Designer profile

Bodyfriend — There is always a gap between the designer’s intention and the user’s actual usage.

Prof. Dr. Kiechan Namkung is head of the User eXperience Design Lab within the Bodyfriend agency and the one who designed the brand sound for the project “The Time to Be Noble”. Bodyfriend is made up of a community of designers from different fields such as UX, visual, sound, who design user experiences from various perspectives through brand, sound and communication design as well as art projects. Their main aim thereby is to create positive and enjoyable experiences for the people who use their products and services.

Interview with Bodyfriend

Red Dot: To what extent do you think new technologies are changing design?
Bodyfriend: Design has been changed a lot by new technologies. However, designers should bear in mind that they also make more and more materials available for design.

How would you define good communication design?
Good communication design consists of analysing media trends and designing from the perspective of users who interact with them.

What makes your work unique?
I try to put creative methodologies on top of a traditional design approach.

What intention do you pursue with your award-winning work?
I would like to express the potential, importance, and effectiveness of auditory experience design.

Please describe the concept of creativity against the background of your award- winning work.
Instead of a design that unilaterally conveys to consumers the brand identity defined by the company, my work applies a new design process to reinforce the positive image of the brand that consumers already have.

“There is always a gap between the designer’s intention and the user’s actual usage.”