EXPERIENCE 3

DESCRIPTIVE REFLECTION

DOCUMENTATION

Over the last four months of 2017, I was enrolled in six classes last at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology in Daejeon as an undergrad exchange student. Along with a new perspective on good industrial design, I brought back a few other habits  including respectful nods, handing over my debit card with two hands, and a craving for kimchi (spicy fermented cabbage) with every meal. While these might eventually wear off, my fascination and fondness of the South Korean culture never will. Luckily, I was able to return with a picture-based cookbook and a slew of new friends from the KAIST International Chapel. 

From the mountains of Seoul to the southern tip of the peninsula and beyond in Tokyo, I took pictures of interesting design details everywhere I went and posted a particularly noteworthy one each week on my blog with an insightful review. I mostly discerned an overarching sense of comfortable balance of opposing forces, regulated patterns and textures, and high efficiency through attention to detail. To the Koreans, it’s not enough to just decide where to build a wall – you must also artfully organize the bricks. Even as I begin designing products for my next internship, I have already gained a better sense of materiality, explored the use of texture to create interest on a shape, and emerged with a new global perspective on not only design but lifestyles in general. Though I may not care to eat rice again for a while, I wholeheartedly loved my time in Korea and am so happy that I was able to participate in the UC Study Abroad Program.

ARTIFACTS

At KAIST I attended a Korean Painting and Calligraphy course taught by a very talented ink painter and her English-speaking teacher’s aide. Every Tuesday I looked forward to this relaxing time of recreating the Four Gracious Plants of the seasons on rice paper. Each painting is about finding balance and beauty even in the seeming randomness of nature.

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Because the Korean Institute is globally known for developments in electronics and tech, I took advantage of an Interaction Prototyping course for Industrial Design students. I learned to start off practicing concepts with entertaining and simple projects such as my personal tea-making machine. I was able to start to apply this learning through my User Experience Design course project: a fun game-like product system that encourages locals and foreigners to interact in the context of hiking. Designed for the large population of regular hikers in Korea, the project provides users with a location-sensing pin to wear on their clothes to signify that they are open to meeting people as they go. By tapping devices with other hikers and achievement markers along the trail, users can earn points that are redeemable for postcard prints of their favorite memories from the hike. My team's final result was a big hit with our class, and we were awarded first prize for Best Scenario Video.

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Please view my blog to see not only snapshots of my tours around the country, but also my commentary of insights about Korean design as it relates to culture and history.