Interview with Olivia Eunnara Ko

I've always loved drawing, painting and making something since I was a little girl. My parents supported me to study abroad in the one of the best design school, Parsons School of Design:) Talented students and passionate professors are very strong motivations so that those environment really could help me to be a designer.

Brainstorming with making mood board, Hand-drawing, CAD.

Grateful and happy.

My mom got talent in interior design and all other hand-craft arts. She has been the biggest influence on my design work by now.

My first solo exhibition's title was "Impression of NYC". I'd like to travel all around the world to get impressions of all different cities as inspirations for my upcoming exhibition. As my previous works, I would keep trying to merge 2D illustration to 3D things.

Just do make, draw and design whatever you want when you are young. After graduate school, when you become a professional designer, there is no chance that you can explore and try so many styles of design crazily.

Please keep showing me your great works, I would get inspired from you and my works would inspire you either.

Woke up, have a cup of coffee and a bowl of cereal, Work, personal design project work after work, go to sleep happily. Simple as yours.

I stick with my own personal design style, quite a straightforward and easy. I get my inspirations from my own memories, feelings and impressions about the whole world.

Good design is supposed to be easy in use for everyone and look neat and made with eco-friendly materials.

I'm not satisfied with my work easily. I believe that there will be always a way to improve them. There can not be perfection. So I can hardly decide if my design is ready. Only due makes my work ready.

Matter of course, Coexistence of NYC, silver A'Design Award 2017 is my biggest design work and I especially proud of.

Philippe Starck. I love the way he demonstrates his ideas to industrial designs. Humorous and chic. Simple and very well understandable. I admire him most.

As my works keep saying, NYC is my only inspiring city. I'm in Seoul now but I think all of my work and inspirations are still based in NY.

I prefer working alone but communicating with parters is good. Positive mind and passionate attitude are the most things I do look for in person I would be hiring or working together.

I'm going to use Social Media Channel to provide videos about how to design for free to public in this year.

It gives me so many opportunities to be participated in a lot of exhibitions globally. so much great experiences.

I always want to be a person who can be supportive so that I could help out other people’s needs. Therefore, my dreams have changed from scientist, doctor to designer. I love art and literature so I decided to become a designer having a job related to more aesthetical aspects and beautiful works.

Yes. I choose to become a designer by myself in spite of parents’ teeth first.

My design has a big range. I can't tell one.

05. What should young designers do to become a design legend like you?
I think I’m still a young designer and not a design legend yet though I’d like to say that young designers should do their own design a lot in all ways. You can learn valuable experiences from all failures.

Love is the distinguishable thing between a good designer and a great designer. I think a great designer is not making something only looking good. If he/she considers the potential users with a great affection, that love makes him/her a great designer.

First of all, when we see something and feel that it looks cool, then it could be simply a good design. However, if we are so much moved when we use it, wear it and grab it, then we could say it is a really good design. I evaluate good design in the details and convenient parts.

Since good design makes our lives better in many ways if the society got more good design, the citizens could get better quality of living equally. For example, there could be streets with a trail for the Blind, safe bikes for seniors and etc.

I’d design everything. I don’t want to make any limitation on my design field. I love to design furniture, lighting, kitchenware, jewelry, fashion and stationery if I had the time.

I’d like to publish a book with my products and illustrations. The book needs to be beyond a 2D printed things. It should be more idealized and I need enough time to realize it.

Taking a enough rest is my secret recipe of success in design. If I feel exhausted and tired, I can’ t do anything good.

Karim Rashid, Marcel Breuer and Philippe Stark.

I love all design chair. Chair is one of the standardized pieces but design chairs are showing the designers’ agony and result of pains. Those are very touching.

Saladay, one of my thesis works for my college is my greatest design I think. That was a kind of dishware to assist obese children to have healthy foods with more fun. The motivation to help someone makes the design great.

Have an affection to other people in their mind first. I’m always trying so.

I would have been a doctor if I hadn’t become a designer because that was always my plan B. If I don’t help people with beautiful things, I would like to save their lives in physically.

