introduction

The best thing about being a designer is having a strong sense of beauty. I've always been drawn to things that don't try too hard. I'm not saying ornament is a crime, but honestly, sometimes it is. My favorite things don't decorate themselves. They just work, and that happens to be beautiful.

Some of my favorite things: a Leica camera built for nothing but the photograph, a Bang & Olufsen speaker by David Lewis shaped like it couldn't exist any other way, a piece of UAM furniture where function and beauty stop arguing. These aren't just objects I admire. They're proof that simplicity is the hardest thing to get right.

Earning that simplicity takes work. My design process starts with excess. I generate as much as possible before I start cutting. Because in design, subtraction is the hardest part. Simple doesn't mean minimal. It means everything unnecessary is already gone. Subtraction is the obsession. And it follows me everywhere.

As a tech nerd, I'm drawn to AI and hard tech industries, where the temptation to over-explain is everywhere. My role is to find the restraint to build brands that are precise, functional, and quietly compelling. The most honest thing a brand can do is look exactly like what it is.

Hongrae Kim