INDUSTRIAL DESIGN

Hey there! I’m back — you’ve been waiting, right? 

When we talk about the Department of Industrial Design, there are countless things to love: from our comfortable and well-equipped facilities, to our amazing professors, and the strong sense of community among students. But one thing that truly sets us apart is the variety of exciting extracurricular opportunities we get to experience!

So today, I’m here to share a story about one of those special experiences — our 2nd semester industry-academia collaboration project with Samsung Life Insurance. Let’s dive right in!

Starting in the second semester of 2024, the Department of Industrial Design at Kookmin University launched an industry-academia collaboration project with Samsung Life Insurance, called the LIFENOLOGY LAB.

“LIFENOLOGY” — a combination of life and technology — is part of Samsung Life’s new slogan: "Insurance Beyond Insurance." The initiative aims to prepare for an unpredictable future by offering not just traditional insurance products, but lifestyle solutions that enhance people’s happiness and well-being.

Around 100 students from four institutions — Kookmin University, Hongik University, Samsung Art & Design Institute (SADI), and Sungkyunkwan University — participated in the project. From Kookmin University alone, 40 students formed 13 teams.

This project was truly the best of both worlds — not only did we get to share ideas on a single topic with fellow Kookmin students, but we also had the rare chance to collaborate with students from other universities through a shared design mission. What more could you ask for?

Before kicking off the project, all participating students gathered for an orientation on September 10. Our advising professor, Professor Nam Won-seok, gave an inspiring talk on the direction of the project and different ways to approach ideation. One story that really stuck with me was about Michelin: in order to boost tire sales, they started providing travel and restaurant guides — encouraging people to drive more and naturally use their tires. That example really opened my eyes! After hearing the professor’s explanation, I realized that unlike the types of design we had worked on before, this project would require us to focus on an “unpredictable future” — which felt daunting but also exciting. I couldn’t wait to see what kind of ideas we would come up with.

On October 10, students from all four participating schools gathered at the Samsung Finance Campus for a workshop under the theme:
“Designers Who Cross the Line.”

We kicked off with a re-examination of the LIFENOLOGY LAB theme and its deeper meaning. Samsung Life even gave us a surprise sneak peek of their upcoming LIFENOLOGY LAB commercial video! Knowing that our project was being watched and anticipated internally at Samsung Life made me feel a bit of pressure — but it also fueled my motivation to do my very best.

During the workshop, we had a special lecture and Q&A session with amazing designers from leading companies:

• Lee Ji-yoon from Toss

• Lee Jae-goo from Today’s House (Ohouse)

• Seo Jung-min, Kang Jin, and Lee Jae-ha from Ordinary People

Seeing these professionals in action was so inspiring, and they kindly answered each of our questions, making the experience incredibly valuable.

On October 17, our team met for the first time in Room 313 to share ideas. I was genuinely amazed at the unexpected concepts and unique perspectives that came out of that session. We also learned that the final submission would include a panel, presentation slides, and a video. I didn’t have much experience with video production, but the idea of trying something new got me excited!

On October 31, we had our midterm presentation, which felt extra special because we were joined by Yeomyeong-gu, a proud Kookmin Industrial Design alumnus (Class of '06) currently working at Samsung Life. He gave thoughtful feedback on our ideas and suggested ways Samsung Life could further develop the concepts. It was especially touching that he listened to our presentations with such genuine interest — it made me think, “Maybe one day, I’ll become a designer like him too.”

We worked hard to prepare for the final on-campus presentation on December 19. It was held at school but also streamed live via Zoom to the Samsung Life team. Compared to our midterm presentation, the final work from all teams was much more polished and complete — I was honestly blown away.

At the end, we screened all the videos that each team had created. Some were deeply meaningful, while others were just lighthearted and fun — creating a warm and enjoyable atmosphere for everyone. Finally, to wrap up a semester of hard work, we celebrated with some delicious pizza and good company.

On January 23, 2025, we attended the LIFENOLOGY LAB internal showcase held at the Samsung Finance Campus.

Before the report session began, we had the chance to explore a fantastic exhibition featuring the work of all four participating schools. It was so nice to reconnect with classmates after a month and even more exciting to see the diverse outcomes from each university. I found it particularly fascinating how each school approached design thinking in its own unique way.

The showcase kicked off with a VR performance. A performer, wearing a VR headset, created visuals in real time, synchronized with music. It was absolutely mesmerizing — I couldn’t take my eyes off of it!

After that, Samsung Life unveiled a video advertisement featuring highlights from the project. To our surprise, students from each school made guest appearances in the video. From our school, Taeseong Choi and Junhyeok Koo (Class of ’19) introduced their concept, “Chaebi,” which focused on designing a lifestyle of filling and emptying.

Seeing familiar faces in the video made the whole experience even more enjoyable — we were all smiling and cheering them on as we watched.

After that, representative students and professors from each school took the stage to share presentations about their projects.

From Kookmin University, students Yerin Seo, Doyeon Kim, Byeol Kim, and Seonjin Na (Class of ’22) presented their project, “Blank Space (빈칸),” which explored a space that takes on various forms and functions.

Despite the formal setting, everyone presented with confidence and poise.
During the final remarks, Professor Nam Won-seok brought the event full circle by referencing the Michelin story once again — a perfect way to tie everything together and highlight the meaning behind our outcomes.

Spanning an entire semester, the project felt both long and short — but the process of imagining an unpredictable future and coming up with new ideas was truly a meaningful experience. It made me want to approach my future design work with greater freedom and creativity, stepping outside of traditional frameworks. Above all, what made this project so refreshing was the opportunity to collaborate with students from other universities — something we don’t often get to do outside of regular classes.

If you ever get a chance to take part in a similar industry-academia project, I highly recommend giving it a try!

Oh — and one more thing!
From March 7 to 12, the LIFENOLOGY LAB pop-up store will be open at 65, Yeonmujang-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM.
Our projects and some fun videos will be on display, so please drop by and show your support!