Bon Voyager
Young Korean designers present three products to help you get around
While exploring the many hubs at London Design Festival last month we came across “Bon-Voyager,” a modest display of creative concept products by a select group of young Korean designers. Supported by Korea Design Membership, a government-run initiative to nurture the nation’s best design talent, and presented by University of London’s Goldsmiths design school, the group show acted as an “interaction of culture through design” with many designs directed at a global audience. Of the offerings we found the three following designs to be the most compelling.
The Picnicking bag of London is a multifunctional cloth wrap for exploring The Big Smoke. Designed by Hyeonseung Song, Jieun Kim and Chaerin Han, the clever clutch is inspired by the Korean motherly instinct to provide her young with essential tools and knowledge on their journey through life. The whimsical bag we saw unfolds into a picnic seating area with London subway map diagram.
Continuing with the trend of travel, designers Shinhye Park, Jihyo Shin, Jinhyuck Yoon and Jinhee Jang created Excuse Me!, a set of pictographic cards for foreigners. The playfully illustrated cards transcend words to present visual representations of questions like “where is the bus station?” or “do you take credit cards?” Sized to fit in your wallet, the handy cards are ideal for overseas travel where the language barrier can often be more than overwhelming to visitors.
Under the same design team, Splash Spat is a wet weather shoe cover designed especially for Britain’s unpredictable climate. The water-proof slip design is based on traditional Korean socks, Dutbeosun, and made with lightweight contemporary materials.
