My Visit to the SDIF 2025
Hello, this is Sseugo!
How have your days been lately?
I’ve had a pretty busy week in many ways.
I went to Mangwon Hangang Park, joined a printing workshop…
I was really all over the place.
And of course, I can’t leave out the Seoul Design International Forum 2025!
(Because I’m a SDIF 2025 supporter!)
Wearing the wristband and with my iPad ready for note-taking,
I also grabbed the interpretation receiver—though a bit late!
It was my first time using one, and I found it really fascinating.
Now, let me briefly summarize the points I jotted down.
Design that enhances the value of life and is essential
for building a better society!
During the Design Manifesto session,
we had time for everyone to say, “For me, Design Seoul is…!”
It could be a standard that changes life, a book of stories,
design we create together, or our shared promise—
there were so many different perspectives.
On the pamphlet I picked up, it says,
“Design Seoul is a progressive challenge.”
These placards, written based on citizens’ input,
all had different phrases,
so I’m really curious what other people chose as well.
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Keynote Session "Designing Cities for People: from Vision to impact"
Helle Søholt
This session was led by CEO Helle Søholt,
who has carried out projects all around the world for 25 years.
It was a chance to glimpse her solid philosophy on urban design.
With more than 70% of the world’s population expected to live in cities,
urban planning has become an essential choice for shaping our collective future.
Seoul, of course, is one of the most highly urbanized cities.
This is why the way we design public spaces directly determines the quality of public life.
People shape buildings, and buildings shape people —
and indeed, architecture supports the way we live.
To achieve this, it is crucial to view design from the user’s perspective.
Only then can we influence how people move, consume, and live.
But this doesn’t necessarily mean everything must take place in the city center.
What matters is adapting to the context and transforming spaces in ways that suit their environment.
Rather than constantly chasing what’s new, it is better to make use of what we already have
and choose design approaches that foster circulation and reuse.
Doesn’t this make you reflect more deeply on public design?
I’m sure it wasn’t just me — the SDIF team seemed to feel the same way.
That’s why they asked about ways to make Seoul a more attractive city.
I thought these reflections might help revisit the keynote session,
so I’ve shared them below!
1. Finding a model unique to Seoul
▶ Collect data, work directly with local residents, and record weekly and yearly activities.
▶ Help people genuinely feel, “Ah, this is my home!”
2. Developing policy
▶ Look at buildings as part of this bigger context.
▶ Integrate art into the city.
▶ Connect all of this to broader social impact.
3. Long-term investments, not short-term
▶ Keep this in mind when investing in infrastructure.
▶ Because it is necessary, it shouldn’t be constantly constrained by budget pressure.
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<Examples from Denmark’s 2025 policy>
1) Expand space for nature and prioritize using nature itself over purely aesthetic considerations.
2) Provide high-quality services for everyone—not just a few—through circular systems.
3) Include culture and everyday life, not just physical infrastructure.
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Circularity was repeatedly emphasized throughout the keynote session.
Doesn’t that word naturally make you think of sustainability?
Right on cue, there was another talk on collaborative design for sustainability,
given by Sharon So, Director of Corporate Affairs, Engagement & Sustainability at L’Oréal Korea.
It was so impressive that I really wanted to dig deeper into this session as well.
L’Oréal’s philosophy is “beauty that moves the world.”
It pursues beauty that is 1) diverse, 2) innovative, and 3) sustainable.
<Diverse and Inclusive Beauty>
Did you know that many cosmetics are still developed using animal testing?
In Korea, amendments to the Cosmetics Act have in principle banned animal testing,
but because regulations remain relatively loose, it is still a major topic of debate.
L’Oréal, however, does not use animals to verify the safety of any product or ingredient;
instead, it uses artificial skin.
In collaboration with the U.S. biotechnology company Organovo,
they recreate problematic skin conditions on artificial skin
and test products on that, instead of animals.
Isn’t it amazing how they lead efforts to eliminate animal testing
by pioneering and sharing these new methods and technologies?
Their positive impact doesn’t stop there.
Did you know that all L’Oréal employees take part in volunteer activities every year?
On May 8–9, 2025, L’Oréal Korea worked together
with TRUE, a nonprofit environmental organization,
and students from Milal School, a special school for students with developmental disabilities,
to dismantle discarded toys and paint murals.
The mural was an upcycling piece based on the work “Our Neighborhood” by artist Hyunsoo Lee.
What makes it even more moving is that Lee is a graduate of Milal School.
L’Oréal Korea is truly committed to upcycling.
They previously donated upcycled benches
to Shinsegae Department Store in Gangnam to create rest areas,
and now they are planning to collaborate with Korail
to install upcycled benches at Seoul Station as well.
It’s really inspiring to see them put these values into action and build toward the future.
Another example that stuck with me was their packaging boxes.
The boxes themselves are already eco-friendly, actively using recycled materials,
but they go further by featuring artwork
created by artists with disabilities on e-commerce box designs.
That feels deeply aligned with their philosophy of “beauty that moves the world.”
The works were selected through an eco-friendly competition for artists with disabilities,
organized in celebration of Disability Day on April 20.
These artworks are also being used for street trash can designs in Seoul,
so it might be fun to look for them the next time you’re out and about.
They’ve been installed at 10 downtown locations,
including Jongno-gu, Jung-gu, and Dongdaemun-gu.
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Beyond that, I learned a lot from the other sessions as well.
For example, in Mr. Uwe Cremering’s session,
we explored the idea of “designing trust.”
We learned that trust has a visible, tangible quality,
and that listening, providing clear direction, transparency, and reliability are all essential.
Design helps consumers find their way.
And by looking at the iF judging criteria,
we could also see what values design should truly aim for.
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In Assistant Director Deana Yu’s session,
she said that design is not just about how things look, but also about how they work.
Through “design for, by, and with,”
they seek input from community members and remind people
that everyone is a designer.
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In CEO Byungsu Kim’s session, we learned about design with the 10%.
It flips the usual phrase “design with the 90%” on its head.
Design inherently carries the idea of being user-centered.
He focuses on participatory design to reduce the experience gap between designers and users.
He also emphasized that design is not just a finished product,
but a sustainable process, and that made me realize
how all the sessions, in the end, were connected by a single thread.
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If you’re curious about more detailed summaries beyond my own,
I recommend checking out posts by the other supporters.
After the forum, I made my way home through the rain.
I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t tiring,
but I learned so many valuable things that I have absolutely no regrets.
I’m currently working on a design report,
and examples of public design in Copenhagen that were mentioned turned out to be really helpful.
It reminded me how important it is to go directly to spaces of learning like this.
I didn’t win anything in the lucky draw, sadly, but the gifts prepared personally by the speakers
and the event itself made it clear how much care went into the forum.
If the forum is held again next year, I definitely want to go.
Somehow this post ended up sounding like a lecture summary…
I hope it was helpful for you—really, I do.
