This blog post examines how the planning process, collaborative experience, and problem-solving approach—rather than just final work—can reveal design capabilities and major suitability when writing a Visual Information Design major academic plan.
Writing About Academic Experience and Reflections
“If you’ve decided to study art, start with English.”
I attended a design high school to major in art and grow as a designer. Having steadily prepared foundational art skills since middle school, I built on this to major in multimedia design. However, my parents and other adults around me reacted negatively to my dream. They said only a limited number of people succeed professionally after majoring in design and suggested I consider a stable career like becoming an art teacher. But I wanted to become a designer who expresses my own unique sensibility, so I resolved to achieve my dream through my own efforts, step by step.
While many believe fresh ideas are paramount to becoming a designer, I saw it differently. I felt that to major in design, solid English skills were fundamental. Today, the arts—including design—require interaction not only with the domestic market but also with international clients. Designers must actively exchange ideas with their foreign counterparts to develop concepts. Therefore, strong English opens doors to studying abroad and provides a pathway to understand design trends and cultural characteristics in other countries. To study English, I subscribed to internationally acclaimed design magazines.
The magazines I subscribed to were Black & White from the US and Baseline from the UK. Both magazines featured everything from main articles to special features entirely in English, which greatly aided my reading comprehension practice. I could learn English vocabulary frequently used in design and art fields, and since Korean-language editions were sold in Korea, I could look up difficult parts at bookstores while studying. Content-wise, it was beneficial for grasping the latest design trends. It was also great to be among the first to read about Nordic design or design accessories trending in Korea. Since the content itself was familiar and within my field of interest, I typed out the articles to learn sentence structures and practiced writing by modifying sentences myself.
Writing about major campus activities and reflections
“Completing Major Assignments in the Multimedia Design Course”
Our department offered many design-related courses, ranging from foundational art to visual design and applied design. I took courses in applied design, including industrial design and product design, and completed numerous assignments. Once an assignment was given, it required completing a set amount of work in a project format, so forming a team was essential. Furthermore, since the assignments themselves were often executed using multimedia graphics programs, collaboration was crucial.
To carry out the project assignments, I first sought out group members to work with. I led the members I had been grouped with while taking fine art courses and encouraged them to continue working together as a team. My suggestion was accepted, and all group members worked together on visual design and applied design assignments. As the leader, I consistently spearheaded the task execution and handled assigning roles during the project planning phase.
The fine art course assignment involved creating a collaborative creative artwork focused on expression and concept generation. Since it didn’t utilize graphics, it didn’t take much time. Instead, it was a time to share new thoughts, exchange diverse ideas, and build camaraderie. Later, in the visual design class, we worked on a brand design project utilizing graphics. Planning the entire process, from the brand name to the logo and product design applications, took a significant amount of time. This process involved many tasks to divide, such as gathering materials, logo design, design implementation, and creating presentation files. Therefore, I led the group in a way that allowed everyone to work on the tasks they wanted while maximizing each member’s capabilities.
The group assignments requiring the most collaboration were advertising design, animation, and web design. For advertising design, significant effort was needed from devising promotional strategies to ultimately producing the advertising video. Animation, similar to CF production, also presented many challenges, from gathering ideas to creating the final video. Honestly, conflicts and friction were inevitable during group projects. Even as the leader trying to mediate, we often couldn’t reach a consensus.
I believed that resolving these issues well would actually strengthen our bonds, leading to more efficient role distribution in future group projects. So, I took on the responsibility of handling the final production and editing myself. Once I took charge of the difficult parts, other members also began to diligently fulfill their roles. Consequently, when gathering ideas, an atmosphere gradually formed where members persuaded each other with objective evidence rather than simply asserting their own opinions. As an open-minded atmosphere developed where we listened to each other’s opinions rather than criticizing them, the group project progressed smoothly. We were able to complete the task much faster during the process of creating the website through web design.
Examples of Consideration, Sharing, and Cooperation and Reflections
“Customized Item Production and Sales Activities by Seeking Out Customers”
Our department was assigned to operate a booth for the festival. We broke from the tradition of running a sales booth on the campus field and tried something new: operating a mobile booth that actively sought out customers. We transformed the booth itself into a wheeled cart-style sales counter. Instead of waiting for customers to come to us, we actively sought out potential buyers in areas where students or people gathered to promote our products directly. This approach allowed us to visit densely populated areas and sell large quantities at once.
After renting three large carts for our use, we planned the merchandise to be featured at each sales counter. Through meetings, we planned for each stall to sell distinct types and characteristics of goods. For example, Stall 1 would design and sell school supplies and fancy goods. Stall 2 prepared everyday items like leather bracelets, wallets, and phone cases. Stall 3 focused on creating and selling products appealing to young children. For the children’s items, we produced fabric toys, stuffed dolls, and eco-bags.
Given the variety and large quantity of products, multiple people collaborated on production. Since I often make handmade accessories from faux leather, I primarily created items for Booth 2. Other friends also divided into groups by booth, designing their assigned products and freely crafting the items themselves. Since our goal was to sell customized products, we decided to create items based on our own capabilities without strict rules, as long as the designs were familiar and attractive. After completing all the products, Booth 1 began operating on campus, Booth 2 at a park outside the school, and Booth 3 near an apartment complex around the school. Our strategy proved successful, allowing us to sell products customers wanted in high-traffic areas and successfully run the booths.
Efforts and Preparation Related to Motivation for Application and Career Plans
“Designing Wooden Accessories as a Naturalist Designer”
My motivation for applying to the Department of Visual Information Design at Kyungpook National University is to become a designer specializing in lifestyle accessories and packaging materials. I’ve held the dream of becoming a designer since middle school and pursued this goal by attending a specialized design high school to gain relevant experience. During high school, while I had a general interest in design, I hadn’t decided on a specific subfield to specialize in. However, by completing the curriculum within the Multimedia Design Department and undertaking various practical assignments, I gradually found my own path.
The path I discovered is designing accessories and packaging materials. I primarily prefer handmade products and design interior goods for daily life using eco-friendly materials. Even in high school, beyond assignments, I created everyday items with diverse concepts as a hobby. My creations included leather eco-bags, gemstone bracelets, and containers made from corn-based plastic. These products were conceived using techniques and material knowledge learned in class. While some were made solo, others evolved through collaborative work with peers.
As a university student, I plan to engage in many collaborative projects with others. I’ve witnessed how, when diverse opinions converge around the shared goal of becoming designers, unexpected creations emerge. I’ve also felt my own growth when providing and sharing ideas with others, or explaining and selling my products to them. Therefore, during my university years, I intend to actively network with aspiring designers who share my mindset in the fields of eco-design and naturalist design. I aim to materialize the ideas I’m currently conceptualizing for containers, cases, packaging, and everyday items, and to create a brand. I wish to study in the Visual Design Department so that my ideas can materialize into an actual brand and contribute to many people’s naturalistic lifestyles.
