Korea's Future Dream Depends on Digital Plus Design As a design "preacher" for over 20 years, Kim Young-Se, CEO and founder, INNODESIGN Inc., has been practicing his design philosophy to sell self-confidence as " Design Innovator." To summarize the core of his design in a word, it is innovation, which inspired dreams anytime and anywhere and gets accomplished through innovative and creative thinking. All over the world, it is now recognized that design competitiveness is product competitiveness; and this again is geared toward national competitiveness. Today, there is one special Korean design company that demonstrates this fact in no uncertain terms in the global market. INNODESIGN Inc., a global design company, is considered to possess the company's awareness degree and experience as a worldwide design consulting company solely for design companies founded by Koreans. Mr. Kim had recently the honor to address a group of about 1,200 people, including foreign investors, the first time for a designer to do so, at the 12th CLSA Investors' Forum held in Hong Kong on September 12 and 16, 2005. The Forum invited CEO Kim as representing Korea's attraction in software competitiveness, according to Mr. Kim. He attracted investors' attention by explaining that new generations in Korea are building Korea's competitiveness in IT with their gifted, sensitive creativity and the Hanryu strong wind (Korean Wave) that ignited in Asia is blowing strongly. Nonetheless, it is design that reaps the big money. Kim asked foreign investors to demonstrate their interest in Korean enterprise, pointing out that design is another competitive streak mastered by Korea in the entertainment business and maximizing design power is thus no less important than mass production. Not a concept of introduction, but a concept of sublimation Kim's personal philosophy about design is firm and clear. He explained that design is not a shortterm solution, as design culture is always evolving. Kim further notes that design is a human spirit-oriented philosophy, pointing out that it is the wrong idea from the beginning to nurture design as if paving an express highway with asphalt. In the case of global design power, those countries' culture and history go back thousands of years, Kim said, referring to the fact that design is not a concept of introduction, but a concept of sublimation. In this regard, Kim said he is proud of the fact that INNODESIGN has been pioneering Korea's design name for over 20 years with such a philosophy, adding that he sees himself as a pioneer so far as design is concerned. Mr. Kim who runs his business in the United States, Korea and China since he established a specialized design company in Silicon Valley in 1986 for the first time for a Korean and nurtured it as a worldwide company, is often invited as a lecture speaker for special CEOs when he visits Korea over 150 times over the past 20 years. On such occasions, Kim emphasizes that Korea has to be brought to life, commenting that corporations providing design-centered services are proliferating, so Korea needs to head in a positive direction. So far as design is concerned, in a word whether be it a nation or a company's CEO, they have to hold before them a roadmap and a long-term vision alike, he advises. With regard to education, he advises also the persons concerned have to concentrate on nurturing talent, adding that it is necessary to create an appropriate environment for nurturing them as well. "Design first process" Moreover, as INNODESIGN's actual successes through its 'design first process' and his design message as well as philosophy draw increasing attention not only in Korea, but also overseas, Kim's ideas are being benchmarked as an excellent value innovation example by the media, industry and the academic world and he is seen as a representative designer to lead Korea's IT industry capacity. Mr. Kim added that from A to Z there is no item restriction for INNODESIGN, explaining that the company is expanding cooperation with the best companies in the world across home appliances, cosmetics, furniture, clothes and transport machinery & tools field by expanding its business range from hand-held digital products. He stressed that INNODESIGN will realize design's dream to create user's identity (CUPI: Creating User's Personal Identity) through this. "Design Guru" Thanks to the fame of iRIVER's IMP- 400 SlimX and IFP-100 MP3 player, which were products to be a harbinger of the start of INNO, INNODESIGN was forging its success examples with a partnership with large companies such as Samsung and LG already from the beginning of 2000s. CEO Kim explains INNODESIGN embossed design as another brand which adds product's value by writing a paragraph, called 'Design by INNO' clearly to product through iRIVER's IMP-400 SlimX and IFP-100 MP3 player launched in late 2002. Ahead of this, INNODESIGN has boosted the company's fame by designing LG Smart Phone, selected as "Best Product of 2000" by Business Week in December 2000. CEO Kim is often touted as 'Design Guru,' as global design-associated awards such as IDEA, supervised by Business Week and the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) are showered upon him. Industry observers say that he is expected to acquaint the world with Korea design's capacity through iRIVER as well as Samsung Mobiles design etc. to lead the world market currently. This assessment is being validated by the fact that iRIVER America MP3 player designed by INNODESIGN has won CES' INNOVATION AWARDS and Amorepacific Corporation's Laneige Sliding Pact is attracting public attention with initial sales of over 1.1 billion won (approx. US$1.07 million) by INNODESIGN's unique design concept.