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Jung Eui Chel, Dean of the College of Fine Arts
To delve into the essence of everything towards creating the shared values that benefit each and every being in this world, design should be a part of every activity, and not limited to those seeking beauty or convenience. Dean Jung is continuing his voyage of exploring possibilities by repeatedly raising the question, “To whom and why is it important?” from various viewpoints.
Ku Inhoe, Professor in the Department of Social Welfare
Prior to its design, a social welfare system requires a preliminary quest for the various conditions for living; rather than causing stigma and discrimination, which erect barriers between people, this effort aims to build a society where people can empathize, respect each other, and live together. All the steps of Professor Ku’s design for systems and life converge in the direction of expanding the possibility of solidarity.
Designers’ thought processes, which combine reason and intuition to comprehend phenomena and determine key issues, tend to draw attention in situations where novelty is urgently needed. Design played an essential role in overcoming the Great Depression, and over recent years, global consulting firms have been actively cooperating with design firms to overcome the barriers to growth and strive for innovation.
“Along the product development process, designers interpret and concretize the strategies planned by management from a human viewpoint, then connect the outcomes to engineering development projects. In the interpretation process, designers create shared values among product stakeholders, and in the concretization process, they realize these values while considering the gap between management and engineering. Designers thus serve a role in mediating various dimensions.”
Dean Jung emphasizes that in this context, the role of design is “convergence”. Historically, the concept of “design” arose during the Great Transition triggered by the Industrial Revolution where the roles of art, technology, and management intermingled.
The “value” noted by Dean Jung is more than a mere solution. Invention generates a functional solution, whereas design opens a door to another world through abductive thinking. Unlike deduction, where a conclusion is reached from a set of premises, and induction, where a general conclusion is drawn from repeated cases, abduction assumes plausible possibilities for testing to describe an observed phenomenon. For example, a falling apple inspired the development of the Law of Universal Gravitation, and circumnavigation by boat demonstrated that the Earth was round.
“The transparent home computer and the fan with hidden blades began with the questions respectively: ‘How can I build a unique workspace which feels different from an office?’, and ‘How could I enjoy a cool breeze while avoiding the risk of hurting my fingers?’ An encounter with the real questions deep within people’s hearts increases the chance of innovative design.”
This idea also applies to ‘Fermata’* by TriGem Computer Inc. and ‘Maru Bamboo Toothbrush’ by Dr. Noah, both of which Dean Jung designed. The questions, “Why do we use computers?” and “What is a healthy environment for everyone?” ultimately took shape in a tablet that concretized an imagined idea of an unfamiliar mobile environment and a toothbrush that embodied a sustainable ecological environment in addition to fulfilling the needs of both bamboo producers and consumers. Both products won reputable design awards at home and abroad.
The attitude of designers who understand and mediate the different viewpoints of various people can be likened to a lighthouse that illuminates the future. Dean Jung converses about convergence in the era of AI by quoting the idea that “Artists who cannot see the world through the eyes of a camera will be left in the dust.”**
“After the invention of the camera, those who adhered only to traditional methods, such as portrait painters, all but disappeared. AI is currently influencing all of humanity, not limited to specific occupation categories. Rather than asking, 'How can we achieve convergence by utilizing AI?', we should begin with the inquiry, 'What does it mean to see the world through the eyes of AI?' This is because, when imagining the future, the ways of viewing the world require refinement.”
To put it another way, convergence should be the method rather than the goal. Not all fields are needed to pursue convergence. Dean Jung highlights the importance of philosophy that is mainly based on humans and the environment as well as the formation of a sound knowledge ecosystem that recognizes academic diversity and equality.
A single perspective may be insufficient in tackling numerous issues such as poverty, polarization, low birth rates, aging populations, and economic crises. Even a single person may simultaneously encounter multiple needs such as those related to finance, health, and care—complexity that can be attributed to conflicting interests in a person’s web of relationships.
“Economics, psychology, and public health are narrowly focused on the economy, mental phenomena, and health, respectively, whereas the science of social welfare adopts pluralistic approaches to human welfare issues. This field seeks an integrated understanding of the diverse needs of youth, the elderly, the disabled, and women, so as to satisfy these demands. ‘Local community-based integrated care’ is a representative example of combining economics, public health, psychology, and sociology by considering the elderly’s desire to realize a sense of belonging and self-esteem in addition to their basic needs for food, clothing, and shelter.”
In addition to ‘convergent sciences,’ it is noteworthy that the field of social welfare has omnidirectionally expanded its scope. The desires of people continue to change with time, with unsatisfied ones tending to develop into social problems.
“Quality of life, social relationships, and self-determination have long been overlooked needs. However, these themes have now entered the scope of welfare, and in this respect, social welfare researchers are required to deeply investigate people’s lives.”
Professor Ku, who majored in philosophy at the undergraduate level, realized the importance of social welfare while working as a night school tutor. His heart was moved by the inequality faced by workers deprived of their basic rights and the low-income class suffering from financial hardship. His research, which began while witnessing poverty in American society during his studies, gained momentum with the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis.
“Although there had always been the urban poor and displaced residents, the emergence of a large number of homeless people around the Seoul Station was distressing. The prolonged poverty even after recovery from the crisis, combined with my concern over improbable solutions under the system at that time, prevented me from discontinuing my research.”
It was a time when the hidden vulnerabilities behind rapid growth and successful industrialization were emerging, leading Professor Ku to become aware of the lack of citizens’ institutionalized basic and social rights, which are prerequisites for social integration. The resolution of poverty and inequality requires cooperation among various ministries, the private sector, and local communities, a view that led to his balanced attempt to turn academic ideals into reality. With this in mind, besides his continued research, he has steadily participated in coordinating system design and solutions as a policy advisor.
“Despite clear value orientation as a researcher and various problem-solving approaches, I constantly remember that there are realities unknown to myself. Thus, I prepare alternatives from various angles and describe their strengths and weaknesses. The role of a scholar is to assist policymakers in making the wisest choices.”
Professor Ku, who has exerted his best effort in designing proper welfare systems, warns that the system is not everything. This warning is supported by the remaining blind spots in welfare; indeed, welfare recipients who are stigmatized and excluded cannot even pass the low threshold. A similar phenomenon can be seen in how the phrase ‘every man for himself’ is spreading like a joke. The past attitude of our society in prioritizing growth over vulnerable minorities motivates us to reflect on the solidarity that our society previously abandoned.
“Even when young people are struggling, the disabled are isolated, and the elderly are left in poverty, nothing will change if we turn away simply because it doesn’t affect our own lives.
Could there be anyone who can independently seize responsibility for their own life? Despite common knowledge that ‘ideal’ individuals are independent and competitive, in reality, we all live in a relationship of mutual dependence. One's freedom and rights can be respected only when each person acknowledges the reality and accepts ‘someone’ as their neighbor.”
Professor Ku insists that the more sensitive a community of young people is, the more important it is for them to encounter diverse ways of life to deepen their sense of solidarity.
He urges SNU members to bear a sense of responsibility to create a better society, especially as they have received support and benefits from society.
“The core of social welfare is respect for humanity. People can live in harmony only when they acknowledge each other’s situations and differences in seeking balance. This is the case for convergence. Rather than merely seeking merge, something truly new can emerge when we thoroughly examine how to connect the characteristics of the field with respect for humanity.”
