Design / KIDP Boosted by the inauguration of its dynamic new president, the Korea Institute of Design Promotion (KIDP) is poised to take off as the leading design service institution in the world within 2~3 years. KIDP's new president & CEO Lee Il-Kyoo who says that now is an era for design to assume leadership of industry innovation, pointed out: "Corporations which don't consider design, will inevitably be weeded out from global competition." As Apple's iPod success example shows, only enterprises that elicit deep emotions from customers and can draw on the senses, are able to grow as global enterprises, he opined. In particular, he stressed that the core strategy for surviving competition with China etc. depends on original design development. Design level 80% compared with advanced countries About the present direction of Korea design, the new KIDP president elaborated by saying, "At that time when I took office as the first chief of the industry design department at the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy (MOCIE) in 1996, our country's design level was no more than 60~70% the level of that of advanced countries. Moreover, the consolidation of related laws for design industry development was also insufficient." He recalls that MOCIE toughened the systematic framework for design development such as design support service for smaller companies through the enactment of the industry design promotion law at that time. In addition by drawing up the 'Industry design handbook' for the first time, MOCIE has contributed greatly to promoting understanding of design as well. President Lee said that he believes these efforts have led to brisk design support for smaller companies, larger companies' design investment enlargement, and wider understanding of national design. As a result, at the moment in the case of some items such as IT, household appliances, and cellular phones etc. these products have reached the level where they can lead design trends worldwide. On the whole items such as medial equipment, textiles, toys including living supplies, Korean design is assessed to have reached the 80% level of advanced countries, Lee commented. As regards KIDP's new policy direction as well as future plans, Lee stressed that he is eager to play an important role in developing Korea into an advanced design country and at the same time to carry out the core function of world design circles. He added that he wants to adjust business scope and content to be more customer-oriented, helping businesses in understanding user demand and consolidating boldly through business adjustment committees comprised of internal/external expert groups. Lee particularly plans to finish business restructuring by the middle of August, adding that he is eager to accomplish 100% user satisfaction both in business circles and the academic world, as well as nationwide by promoting innovation. Consolidate Industry Design Promotion Law Asked about whether he planned a revision of the Industry Design Promotion Law, the new president explained: "There is a necessity to consolidate Industry Design Promotion Law anew in consideration of changing circumstances of the times compared with 10 years ago." In conjunction with this, Lee pointed out that at that time 10 years ago, the present Industry Design Promotion Law was enacted in a direction to enhance design competitiveness such as smaller companies design support in real conditions the legal framework to develop the fragile design field was urgent. First of all, he noted that the concept consolidation about design is necessary to promote design effectively. At the moment, the design industry at large is described as 'Industry design,' but this is available in product design alone. In addition, as ministries promote design support policy, the efficiency falls, he said. For more effective policy execution by resolving such concerns, Lee said he plans to include clauses that construct a system to adjust design policy by ministry synthetically, into law revision. The ultimate goal during his tenure is to forge KIDP as the top design service institution in the world, Lee emphasized, adding that for this, he prepared five practice strategies. The five concrete practice strategies are to forge an organization holding vital power through behaving innovation activity, customer-oriented business execution as well as reinforcing service function, new business development for the general good, as the core businesses' propulsion, and forging Korea as a globally reputed design center. By practicing these five strategies by all means during his tenure, Lee once again stressed that he is eager to make it possible for Korea to carry out the core function to usher in a design-advanced country. Network construction with global design centers With regard to the plan for network construction with a worldwide design center as well as research, education institution, Lee has committed himself even more firmly by developing diverse joint projects like the CEO education program. He added that KIDP is currently continuous workshop hosting and seminar activity with Piedmont state, Italy and England's Central Saint Martin etc., explaining that already KIDP has been exchanging with worldwide renowned design laboratories as well as institutions. Separately from such exchanges, Lee reveals that KIDP has projects for carrying out the core function of world design circles under way, such as DISKO (Design Information Service Korea) project which aims to forge a base of high grade information's production and dispatch associated with design. As regards the domestic market's potential for nurturing international designers and making inroads onto the world stage, the president affirms that Korea is the best in the world quantitatively in terms of producing designers. However, he pointed out that the gap between education and corporate demand acts as a stumbling block to cultivating the ability to be able to compete with designers worldwide. Accordingly, he insists that practical affairs-centered design education based on an educational-industrial collaboration should be attained, as shown by Western European countries advanced in design. Lee furthermore said that KIDP is enforcing pivotal projects by which universities and enterprises can connect like 'credit exchange type educational-industrial cooperation project business' and 'Home doctor projects' to induce university educational exchange with business. In recent years, Korean designers who are launching brisk activities on the world stage, are on the rise. Lee concluded the interview by saying that to accelerate such activity, KIDP is unfolding user-tailored support through 'next-generation designer leader nurturing projects,' And KIDP plans to help Korean designers make overseas inroads through joint workshops with globally reputed design laboratories as well as new business, like intern support.