- Peter Zec, chief executive officer and founder of the Red Dot Design Award
- Red Dot
The German design consultant and avid swimmer has for decades regularly visited Seoul to talk with city officials about design issues. During a recent visit, the 58-year-old spoke with Korea Real Time about Korea’s design performance and how design is essential in transforming cities.
Here is the edited excerpt of the interview.
How do you define design?
Good design should have four qualities, which are function, seduction, usability, and responsibility. If we are talking about cars or communication tools, function and usability are very important, while for jewelry, the design should have the quality of seduction. These qualities always play a role in every product.
Where do you think Korea stands in terms of design?
Korea is one of the leading Asian countries in design development. In the past, the gap between Japan and other Asian countries was very big. But now it is narrowing rapidly and in some areas like communication tools, Korea is actually leading the pack.
How about China?
China is making an effort on it but they still need time to become really competitive in design. They already produce a lot of good stuff, but when it comes to original design, China is not as strong as Korea, Taiwan and Japan.
Which Korean company do you think shows excellence in design?
A total newcomer is Kia. The company is making a splash in Europe with originally-designed cars. It is not just a “me too” car. They have their own approach and try to make a difference. I am looking forward to seeing Kia close in on many leading car makers in the world.
Do you think Korean companies need more outside experts?
Definitely. Every country needs fresh blood. Korea should be more open to attracting talent from outside who can help make better design in many industries and thus create a more sophisticated lifestyle for Koreans. To nurture an interesting company that is strong in design could be more important than to have more babies because it will bring in more talent from outside. (Korea is one of the world’s fastest aging countries.)
You plan to open another Red Dot Museum, the third in Asia, in Busan. How is it going?
In early December, I will travel to Busan and meet the mayor and investors. Within 2-3 years, we will be able to open a brand new museum there. Busan is a creative city. It has a famous film festival and is well-known for its passion for fashion. A museum in a less crowded city gets much more attention, thus creating more opportunities.
What can Seoul do more to improve design?
To be honest, it is a little bit of a pity because many design activities that were planned under former Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon have not been continued in the way they were planned. We are talking about missing chances here. It is very important that the city itself is very attractive. Design is one great factor that can really help in that regard.
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