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Why creative design matters even more in the AI era

Published: 18 Jul. 2025, 09:24

Lee Soon-jong

The author is a professor emeritus of Design at Seoul National University and a former president of the Korea Federation of Design Associations.

In 1997, Apple’s stock price had fallen below one dollar and the company was on the brink of collapse. Today, Apple is regarded as a global symbol of innovation, with a market capitalization that surpassed $2 trillion in 2020. This turnaround, largely credited to the return of Steve Jobs, was driven not only by technology but by bold innovation in design.

Design is powerful. It breathes life and meaning into technology by addressing latent human needs. It goes beyond appearance, incorporating function, emotion, narrative and user experience. In today’s world, the role of design has expanded further — it now plays a crucial part in urban innovation and solving social challenges.

Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Ahn Duk-geun views an exhibition at “Design Korea 2024” held at Coex in Gangnam District, Seoul, on November 13, 2024. [MINISTRY OF TRADE, INDUSTRY AND ENERGY]

Recognizing this potential, many countries have begun treating design as a national innovation strategy. In Britain, the government established the Arts and Humanities Research Council to promote design and the arts. Since 2018, it has been implementing a comprehensive “Design Action Plan” initiative focused on enhancing social well-being, strengthening communities and driving economic benefits through innovation and efficiency.

Denmark launched its “Design Vision Committee” in 2020 and introduced a national branding strategy to globalize Danish design. There, design is taught not only in art schools but across elementary, secondary, engineering and business education as a core subject aimed at fostering creativity.

Korea has seen similar innovation from the private sector. Companies like Samsung Electronics rose to global prominence in part due to strategic investments in design. Yet despite such corporate achievements, Korea’s design industry as a whole remains underdeveloped.

According to the 2024 Design Industry Statistics Survey, around 300,000 designers are working in Korea, but only 37.3 percent of small- and medium-sized enterprises utilize design in their operations. Though there are more than 20,000 specialized design firms, the vast majority are microbusinesses with fewer than five employees and average annual revenues of around 300 million won ($215,000).

John Maeda, former president of the Rhode Island School of Design, once said that the creative economy and national competitiveness in the 21st century will emerge from design. In the age of artificial intelligence and robotics, design must evolve to guide the ethical, experiential and cultural dimensions of innovation. It is no longer just about product aesthetics but about shaping the ways people live and interact with technology and society.

For Korea, a nation with limited natural resources, design should be a key pillar of its future-oriented industrial strategy. Now is the time to launch a national design innovation agenda — the Korea By Design initiative — to make design a driver of creative policy and national competitiveness. This would require a multifaceted approach.

First, the government must recognize design as a core force for industrial and social advancement and develop a national philosophy that elevates design across sectors. Design must extend beyond manufacturing to service industries, agriculture, fisheries, maritime sectors, tourism, and urban planning.

Second, the state should invest in design-focused research and development to foster new industries and business models for the 21st century. A design-centered startup ecosystem, backed by institutional and financial support, is essential for nurturing creative entrepreneurs.

Third, education systems must prioritize design thinking. Design literacy should be strengthened not only in schools and universities but also through public programs aimed at adult learners and citizens.

Fourth, Korea needs a future-oriented design infrastructure. A “Design Innovation Valley” — a hub combining design firms, educational institutions, research labs, exhibition venues and marketplaces — should be created to serve as a sustainable, collaborative ecosystem for design-led growth.

Visitors explore the DDP Design Launching Fair as part of Seoul Design 2023 at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Jung District, central Seoul, on October 26, 2023. [YONHAP]

Fifth, design policies must be coordinated across government agencies. To ensure strategic coherence, a “National Design Council” should be established under the office of the president or prime minister. This body would lead integrated design policy and strategy development at the highest level.

Margaret Thatcher, the former British prime minister who guided her country through an economic recovery in the late 1980s, once challenged her officials with a choice: “Design or Decline.” That question remains urgent for Korea today. In an age of AI and global uncertainty, the answer must be clear.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.