A Diverse Array of Content Showcasing This Year's Design Industry Issues
Held at COEX Hall C in Samseong-dong from December 20 to 23
The 'Seoul Design Festival 2022,' now in its 21st year, will be held over four days from December 20 to 23 at COEX Hall C in Samseong-dong.
The Seoul Design Festival is a specialized design exhibition that first opened in 2002, built on the content of the monthly <Design> magazine accumulated since 1976 and on domestic and international networks in the design field. Under the motto of designer promotion, the event is organized together with designers, design brands, and companies to present domestic and international design trends and to strengthen the competitiveness of Korean design. It serves as a venue where designers' ideas become brands and are selected for business, offering both possibility and validation.
Last year, marking its 20th anniversary, the Seoul Design Festival renewed its logo to embody the value of design diversity and, through the SDF Young Designer Promotion, held a special exhibition inviting 20 designers who are now actively working as leading figures across various fields in Korea—among past young designers—providing an opportunity to look back on the festival's history. This year's exhibition brings together the design industry issues of the year to present diverse content, once again firmly establishing itself as a leading design exhibition at the forefront of Korea's design industry.
This exhibition consists of the following: ▲'Young Designer Promotion,' a self-branding exhibition of 40 next-generation designers selected by monthly Design magazine and the Seoul Design Festival, serving as a gateway to stardom for young designers ▲the 'Brand Experience Design Zone,' where visitors can directly experience the philosophies and products of Korea's leading design brands ▲'ESG Design,' featuring leading Korean companies whose management practices engage with environmental, social, and other issues ▲'CMF Design,' showcasing solutions for eco-friendly design—Color, Material, and Finish ▲'20 Illustrators to Watch,' selected by the Seoul Design Festival.
At this year's Seoul Design Festival, visitors can also encounter works by international designers. The Embassy of Switzerland in Korea held a commemorative logo design competition to mark the 60th anniversary of Korea–Switzerland diplomatic relations, and following a review process, the logo by Balmer Hählen, a design studio in Lausanne, Switzerland, was ultimately selected. Through this SDF exhibition, six commemorative logos, including the winning entry, will be presented, and the artists of Balmer Hählen studio plan to visit the SDF venue to hold a session of exchange between Korean and Swiss designers.
Meanwhile, beyond the COEX exhibition hall, this year's Seoul Design Festival will also operate 'Design Spots,' where design can be experienced at various locations throughout Seoul. Under the theme of designers' 'God-tier life spaces (God-saeng gonggan),' spots for designers and by designers will be selected to introduce trend-leading spots through collaboration with SDF. Visitors to the Design Spots will be offered events and SDF admission ticket discounts, and brands to participate in the spots are currently being recruited.
The Seoul Design Festival's 'Global Design Seminar' will be held on December 20 in the COEX conference room (Room 401), featuring talks by global experts leading the design industry. This year, four experts from three countries will take part: △Patrick Jouin, the designer in charge of the design and architecture of the Van Cleef & Arpels Seoul Maison building in Cheongdam-dong; △Chris Lefteri, the material designer who co-planned the CLC premium line of Hyundai Elevator, which won a Good Design USA Award; △Colin Ward, senior partner at Foster + Partners, the architectural firm led by Norman Foster, synonymous with high-tech architecture; and △Susanne Thijssen, a Dutch interior designer who has directed the spaces of Korean brands such as Laneige, Etude, and BBQ. Admission tickets to the Global Design Seminar can be purchased through advance registration or on-site registration. Tickets are available through the Naver reservation page and will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis until they run out.
Admission to the Seoul Design Festival is 12,000 won, and early-bird tickets purchased by December 18 allow entry for 10,000 won. Student groups can view the exhibition at a 50% discount through advance application. Tickets can be purchased through the official website and Naver reservations, and further details are available on the Seoul Design Festival website.