As climate and social challenges deepen globally, design is increasingly seen as a tool for change. Approaches such as sustainable design and design thinking are now central to the international discourse. Korea, too, is embracing design as a driver for social good, with the WDO endorsed Seoul Design Award now in its sixth edition, standing at the forefront of this movement. Organized by WDO Member Seoul Design Foundation, this international design award recognizes impactful solutions that address pressing societal issues and promote sustainability. More than aesthetics, the award highlights the transformative power of design in creating real social change. In this interview, Kang Heui Cha, CEO of the Seoul Design Foundation, shares his vision for sustainable design and the future direction of the Seoul Design Award.
What do you believe is essential for expanding sustainable and socially innovative design?
First and foremost, we need to look at the world through a different lens, one that recognizes the urgency of change and builds public consensus around it. Without a shared sense of empathy, we cannot offer new solutions to the challenges we face. This is where designers and design projects play a critical role as they can help generate the empathy needed for transformation. In the past, designers were often seen as creators of beauty. Today, they are creative problem-solvers who redefine challenges and propose meaningful solutions. Designers who turn their attention to overlooked and marginalized areas are those who truly drive sustainability forward. We must also expand the focus of design. Rather than remaining “design for humans,” it must evolve into “design for all” — where people, communities, and the natural environment coexist in balance. At the Seoul Design Foundation, we host the Seoul Design Award each year to align with this shift. By discovering and promoting design that embodies sustainability and social innovation, we aim to position design as a powerful medium for creating social value.
How is the Seoul Design Award different from other design competitions?
Now in its sixth year, the Seoul Design Award is more than a stage to showcase well-made designs. Around the world, there are countless design awards that evaluate beauty, functionality, user experience, and social responsibility — often balancing between corporate value and human benefit. But the Seoul Design Award goes further. We place social problem-solving, environmental responsibility, and urban public value at the core. The award asks: Can design truly change the world? And we evaluate each project based on how well it contributes to sustainability, human coexistence, and environmental impact. With participants from 81 countries, the Seoul Design Award continues to uncover designers who are committed to improving life through design. We support and encourage these changemakers who are shaping a better world, one design at a time.
