed.
FS: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
SHK: To provide a better environment.
FS: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
SHK: It is getting broader more and more. Many different styles will flourish all together.
FS: When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
SHK: Last exhibition was in Tokyo for IFFT. Next exhibition will IFFT as well in Tokyo in May.
FS: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
SHK: Everyday, everything is my source of inspirations. I try to see things that are usual in an unusual way.
FS: How would you describe your design style? What made you explore more this style and what are the main characteristics of your style? What's your approach to design?
SHK: Simple yet strong. Vibrant and well balanced.
FS: Where do you live? Do you feel the cultural heritage of your country affects your designs? What are the pros and cons during designing as a result of living in your country?
SHK: I used to live in New York and now in Seoul. Different cities and different culture really influence my design.
FS: How do you work with companies?
SHK: I work very closely and try to communicate with all the aspects that can shape the design.
FS: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
SHK: Find the right style that will go well with the company and to communicate.
FS: Can you talk a little about your design process?
SHK: From investigating fully of the surroundings and the environment of the space, I try to add up the culture in the area and to fully elevate the positive aspect of the space.
FS: What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
SHK: Table lamp, tea candle holder, coffee pot, cup, and my sunglass.
FS: Can you describe a day in your life?
SHK: Work, Work, Work
FS: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
SHK: Dream big and experience the world when you have time. Really traveling is worth for having experience for your career as a designer.
FS: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
SHK: Expressing what I think is the most positive aspect of being a designer. It's hard to find the right relationship with clients will be the negative.
FS: What is your "golden rule" in design?
SHK: The floor plan needs to be perfect in order to fulfill the space.
FS: What skills are most important for a designer?
SHK: To imagine what you want to design visually in your head.
FS: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
SHK: From hand sketch to rhino, 3ds max, photoshop, lightroom, indesign.
FS: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
SHK: It needs to well thought out, determining every hour what to do and to accomplish that.
FS: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
SHK: Depends on what project it is, but G House took about 6 months from design to construction. Bigger projects tend to get longer than that as new development projects can get to 2 to 3 years.
FS: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
SHK: What kind of design am I?
FS: What was your most important job experience?
SHK: Probably hotel projects, especially W Hotels of Mariott.
FS: Who are some of your clients?
SHK: There are many private and corporate clients working together.
FS: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
SHK: Hospitality projects. It's fascinating to see people how they enjoy in the space.
FS: What are your future plans? What is next for you?
SHK: Along with seukhoonkim, I have been appointed as Partner and Creative Director of Studio GAIA Seoul this 2017. At Studio GAIA, I have been designing numerous fantastic hospitality projects, and now we are aiming for Asia market.
FS: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
SHK: I usually develop the design on my own, and my team develops it and and details it out. I am always open for collaborations with other artists and designers as well.
FS: Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
SHK: As the Creative Director of Studio GAIA Seoul, there are some hotel projects coming up in Washington D.C., USA; Santiago, Chile; Incheon, Republic of Korea; and Turks and Caicos Island.
FS: How can people contact you?
SHK: People can contact me to my email, seukhoonkim@gmail.com
FS: Any other things you would like to cover that have not been covered in these questions?
SHK: No.
FS: Thank you for providing us with this opportunity to interview you.
A’ Design Award and Competitions grants rights to press members and bloggers to use parts of this interview. This interview is provided as it is; DesignPRWire and A' Design Award and Competitions cannot be held responsible for the answers given by participating designers.
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