National branding key to uplifting Korean industrial design: iF

For a country with a relatively young design history, South Korea boasts high design standards, characterized by innovation and a drive toward offering new solutions and services.

Yet, the excellence of Korean industrial design remains generally unknown to the rest of the world, due to the lack of a national brand image that is uniquely Korean, according to the managing director of Germany-based iF Design Awards, one of the world’s most prestigious international design awards.

“The DNA of Korean industrial design is that it is very innovative, competitive, quick and solution-oriented ... combining practical design with engineering, which is often the best combination,” said Ralph Weigmann in a group interview held in Seoul on Monday.

“But this unique identity is largely unknown to most of the world,” the iF chief said, stressing the need for the “Korean government to take on a bigger role in building up a more solid country image to promote Korean brands on an international scale.”

Established in 1953, iF, alongside Red Dot and IDEA, is considered one of the world’s top three design awards. Every year, iF receives some 5,000 design entries from about 50 countries around the world.

The iF chief, who has been visiting Korea around three to five times a year for the past 20 years, said the government must take the lead in “weaving together a story that can help propagate Korea’s many outstanding design values.”

“A country’s image very much dictates the image of the brands that are known internationally,” said Weigmann. “Something has to be done to tell Korea’s story, but this can’t be done by one company alone.”

In line with its aim to nurture young designers from around the world including those in Korea, iF has joined hands with Korean health care company Bodyfriend to launch the “Bodyfriend Design Prize 2016 by iF.”

Unlike its counterparts, the joint award is the first of its kind to go beyond simply recognizing innovative design concepts to turning those ideas into real products for commercialization.

“As a company which has grown on the back of design-based management, we will do our utmost best to offer the best opportunities to promising designers,” said Bodyfriend CEO Park Sang-hyun during the signing ceremony to mark the collaborative award Monday.

The Bodyfriend design award is set to approach one of the most challenging areas that design students have to face in the future -- health.

If the health care business was more focused on providing post-sickness treatment in the past, preventive care will become more important globally as health costs continue to skyrocket amid a rise in the aging population, Weigmann said.

“We invite students from all over the world to share their ideas and vision about the health industry and healthy living in the future with Bodyfriend and the public,” he said.

The Bodyfriend design award categories include “Product,” “Communication,” and “Interior Architecture.” A total of 100 million won ($85,000) will be handed out to 13 individuals or teams.

The first and second prize winners will receive an opportunity to commercialize their products and partake in design internships.

IF and Bodyfriend are receiving applications from Oct. 15, 2015 until Feb. 11, 2016. For more information, visit www.ifdesign.de or email design@bodyfriend.co.kr.

By Sohn Ji-young (jys@heraldcorp.com)