Michel de Boer appointed design advisor for South Korea

Communication design

Creative Director of Studio Dumbar Michel de Boer has begun his new role as design advisor to the South Korean government for the development of their new national visual identity.

By Jeanne Tan /asdf 13-05-2010

Michel de Boer, Creative Director of Studio Dumbar, has been commissioned to act as advisor for the government of South Korea for the development of their new national visual identity.

The client is the Presidential Council on Nation Branding which falls under the direction of President Lee Myung-bak. The project involves the design and development of a new logo for 15 ministries with the aim of strengthening visual unity, trust and international brand value. We spoke briefly with Michel de Boer about his new role.

What will your role comprise?
My role is being a design advisor, both for the Korean government as well as for the design agency who won the tender: X4 Design and Branding in Seoul. I bring in my design and branding experience on public design, doing creative reviews and creatively guiding them before anything is been presented to the client.

Have you worked with the government of South Korea before?
Yes I have. I worked on the national traffic signs for the country (Dutch equivalent of ANWB) both in urban areas and in the provinces and highways. I also worked on the identity design for a newly established city close to Seoul called Unjeong. Both concerned graphic design as well a series of public furniture and other 3D related items (more than 100 pieces).

What will be some of challenges of designing a new (visual) national identity?
To find a good balance between the social, civil aspects and the commercial value which a relatively young nation wants to establish.

What are you looking forward to most about working on this project?
Not only to be part of the creation of a new logo but to translate it to a full visual identity programme which will be implemented in a large extent. And last but not least, to create something inspirational which works and can be recognised by the public.

In your opinion, which countries currently have a good visual national identity?
It would be obvious to say the Dutch government, the job we did at Studio Dumbar, but Canada is usually also been mentioned. Not so much regarding the design outcome but more for the unified quality and the link to commercials values such as tourism. This shows that there is great opportunity for designers in the world of nation branding.