Design is a visual language for communication between people. There is always someone who needs me to visualize something he/she wants and I could do that for him/her. Sometimes I have my own idea and I could make it visually and physically to share what’s in my mind with other people.

Of course my parents. They bequeathed their artistic talents to me and supported me to study abroad in NYC for about 10 years.

I have a broad spectrum of interests in many design fields and have very different styles on work by work so getting narrow it down was the big abomination to be a designer.

Design is different from fine art. We need to explain and inculcate our intentions to people. Presenting work is necessary.

I’m designing a tablet PC stands now. It would be fully illustrating my styles. I’d use wood and metal with some good meanings. You will be able to see that in a different category of A'Design Award winners list;)

My ultimate goal as a designer is not one thing. I’d like to keep designing and making something good for my entire life and communicate with people about my design. That is my dream.

They expect from me a good thing to see, to use and to have.

Some good design products or public realm can create well-being environment so that it could improve public welfare. Better welfare means a better society.

I’m working on some buildings illustrations in 1:10 size for my next exhibition. I record a short video clips while I’m drawing at the same time in order to show people how I work

My illustration of London to LG “Belif “ cosmetic brand for cosmetic package design gave me the most satisfaction because it was my first design for mass production so I’ve never felt that feelings when I saw my products on the streets. Literally it was spread all over the streets, road shops, department store and Duty Free Shop.

I’d like to see the way AI and VR affect industrial design part. That will be really interesting.

Virtual Reality department will be the next destination the design field is headed to.

It’s different by case basis. From 1-day work to over 6-month work.

I usually start brainstorming and researching in a quiet places such as library or secluded café.

Think, Consider and Love who is supposed to use my design result.

Both are correct. Design and trend are associated strongly and bound up each other. Sometimes design sets the trends and sometimes opposite.

To visualize my abstract idea in 3D virtually. More accurate design drawing can minimize time wasted on imprecise drawings and data.

Rihino CAD, Photoshop, Illustrator, Graphite and etc. with Intuos tablet.

Colors and materials decide the whole design mood. If you want to go soft and warm, you should choose that types of colors and materials first because final designs look really different by those factors.

I wish people to ask me about what kind of meanings are in my design and why I designed it. I don’t design without any reason.

I feel so glad to see a new great design or product and it provides me a lot of inspirations.

Any experts of other design parts are my idea potential partners. I believe in co-design a lot because there is few people who can do all by themselves without any help from A to Z.

Somehow one who has similar background with me interacted had the most influence on my design even though I targeted people in other areas.

“The evolution of useful things” , Henry Petroski

Based on all skills I’ve learn from my school, I’ve tried to do something again and again.

I’d want to meet Eames couple and talk about the birth of the Eames chair. I just want to hear that from them in person

Even though it is hard to be famous, I don’t care about that much because the awards make me feel proud as itself.

Rosequartz, Home, Seafood, Autumn, Sharpie pens and Kartell.

When I got requests from clients, I gave them 2-3 concepts for the first step. They always picked the one I don’t like most. It is very funny thing and interesting to understand public’s eyes.

I make something and somebody smile and feels happy for that when he/she saw that. That is my motivation.

I’ve won the prizes in many art contests and teachers have always praised my art works and my creativity. Through that experiences, I vaguely thought I could be an artist or designer.

It will be just as well if the earth is still there not destroyed and gone. Designers all have to consider protection of the environment.

I’m an industrial designer who is interested in furniture design, jewel design and illustration not a professional jewelry designer. I think all design parts are my tools to demonstrate what I think and I feel. Based on my major, I keep doing design various things in all industrial ways. Next time, I hope you see my another works in all different categories again!!

Even though I majored Industrial Design in my college, I don’t want to be limited to any specific design field, I work for myself very freely as a freelancer in many areas from illustration work to furniture design.

Design is a visual language for communication between people. There is always someone who needs me to visualize something he/she wants and I could do that for him/her. Sometimes I have my own idea and I could make it visually and physically to share what’s in my mind with other people.

I’ve loved furniture design most for quite a long time since wood-working was my favorite area.

Most Apple products. You may be sick of hearing this but I really love it most up to this time. I think it is a representative of simple, universal and good design.

