Seoul Design
International Forum
서울디자인국제포럼

3rd Pre-forum for 2022 Seoul Design International Forum Part1

TALK 1. Value of custom public design that is easy to understand and is convenient

Flow: Mobilising Data for Sustainable Outcomes

Cities have undergone transformations in the last centuries based on two paradigms. The first paradigm was the rapid development of infrastructure in the 20th century, and the second paradigm was transportation — the introduction and expansion of vehicles. The next paradigm will be the advent of the fourth industrial revolution leading data-based technological development for smart cities. Then, how can we define practical technologies in the future?

Design for All: A Visit to the Pedestrian Pathways in Olympic Park

What is Seoul Design? Seoul Design is a design version of Seoul that increases the competitiveness of the city and allows anyone to lead a happy life in response to the challenges faced by the community due to various global issues. To solve various problems encountered in everyday life, we develop creative and sustainable design solutions to create a safe, convenient, and win-win urban environment. Using public design technology, we are leading the world city through innovative technologies and designs that reflect the unique characteristics of the city, and forming a design community that is considered together by many experts, industries, and citizens. As a student majoring in architectural engineering, I think the public design and the Seoul design policy of Seoul City around us are valuable resources that make life convenient for many citizens.

Exploring the concept of social problem-solving design and its value, and evolutionary direction

Societies around the world are increasingly facing more diversified and complicated problems (e.g.: social structure and policy, climate change, chronic infectious diseases, inequality, etc.). And recently, in addressing these social problems by developing an actionable solution through collaboration with stakeholders, “social innovation” is emerging as a useful concept, and the use of human-centered participatory design approach is emphasized as a practical methodology to execute this concept. Unlike the conventional supplier-centered innovation that involves a top-down approach, these concepts focus on a bottom-up approach that emphasizes social connectedness, and the role of design as an elaborate problem-solving tool is critical in implementing these concepts.

Universal Design and City for Everyone

The Seoul International Seminar on Universal Design1) that began in 2013 introduced and discussed the universal design of Seoul and major cities around the world. Introduced by Ron Mace, the concept of universal design refers to a functional and attractive design made accessible to all people, regardless of age, disability, or life cycle.2) Therefore, universal design connotes a significant meaning for urban planning and design. Instead of an urban space only for the healthy and economically active group, it aims to make a city for all, including the elderly and persons with disabilities. Universal design also suggests the possibility of a new urban paradigm. The concept of neoliberal entrepreneurial cities that surged in the deindustrialization era placed emphasis on competition among cities to attract capital,3) which deviates from the purpose of a city for all. Many cities struggled to grow and become competitive to acquire higher positions on global city rankings. Sometimes, they were more faithful to meeting the needs of domestic and overseas capitals than taking care of the socially disadvantaged. Accordingly, universal design brings up the creation of social values as the topic instead of competitive values, offering an opportunity to shift the paradigm and make cities warm and kind for more people.

[Special Interview] Uwe CREMERING

Q1. How much more importance does social value and sustainability have in the iF Design Award today, and how are these changes influencing the design scene in Korea and Asia? Actually, at iF Design, we have a holistic view of the product itself, and sustainability, social responsibility, as well as environmental responsibility, has played a significant role over the last decades. But over the last years, we have really focused a little bit more on this topic and we did it in line with our main participants and also a consultation of external experts, and we have dedicated criteria for this, called sustainability. And, it has 20 percent of our overall ratings go to this criterion.