Jobs presenting his iPhone
South Korea encountered with various alterations in 2009. At the centre of the extreme changes, we saw release of the iPhone series and dissemination of user-created social media, such as twitter. The advent of Apple’s new weapon, iPhone, was a fatal event to South Korean IT market, providing critical moment and turning point at the same time for us to move forward. In our opinion, one of the greatest features of iPhone is that it is designed not only to satisfy customer’s desire to own high-tech, cool-looking, innovative gear but to create horizontal thinking opportunity of sub-application market with its intuitive, emotional interface system. Immediate downfall of the Korean IT industry was foreseen after iPhone’s success. Korea vacated its first position as IT country and we all knew what comes next. We need to change as well.
Let us flash back. It took us about 10 years to lose the title of IT developed country. When we put spurs to develop IT market back then, design was not something we mainly focus on. There were new products sprung out for sale everyday and designs of the products were too typical, heavy, decorated and consuming. Consequently, period that a new design can be circulated in the market became very short. Design was not based on ‘joyfulness’ nor ‘pleasantness’ but there to survive.
MOTO's new Ramen King pot series
On the other hand, Europe has developed its unique, traditional designs widely applied to their ordinary life object, such as door handles and water tap. Design happens when aestheticity meets with ordinary amusement. Their design cares about its users and attempts to be more convenient without ruining its external beauty. Designed products will be loved by consumer and please them not only with aestheticity but with utility as well. That is why European Design is renowned for its reputation over the world.
MOTO Design also had to make a choice to survive in the rapidly changing design industry. As a result, we have created lots of amazing designs strengthening our information power and technology. However, we always perceived the absence of ‘joyfulness’ and ‘pleasantness’ in our designs and without those two words in our mind, we thought, we will end up being engineers not designers.
Knowing that, MOTO Design commits to start whole new scheme again. Our design will be enjoyable, full of wit and pleasant. And the first step we take forwards is well presented in this new project, what we called ‘Ramen King.’
Ramen King is a pot specialized to cook Ramen noodles more handy, easy and speedy. The topic we chose is light and humorous enough, Ramen noodles. It is something everybody would easily grab when one feels hungry. Starting from ‘Ramen King’ our pleasant design will keep expanding its series and illustrate our ideology. We will pay attention to customer’s voices through the interactive social network as well, keeping our head up with Facebook, Twitter and blog.
2010 07 23 Minhoon Song, CEO
