Leading global design experts pointed to technological strength and execution capability as the defining advantages of Korean design. But they said the country must move beyond competitiveness built on technology and quality toward design that creates new value grounded in an understanding of people.
The 2026 Seoul Design Week Conference, held on the 18th at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) in Seoul, drew design figures including Mauro Porcini, chief design officer at Samsung Electronics, Maria Porro, president of Salone del Mobile, and Anna Barbara, president of POLI.design at the Politecnico di Milano. Under the theme "K-Design from an Outside-In Global Perspective," they discussed the strengths of Korean design and where it should go next.
Porcini: Italy Has Creativity, the U.S. Scalability, Korea Execution
Speaking on "Italian Design vs. K-Design," Porcini compared the design philosophies of Italy, the United States and Korea. Italian by birth, he worked at U.S. companies including 3M before taking charge of design at Samsung Electronics. He identified individual originality, emotional sensibility and a spirit of experimentation as the sources of Italian design's competitiveness, saying a culture in which art, architecture, fashion and craftsmanship are deeply embedded in daily life has provided the foundation for creativity. The strength of the United States, he said, lies in the entrepreneurship that turns creative ideas into large-scale industries.
On Korea, he praised its precision, its obsession with quality and its powerful execution. The country excels at concentrating talent and capability on a shared goal and translating that into actual products and services, he said. Unlike Italy, which prizes individual originality, Korea's strength lies in marshaling organizational capability to realize collective goals.
Building on those strengths, Porcini said Korean design should create human-centered value rather than stopping at technology and quality. Design is not simply the work of making products beautiful but a process of offering meaningful solutions in people's lives, he said. "Designers must become entrepreneurs and storytellers who understand technology and business and propose new value," he told the designers in attendance.
Samsung Electronics' own design philosophy is likewise focused on using technology to have a positive effect on people's lives, he said. He stressed a sense of responsibility extending to future generations, saying he approaches design "with the mindset of making products my own children will use." He also said technology can contribute to humanity while human values and corporate economic value grow together.
Barbara: Build an Ecosystem Where New Ideas Can Endure
Other experts said collaboration across diverse fields and the building of a creative industrial ecosystem are essential if Korean design is to keep growing.
Porro defined design as an activity that connects different fields and different people. Citing Salone del Mobile, the Milan furniture and design fair that draws designers and companies from around the world, she said design advances through exchange among art, craftsmanship and industry rather than through individual creativity alone. She also stressed that design can serve as a common language for people of different cultures and backgrounds.
Barbara located Italian design's competitiveness in "creativity within constraints." Having previously taught architecture and interior design at Kookmin University, she said her time in Korea allowed her to view Italian design more objectively. Unfavorable conditions such as limited budgets and a fragmented industrial structure, she said, became the very force driving the search for new solutions.
Rather than merely preserving the design heritage of the past, she said, the task is to build an ecosystem in which new ideas can continuously be realized. She singled out as a core asset of Italian design the structure in which small and midsize companies across various industries work alongside freelance designers. Business figures from industries including perfume and wine also took part, presenting cases in which design is used to shape brand identity and consumer experience beyond a product's outward form.
Overseas Designers Praise Korean Products' Expression and Craftsmanship, Look to Collaborate
Heads of overseas design studios also gave high marks to the craftsmanship and originality of Korean design.
Sylvain Chasseriaux, co-founder of the French design studio Unknown, Untitled, who took part in the afternoon session, said he has worked with capable Korean designers at global companies including Google, and praised the finish and fine detail of Korean design. "What struck me was the humble attitude of designers stepping back for the sake of the product," he said.
Andrea Ponti, head of the Hong Kong-based studio Andrea Ponti Design, pointed to Korea's solid industrial base, home to global manufacturers such as Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics. He said the way Korean products are expressed and their meticulous finish were impressive, and expressed hope for future collaboration. The head of Britain's John Tree Studio likewise said Korean design has moved beyond simply imitating design from abroad to build its own culture and approach.
Seoul Design Week, which opened on the 14th, continues through the 25th at DDP and across Seoul. Programs include "Studio Practice," introducing the work of the design studios that joined the conference; "itAliens," spotlighting Italian design beyond its myths; and "Design is an Act of Love," a collaborative exhibition between Samsung Electronics and Italian artists.
Other programs include a design market at the DDP outdoor Palgeori from the 23rd to the 25th, "Design Open Studio," a tour of design spaces in the Yeonhui-dong area, and "Seoul Design Road," linking design landmarks across five districts of Seoul.