The Embassy of Sweden in Korea, the Korea Institute of Design Promotion, and IKEA Korea held the 2019 'Korea+Sweden Young Design Award' ceremony in Stockholm, Sweden on June 15, announcing and honoring designers Kang Yu-jin, Park Sang-hee, and Lee Ha-young as the final award winners.
The winners earned high praise for design outcomes that contribute to building a world where everyone can live a better life. Their work not only offered meaningful and creative design approaches in keeping with this year's theme of 'Design for All,' but also aligned with the competition's three core values of 'innovation,' 'sustainability,' and 'a better future.'
The 'Korea+Sweden Young Design Award' is a design competition for Korean designers that was launched this past February to expand design exchange between Korea and Sweden and to raise interest in the design field. It was created to inspire passionate young Korean designers with the idea that great design has the power to shape society and life, and to provide them with opportunities to fully express their creativity and grow into the next generation of global designers.
The competition's first award ceremony was held at the Swedish Society of Crafts and Design (Svensk Form) in Stockholm, Sweden, jointly organized by the Swedish Institute, the Swedish Society of Crafts and Design, the Korea Institute of Design Promotion, and IKEA Korea. In particular, the ceremony became all the more special as First Lady Kim Jung-sook, who was on a state visit to Sweden, attended in person alongside Queen Silvia of Sweden to encourage the winners and figures from the design communities of both Korea and Sweden.
In her congratulatory address, First Lady Kim Jung-sook said, "The desire to 'share good things together' creates an equal society, and 'Design for All,' imbued with consideration, ensures that gender, age, language, and disability do not become barriers—protecting the dignity of the socially vulnerable and turning inconvenience and impossibility into convenience and possibility." She added, "Through the Korea+Sweden Young Design Award, I hope the innovation and creativity of young designers from both countries will contribute to helping all of humanity live lives of dignity."
Mats Widbom, Managing Director of the Swedish Society of Crafts and Design, said, "The three final winners of the 2019 Korea+Sweden Young Design Award clearly demonstrated the impact that design can have on people's living environments and on a sustainable future."
Judging for the Korea+Sweden Young Design Award was conducted through a phased, multifaceted evaluation by a panel of ten judges, including design experts from both countries and opinion leaders across various design fields. Many participants submitted works themed on diverse and creative 'inclusive design' that helps more people enjoy a better life through design. Among these, three entries were selected as the final winning works based on the evaluation criteria of creativity, appropriateness of aesthetic value, inclusivity, and impact, having presented the potential to bring about positive change for people, society, and the planet.
To provide a foundation for growing into global designers, the three final winners of the Korea+Sweden Young Design Award will be given various promotional and exhibition opportunities hosted by the Korea Institute of Design Promotion and the Embassy of Sweden in Korea. These include a study tour of Swedish design—including a visit to IKEA's headquarters—as well as participation in 'Design Korea,' the nation's largest specialized design exhibition, to be held this coming November.
Kang Yu-jin's 'New Possibility' is a tableware design that combines a simple form with outstanding functionality, making it usable across a wide range of physical conditions. With a flexible structure that can be easily used even by those who experience difficulty eating alone due to physical challenges, it expresses diversity and inclusivity. Park Sang-hee's 'DIY House Kit' is a modular, small-scale architectural design that helps people build a home easily with just a few hand tools. It offers a resource-efficient smart solution that enables more people to create a home of their own, delivered as a 'living package' distinguished by refined design and color. Lee Ha-young's 'Letter Desk' realizes inclusive design through the efficient use of resources. It reflects an effort to provide desks even to children from marginalized groups so that they can easily learn and grow in their daily lives, and, furthermore, to create opportunities for equality and social participation for all.