In this blog post, we explore how a Visual Design major academic plan can help concretize your reasons for choosing your major, your research plans, and your future vision as a character designer.
Reasons for Choosing the Major
There’s a saying: “If you have two weeks, read a book; if you have two hours, watch a movie; if you have only two minutes, look at a painting.” This phrase symbolically illustrates how art touches human thought and senses. If there is a fastest path that leads us into the world of emotion rather than reason, into the realm of intuition rather than logic, I believe it is art. This is because a single image possesses the power to move the heart instantly, without complex explanations or lengthy narratives. Even today, as the trend of valuing creativity and insight intensifies across various fields, the phenomenon of prominent CEOs attending art lectures continues. I believe this is because, in an environment demanding new perspectives and imagination amid rapid change, art still holds the crucial key to creativity and imagination.
From a young age, I enjoyed imaginative play and particularly loved expressing those imaginings through drawing. The moment scenes and stories I envisioned in my mind materialized as concrete images, and the moment I stepped back to objectively view the completed drawing, I felt a profound joy that words cannot fully capture. The process of thoughts residing in imagination manifesting as tangible forms in reality, and then reflecting on myself through that outcome, was more than just a hobby for me—it was a means of communication and a pathway to self-understanding.
Within the field of design, I find illustration particularly captivating. I enjoy observing and drawing people, and I take great pleasure in expressing the myriad expressions and poses humans possess in fresh and intriguing ways. Visually unraveling the emotions and stories contained within a person’s small gestures and subtle changes in expression is an ongoing challenge and learning process for me. While contemplating a career suited to my aptitude, I decided that to develop this interest and talent more systematically, I needed to study visual design professionally. In today’s rapidly changing digital environment, where the importance of visual communication continues to grow, I believe visual design is both an academic field and a practical discipline that meets the demands of our time.
Building upon your institution’s excellent educational environment and the guidance of your distinguished professors, I wish to deepen my imagination and expressive abilities, transforming them into professional competencies. Through systematic theoretical education and practical training, I aim to further refine my strengths rooted in emotion and intuition, growing into a creative designer who communicates effectively with society. Through this learning journey, I wish to translate the dream I have long cherished into concrete achievements in reality.
Primary Research Interests and Research Plan
I intend to use my first year, a period that can easily become lax, as a starting point to firmly establish myself. While the early university years can blur one’s sense of purpose amid adapting to a new environment, I recognize this time as the most crucial foundational stage for preparing my future. I plan to consistently study English and French to grow into a global talent. The design field has also entered an era where international communication and collaboration are essential, and the ability to understand diverse cultural contexts is a vital asset for expanding creative thinking. Therefore, I view foreign language learning as more than just improving linguistic skills; it is a process of laying the groundwork to grow into a designer capable of working on the global stage.
Furthermore, to cultivate the qualities of an outstanding designer, I will dedicate myself even more diligently to my major studies. I aim to build a balanced foundation of theoretical knowledge and practical skills, developing both academic understanding and practical capabilities. Through this, I will set the concrete goal of achieving a level of proficiency worthy of receiving a scholarship.
I view scholarships not merely as indicators of achievement, but as tangible proof of my own efforts and growth. Through systematic learning and continuous self-assessment, I will advance step by step toward becoming a professional designer.
Furthermore, starting in my third year, I plan to form teams with classmates to prepare submissions for various design competitions. Today, design competitions have become platforms demanding both practical skills and creativity. The process of developing ideas through collaboration itself offers a crucial learning opportunity. Through team activities, I aim to leverage and complement each other’s strengths while gaining experience close to real-world projects. By experiencing the entire process—from planning and research to production and presentation—during competition preparation, I want to extend the theories learned in school into practical work.
Based on this plan, I intend to transform my entire university experience into a systematic preparation process for growing into a professional designer, rather than merely a time for academic study. Through step-by-step goals—enhancing foreign language proficiency, deepening major studies, and participating in team projects and competitions—I will continuously develop myself, ultimately aiming to establish myself as a designer possessing both international sensibility and skill.
Plans After Master’s Degree
From Mickey Mouse in the US to Pororo in Korea, witnessing countless characters beloved across eras and borders naturally nurtured my dream of becoming a character designer after graduation. Observing how a character’s form transcends a simple illustration to become a cultural symbol, fostering empathy and shared memories across generations, deepened my appreciation for the power of character design. Today, characters are closely intertwined with diverse industries—animation, publishing, games, digital content, and brand collaborations. A single creative work becomes an entire worldview and functions as a core asset generating industrial value. Within this trend, I have further clarified my goal: to grow into a character designer who possesses both creativity and expertise.
I believe the profession of character designer extends far beyond purely drawing pictures. While how one draws a character and the expressive techniques used are crucial elements, it simultaneously requires integrated thinking that considers the character’s potential commercial value and market strategy. This is because character development is ultimately closely linked to marketing once it becomes a product. For a single character to grow into a brand, various elements must be comprehensively considered: storytelling, target audience analysis, licensing strategies, and media expansion potential. In this regard, I believe character design is a field that demands both artistic skill and planning ability.
A character is a design that offers its owner and user more than just visual pleasure; it evokes an emotional sense of kinship. For some, it provides comfort; for others, it becomes a cherished memory; and for yet others, it serves as a medium to express their identity. It is precisely this aspect that makes character design more fascinating to me than other design work. By acting as a bridge connecting people through emotion, I believe characters are a cultural language and a symbol of empathy.
Moving forward, I aim to dedicate myself more deeply to design studies. My goal is to develop characters that go beyond merely creating visually appealing forms, but also embody stories, values, and social significance. I aspire to create characters that convey hope and love not only to children but also to adults. I seek professional fulfillment by participating in the process of commercializing these characters through systematic planning and strategy. Growing into a character designer who can achieve both the joy of creation and industrial success—that is the ultimate goal I intend to pursue continuously after my master’s program.
Self-Introduction (Life Philosophy, Values)
Since middle school, I’ve enjoyed doodling and preferred comic books over pure romance manga, reading them frequently. During that time, I once organized amusing stories that happened at school into webtoon formats and posted them on my blog.
Translating small, everyday episodes into simple drawings and short dialogue opened a new avenue of expression for me. As my webtoons naturally spread online and my blog’s visitor count gradually increased, I decided to formally launch a website to create a more structured space for communication. In that space, I shared opinions with diverse netizens and observed their reactions, truly realizing that drawing could transcend being a simple personal hobby to become a medium for interacting with people. Through the process of expressing relatable stories for many students with simple drawings, I deeply experienced the true joy of drawing.
This experience gave me a new understanding of the meaning of drawing. I don’t draw simply to express and convey my inner “feelings” about a subject. Rather, I see drawing as a way to understand and explore the relationship between the ‘world’—including the subject—and “myself.” In the process of drawing, I not only organize my thoughts and emotions but also reflect on how they connect to the world. Therefore, drawing is both a means of self-expression and a tool for perceiving the world.
I enjoy forming relationships with people through painting. And I believe this process of connection is the most important aspect of my life. Empathy, communication, and mutual understanding with others are central elements shaping my values. The world of painting is another sincere and beautiful channel for communicating with the world. I intend to continue facing the world through painting, connecting with people, and constantly growing myself within that process.
