In this blog post, I’ll summarize how the academic work and school activities I engaged in during high school—along with my experiences with empathy and collaboration—led to my decision to pursue a career in design and my preparations for it.
Academic Experiences and Reflections
In addition to my regular classes, I studied art on my own to build a solid foundation. I read relevant books, practiced sketching and expression consistently, and compiled my work in a sketchbook to create a portfolio. Although I made many mistakes along the way, the process of building my fundamentals through self-study was rewarding, and I steadily improved my skills by reflecting on my own creative process.
After laying this foundation, I continued my studies in a more specialized direction through after-school classes. My school’s after-school program offered a design class where I could practice calligraphy and product design, and through these classes, I broadened my range of expression. Since calligraphy involves expressing text as a form of art, I was able to express my favorite phrases and short messages in various languages.
While practicing calligraphy, I frequently used phrases not only in Hangul but also in English and Chinese characters. In particular, by transcribing famous English sentences into calligraphy, I naturally learned many English expressions, which served as a strong motivator for my English studies. Calligraphy also sparked my interest in Chinese characters—which I had previously neglected—and I began studying four-character idioms and meaningful Chinese phrases.
In product design classes, I learned the fundamentals by working on real-world designs such as snack packaging and household goods packaging. I started by imitating and improving existing packaging designs, and later moved on to designing various packaging containers—such as cosmetics and beverage containers—on my own, focusing not only on form but also on the functionality of the packaging. Through these after-school activities, I was able to build a foundation in design thinking that considers both visual expression and practicality.
Major Campus Activities and Reflections
On campus, I was actively involved in the Web Content Design Club. Since the club focused primarily on web content design rather than covering all design fields, I was able to consistently engage in education and hands-on practice aligned with the latest trends. Through these club activities, I gained numerous opportunities to develop skills and a sensibility closely aligned with real-world professional practice.
The most helpful experience was learning design tools. I was originally familiar with hand-drawn sketches and drawings, but I had never properly learned computer-based design tools. In the club, upperclassmen regularly taught me the functions of Photoshop, Illustrator, and Flash, and since materials used in class were posted on an online bulletin board for repeated study, I was able to fill in the gaps in my knowledge.
The club had a mentor system where seniors mentored juniors, so I received one-on-one instruction. My mentor, a senior, gave me positive feedback on my sketching skills and boosted my confidence, which allowed me to tackle the process of learning design tools with even greater determination. I practiced repeatedly until I mastered the functions, and gradually I became able to use the tools with ease.
The second most meaningful activity was an industry field trip. During my sophomore year, I visited the Korean Film Archive, where I had the opportunity to observe firsthand the changes and latest trends in web content. This experience shifted my perspective: I began to view design—which I had previously regarded merely as a hobby—as a full-fledged industry and a viable career path. Touring the facility allowed me to experience firsthand how design is applied in real-world settings and how it creates value.
Finally, while preparing for the graduation exhibition, I strove to complete my work by drawing on all the skills I had accumulated. Within the framework of web content design, I combined product design elements to create content that expressed a product’s characteristics and functions through visual elements. At the exhibition, we shared and evaluated each other’s ideas, celebrating our achievements together. This series of experiences laid the foundation for my future as a designer.
Examples of Consideration, Sharing, and Collaboration, and My Reflections
There was an instance during my club activities where a relationship with a friend that began as a competitive one ultimately had a positive impact on both of us. I was very interested in product design, while a friend in the club was passionate about residential environment design and was highly skilled with design tools. Naturally, we began to view each other as rivals, and as the competition intensified, we sometimes felt uncomfortable around each other.
To turn this relationship around, I made a conscious effort to praise and encourage my friend’s work. When I sincerely congratulated her on even small achievements and made a point of pointing out the strengths of her work first, her attitude softened, and we began to open up to each other. Rather than simply suppressing the competition, transforming our relationship through recognition and encouragement proved to be a great help.
After becoming closer, we frequently discussed design and shared our respective strengths. My friend shared their perspective on residential environments and interior design, and I received a suggestion to explore products suitable for communal spaces from a product design standpoint. Through the process of respecting each other’s viewpoints and exchanging ideas, I deeply appreciated the value of collaboration.
Through this experience, I learned that competition does not always lead to negative outcomes. I realized firsthand that acknowledging each other’s strengths and working together broadens our horizons, ultimately enhancing not only personal growth but also our collective results.
Efforts and Preparation Related to Motivation for Application and Career Plans
Through conversations with friends and club activities, I set a specific career goal: to design products suited for spaces used by communities. Accepting my friend’s suggestion, I decided to study products suitable for communal and leisure spaces in greater depth, which led me to choose a career path in the Department of Industrial Design.
Based on this career decision, I integrated my past learning experiences and club activities into my preparation process. My self-taught portfolio, product design work completed in after-school classes, proficiency in design tools acquired through club activities, industry insights gained from company visits, and experience preparing for the graduation exhibition all served as a practical and creative foundation for majoring in industrial design.
Moving forward, I plan to build upon this foundation to further develop my design capabilities in identifying and solving problems from a community-oriented perspective. I believe that my self-directed learning, collaborative experiences, and hands-on practical experience from high school will serve as a solid foundation that I can consistently draw upon as I pursue my major in industrial design.
