Minsu Kim

About

Minsu Kim was born and raised in Seoul before moving to London in 2015.

Seoul being rich in traditional cultures, relocating to a new environment for her academic studies allowed her to gain valuable insight into the diverse cultures and different ideas. From this, the differences and experiences between cultures facilitated as personal inspirations which were then carefully integrated into her own design works and ideas.

Having a background in computer science and design, the two disciplines work together in harmony to enhance her problem-solving skills as well as logical thinking which works as a fundamental basis when developing and planning design ideas.  

Ongoing Projects

A Research project about adaptive lighting design, that transforms the conventional ways of using light by exploring the role of light and its relationship with us. More information can be found by clicking here.
 

Previous Degrees

BA (Hons) Product and Furniture Design, Kingston University, 2018

Exhibitions 

Young Furniture Maker’s Exhibition, London, 2018; ‘Fresh Produce Show’, London Design Festival, 2018; New Designers, 2018; The Japanese House: Architecture and Life after 1945, Barbican Centre, London, 2017;
 

Contact

Degree Details

Statement

Minsu’s design philosophy primarily focuses on building up tangible relationships between the user and the object, by establishing durable functionality through emotional experience.

The work shown in RCA 2020 is developing away from the idea of having a sole purpose of design created to meet the fundamental needs of the designer in charge, but instead focusing beyond this to the deeper meaning of user experience. This project is moving away from the one-directional value of design and has aimed to focus on the relationship of the design in regards to the users and other concerning parties in greater depth. It explores how design can influence the society we currently live in as well as seeing how the change in lifestyle can be developed and implemented to sustainably enhance the existing framework by undertaking a systematic approach.
 

Compo

1 Background
1 Background
2 Compo
2 Compo
3 Compo
3 Compo — ‘Compo’ is a composting machine that is designed specifically for UK consumers. There are two fundamental advantages of using this product. It significantly reduces the amount of produced food waste in an economically sustainable way, as well as encouraging the local population to change their lifestyles and engage to become more sustainability literate members of our society.
4 Compo
4 Compo — ‘Compo’ accelerates the speed of composting, allowing discarded food waste from each household to be decomposed into compost in a much shorter period of time. It is targeted to all consumers living in the urban area, marketed at an affordable price so that it is available to the public. The composter will be offered as a monthly lease contract arranged by the local council, which aims to reduce the financial burden of consumers having to invest in a large sum of costs to individually purchase the product. The council will be able to purchase these products in bulk through wholesale, allowing them to benefit from discounted prices.
5 'Compo' Process
5 'Compo' Process
6 'Compo' Process
7 Compo
7 Compo
8 Compo
8 Compo
9 Biodegradable Bags
9 Biodegradable Bags — The product is accompanied with additional 100% bio-degradable bags, which can also be obtained from the communal space, to store their compost. On the bags are three tick boxes which are labelled as Nitrogen (N), Phosphoric (P), and Potassium (K). By using the checklist below, it is possible to identify which of the N/P/K nutrients are more included in the collected food waste in comparison to the average nutrient proportion of others. Whilst filling up the bags, users can tick the necessary box which best matches the nutrient category of their collected compost. Through this process, people will be able to recognise and understand the types of food that they are consuming and become aware of the sustainable impacts that it has on the environment and our surroundings.
10 Service Overview
10 Service Overview — Following this, the users will be able to take their bio-degradable bags back to their communal compost storage that is maintained by the local council. Over time, local gardeners will be able to take the donated compost according to their required individual nutrient needs as stated on the packaging of the bags. In return for the compost that users have donated to the local gardeners, they will receive fully grown organic produce that gardeners have grown. This exchanging interaction between different users will allow everyone involved to be able to experience the full procedure of this sustainable cycle. The council will take responsibility and designate the physical location in which people are able to use as a communal space to gather and exchange goods. Locals will be able to get to know each other by regularly interacting with one another in this shared space, as well as developing trust and support from one another over time.
11 Stakeholder Motivation Map
11 Stakeholder Motivation Map
12 Service Blueprint
12 Service Blueprint

ENG -'Compo' brings together the community members as well as local authorities through the system of reviving the value of food as a circulating economy by making food waste disposal economically sustainable for urban households in the UK where gardening culture is well cultivated.

KOR - 'Compo'는 정원 문화가 잘 발달 된 나라인 영국의 도시지역 주민들을 위해 디자인 된 음식물 처리기입니다. 미생물을 활용하여 음식물 비료화를 활성화 시키고 기술적으로 음식물의 순환 과정을 더 효과적으로 조성할 뿐 아니라 공공기관이 주축이 된 장기 대여 서비스를 통해 가계당 제품 사용 가격을 낮추어 경제적으로도 지속 가능합니다. 주민들은 자신들이 습관적으로 소비하는 음식과 그 비료화 과정에 대해 직감적으로 인지할 수 있으며, 생성된 비료를 주변 주민들이 기른 과일이나 채소와 교환하는 경험을 통해 지역 사회가 살아나고, 그것이 환경과 주변 환경에 미치는 영향을 경험적으로 인식 할 수 있습니다.