Through my career, I’ve designed some furniture pieces, decorating on a cabinet and a nightstand for a company.

I love wood and metal because it gives me a harmonic feeling like Nature and Industry/ Soft and Strong. With those materials, I also like to do handcraft as well as computer aid design.

I feel the most creative when I am in a very strange place with a cup of coffee, a notebook and a pen (No Laptop).

During designing, I focus on its sustainability most because design should make a more refined practical product rather than just an artistic works.

I feel fully blessed. Creative ability is the most grateful gift from God I think.

I’m sure that every single designer would feel exactly same way when his or her designs come out to the world. We are so much happy to see our own creation like our own baby.

Designer’s power of attention and affection. Like a prenatal education, only those make a design successful.

Universal aspect and its ease. If someone feels uncomfortable when he/she uses something, it is a fail design.

Designers have responsibilities to make more people live comfortable equally in this planet and try to coexist with nature.

As computer technology advances, design field could do more expanded. Especially Virtual Reality, Robots and Artificial intelligence could combine with design field close then we might be able to design something very surrealistic or invisible for the virtual reality.

In 2016, my first solo exhibition was held in Seoul, S.Korea. Now I have a plan to hold the second one in this year.

I got the design inspirations from nature. When I walk in the rain, when I look up to the mountain covered with snow, when I smell a scent of early morning air, I’m filled up with a new creativity.

My design style is not standardized. Sometimes my works are very exquisite and sometimes are carelessly. I feel that I’m too young to have only one style yet. I need more time to explore.

I’ve lived in Seoul, S.Korea for 20 years and I had lived in New York City, U.S for about 10 years. This is a fact that these two countries gave me a lot of inspirations even thus far. Both are quite big cities like concrete jungles where citizens can hardly enjoy nature. That was a negative aspect to me but even the token part of nature like the Central Park of NYC and the Han River Park of Seoul was the oasis.

For design works, usually I received requests from acquaintances of friends of friends… Sometimes big corporations contact me via my website, email, IG, FB and etc. I mostly accepted their requests and discuss how it will go right away. That’s how it works.

First of all, if companies want to get a good designer, they should really think that designers are really valuable. Sometimes people regard design work as a very easy job and a pool of cheap labor. If someone has that kind of awareness, he/she will never have a good designer.

It’s general. Get inspiration passing like a lightning, Brainstorming, Drawing or Writing, Using computer programs and Making something in real.

Bluetooth speaker (Marshall), Macbook Pro, iPhone, Risom Chair, the Side table I designed.

Wake up in the morning around 8am, Work and work, Back home around 6pm, Do artistic works for upcoming solo exhibition, Sleep at 1am.

Do not try to be a perfectionist. Sometimes you can find unexpected precious ideas from your mistakes. If you failed then have a good look what’s in there.

Positives: I can be always a creative leader in the society. I can be a person who can make something looking good.
Negatives: To satisfy clients’ tastes, there could be always conflicts. Designers have to know how to resolve it wisely.

Do think people who see, touch and use the final works. Imagining and considering users are very strong rule.

I think drawing skill is the most important skill for a designer.

I have a lot but mainly use Rhino CAD, Photoshop and Illustrator.

I usually use nighttime to work. It’s dark and quiet. I can use higher concentration so that I could speed up the work.

It’s different by case basis. From 1-day work to over 6-month work.

“In designer’s view, what do you think of (objects)?” People are curious how different something will look through designers’ experienced eye.

My first designer job of a furniture company in NYC. Even though I was a beginner, my boss allowed me to do many things. The experiences from there made who I am.

LG Hosehold & Health Care Ltd. Cosmetic Brand ‘Belif’, Glowfoods of NYC and many individual clients I have.

I enjoy Furniture and living products design most because I’m interested in products we use everyday in our daily life especially at home.

I’m planning my second exhibition in this year. My exhibition is filled up with many illustrations and works done by various mediums.

I prefer developing my designs myself.

I’m designing a tablet PC stands now. It would be fully illustrating my styles. I’d use wood and metal with some good meanings.

Via cell number, email, website and all through SNS things (IG, FB, Archinect and Linkedin)

Nope. It's pretty much:)