Today we’d like to introduce you to Ahyoon Kim.
Ahyoon, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I am from Seoul, Korea and currently studying Graphic Design at SCAD. I always had an opportunity to move around different cities. I lived in Taipei for six years, then studied at the SCAD Hong Kong campus for two years. I spent five months in Berlin working last year at an advertising agency as an intern. Now, I am living in Atlanta, finishing my quarter of college. It is always very exciting to explore new cities and meet new people with different stories. These experiences are the ones that inspire me and shape who I am right now and I can definitely see influences that my works get as well.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Being a designer and also living in different cities may sound cool but it actually has been pretty challenging too. Attending an art school was already an adventure for me. Throughout high school, I was mainly focused on biology and chemistry. After having an internship at National Taipei University’s biochemistry research center, I realized it was not the right path for me. Then, I decided to study art as I have always enjoyed creating things. But, it was an abrupt change in my major and life plans. Because I have spent all my life just studying, growing in a competitive East Asian community, it wasn’t an easy transition. I knew that I wanted to stay in a creative industry, but I was not so sure what I wanted to study and work on. I didn’t have much exposure before I actually started attending SCAD. So, in the beginning, I started my major in illustration. I had thoughts of changing to interior design or even animation. In the end, I settled in graphic design. I just fell in love with the process of designing something. Designing is not like completely out of imagination. It has to go through a process of research and tests. Coming from more of a science background, this was perfect for me. Graphic design satisfied both my logical, process-oriented needs as well as creative needs.
Moving to different cities was also quite challenging mainly because we communicate differently in each country. Even something as minor as holding a bowl while eating food can be both rude and acceptable based on which country you are in. It is similar in the creative world as well. I could see that in Hong Kong, there were so many posters cramped with flashy images. In Berlin, most posters were minimally designed. I learned that designers should be flexible and easily adaptable.
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I am a graphic designer. I especially love branding and making books. What makes my design different from others’ is its illustrative quality. Probably because I was in illustration before, I still like to utilize my skills in illustration in my design works as well.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
What I would like to do in the future is to create a studio with my close friends. There is nothing better than working with people you love and can collaborate with.
I love planning for things but at the same time, I know that I won’t stick to them. I never planned to move to Taipei, or Hong Kong or to become a graphic designer. Life is really full of surprises and I believe that this is what makes it so interesting. I just want to stay curious about things that surround me and be ready for whatever that will come to me. I have no idea how long I will be staying in Atlanta and what my next city will be.
Contact Info:
- Website: ahyoonkim.com
- Email: ahyoonkim.design@gmail.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/ahyooniee
- Other: linkedin.com/in/ahyoonkim/
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