I expect Japan to become one of the leaders who diffuse UD all over the world.

Young-jun Ko

Professor of Design Dept., Seoul National University of Science and Technology(Seoultech) / Vice President, Korea Society of Science of Design(KSSD): Korea

Interviewer: Hideki Akiya (Toyota Boshoku Corporation)
Interview date: Oct. 13, 2012 PM 18:00-

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— First of all, next year, it will have been 10 years since IAUD was established in 2003. What do you think of the progress of Japanese universal design in the last 10 years?

Young-jun Ko: In the case of universal design standpoint I mean the introduction of universal design was a little bit late compared to the United States, right? But now, you know, Japan is one of the leaders of universal design field. I was very impressed by companies’ participations in universal design activities. In my country we have several big companies, but they are not very interested in universal design. This morning I visited the exhibition hall which is Kokusai International Center. I saw many Japanese big companies including Toshiba and Panasonic. They have their booth and also they have universal design products as well as universal design catalogs so I’m very envy of the situation in Japan. I think in terms of universal design, Japan is advanced country and so I think it has a leading role to spread and promote universal design worldwide.

— The second question, how do you feel about what is our Japanese role to progress universal design in Asia area?

Young-jun Ko: As I told you Japan in terms of universal design field is a leader. I think if possible you should make some networks with the Asian countries so you can spread your products with the universal design concepts. First of all, I’m a professor at a university so I recommend an organization like IAUD to hold international universal design competition because, for example, in order to promote universal design in Korea, the participation – attracting young generation is very important. That’s why if you hold universal design international competition, probably many young Korean designers will participate and apply it. It would be one strategy to spread the excellence of universal design.

— Okay you said Korean major companies are not interested in the universal design, but on the other hand that the young generations are interested in the universal design you think?

Young-jun Ko: I mean compared to any other fields they don’t have that much interest. That’s why I would like to induce their interest to develop and promote universal design in my country. Active participation of young generation is critical that’s why one way would be holding international design competition because they are very active in applying international design competition because they think it would be good for getting very good job like entering in big companies.

— I think we Japanese and many people who live in Asia have changed our sense of security since Japanese met the tragic earthquake and tsunami last year. Now we have two points: first is saving our life from the future natural disaster; second, getting back our safety daily life after disaster. These two issues are very serious problems for us. Then, I have a third question. What do you think of how do we have to do to realize sustainable society in terms of saving life and recovering our daily safety life after disaster?

Young-jun Ko: If I can focus to sustainable society, I think you know as one of the universal design researchers, I think we have to extend the coverage of universal design from product design to environment and social design. For this, we have to make some guidelines for design in a time of disaster, and have to make a lot of disaster preparedness before, during, and after disasters. Every country has a different disaster. In the case of Korea, unlike Japan we don’t have earthquake and tsunami but we have underground fires because nowadays, because of increasing companies and high-rise buildings, many companies have started to prepare underground spaces. That’s why underground disasters have been increasing.
In 2003, there was on the subway fire occurred in one of the biggest cities named Daegu. At that time I remember more than a hundred people died. We have to prepare that kind of disaster.
Nowadays it’s not that disaster – nowadays in Korea sexual crimes against children and the females are becoming a critical issue. We have to make measures to prevent that kind of crimes. Those issues can be a designer’s task.

In addition, building fires are also one of disasters. In the case of building fires the most vulnerable people are wheelchair individuals, the aged or elderly. To tackle that kind of problem, we have to develop designs. This year I have designed the stair movement device, I mean in the case of building fire, wheelchair will just have difficulty moving up and down, right? It facilitated the movement of the people with mobility difficulty to escape to safer place. As I told you not only we have to consider the underground space but also we have to consider the building fire. As far as I know in the last year’s tsunami many disabled and elderly died, right? It’s a very good lesson, precious lesson. We have to prepare for disasters but especially we have to prepare for evacuation of most vulnerable people. I would like to work for designing that kind of products.

— Finally I would like to know your expectation or request to the activities of universal design in Japan.

Young-jun Ko: I think as I told you Japanese companies have very excellent universal design products. You have to spread your excellence of universal design skills. It’s one of the ways to promote your designs, and profits, and economy. It will contribute the company’s turnover. Maybe you can hold these kinds of exhibitions with seminars in East Asian countries to promote universal design to those countries because unlike Japan, other people in East Asian countries except Japanese – there are not many people who recognize universal design and the importance of universal design. I think one of the Japanese roles is to make people in East Asian countries recognize the importance of universal design.

— Thank you very much.