In this blog post, we’ll explore how design majors can use their interior design and remodeling experience as a differentiating strength in their personal statement.
Personal Statement
“A student who loves to think creatively”
I’ve been interested in interior design and remodeling since I was a kid, and I love to sew and make new clothes instead of throwing them away. In order to do so, I searched for a school to learn how to sew, and in high school, I started a sewing club on campus. The club was a way for me to actively put my interests into practice. I started the club because I didn’t want to spend most of my time studying at school and wanted to get together with friends who had the same interests.
In the refurbishing club, we refurbished clothes and shoes, and also made household products. Most of the products we made were used for interior decoration. We sold our refurbished clothes and shoes to the outside world, and we also held an anabata exercise within the club to stock up on items before the refurbishment. At school festivals, we earned money by running a booth to sell our products, and we developed a sales strategy that responded to the public’s reactions during the sales process. Through the evaluation of others, I realized that I had a talent for design, and I decided to go to university as a design-related major.
The quirks
“In college, I got the opportunity to launch my design work.”
I majored in interior design. Not only did I study hard in my major, but I also participated in many design competitions for external experience. I submitted my work to authorized design competitions and participated in open auditions held by broadcasting stations, challenging myself in various fields. Looking around, I saw that some of my friends were very proud of their work and didn’t want to be evaluated through external competitions, but I thought it would be meaningful to have the opportunity to showcase my work to more people and improve through further evaluation.
Along the way, I’ve unexpectedly advanced beyond the preliminaries, and I’ve done well at design fairs. One of the highest grades we received was for our product design, which was a sofa reconstruction. We made a sofa by reconstructing clothing or fabric, and realized a curved design that can be used by multiple people at the same time. The design was well-received because it was made of iron instead of traditional solid wood, creating a sturdy yet clean design. It was noticed by other designers at a design fair, which led to the launch of the product, and I took my first steps as a designer by selling my work to the public for the first time.
Overcoming setbacks
“Overcoming public speaking phobia to explain my work.”
Part of the reason I entered so many design competitions was to get my work judged, but I also wanted to push myself. When I was working on product design, I was usually a closed-off person who would lock myself in my room for days at a time to come up with creative ideas. I would focus on my ideas and try to make them good, rather than interacting with others. As a result, I rarely interacted with others and was less confident in presenting my ideas.
Being public speaking phobic is a big drawback for a designer, because it’s not just about planning and producing the work, but also about being able to communicate and convince others of what you think. So when I entered competitions, I was often penalized in my presentations because I couldn’t explain my work well enough. One of my personal works, a sofa, was selected by an external designer to be launched. In this case, I made a presentation in English in front of the company officials, and I made a mistake once when I tried to speak in English, which made it even harder for me to speak.
After a few setbacks, I was determined to overcome my shortcomings properly, so I enrolled in a public speaking school and took a course. I started by diagnosing the cause of my public speaking phobia. I found out that I tend to think and worry too much at the same time, so I decided to clear my mind and instead create a strategy in my head to deliver my presentation effectively. I focused on one goal: to be as “persuasive” as possible, and by the time I graduated from college, I was recognized for my effective presentations.
The motivation
“To design furniture that can be applied to interior design.”
I have a lot of experience in interior design, especially furniture design. When I was in college, I designed furniture that can be applied to indoor interiors, mainly chairs, sofas, desks, and beds. I practiced designing furniture in various forms, especially in the areas of chairs, sofas, desks, and beds. In particular, I made a portfolio of the sketches and designs I made during my studies. The portfolio contains the design drawings and descriptions of the works that I won through external competitions and the works that I personally love a lot. I think I can explain myself through this portfolio.
If you look at the portfolio I have attached with my cover letter, there are descriptions and design drawings of the works I have produced, and the ones I am most confident in are sofas, chairs, and beds. In the case of sofas, I have experience in selling the rights of the product to ○○design company. Most of my furniture designs are composed of lines and planes. Rather than emphasizing the three-dimensional features of the furniture, I tried to emphasize the skeleton and strength by emphasizing the lines and planes. I designed it to look like a two-dimensional plane from the front, and from the side, the skeleton is exposed except for the part where the mattress or cushions are inserted. The intention of this design was to make the furniture more functional. I applied to Emmons Furniture because I wanted to realize a new concept of furniture design that utilizes lines, planes, and curves.
Ambitions after joining the company
“Eco-prestige, resonate with the ideology of Emmons.”
There are many furniture companies. Recently, a giant furniture store called IKEA entered Korea, causing many furniture companies to be excited. Therefore, the number of competitors in the furniture market is gradually increasing. In order to become a successful furniture company, I believe that you need to have your own management philosophy and philosophy. As a furniture designer, I have been struggling to have a designer’s product philosophy in order to succeed as a furniture designer. I researched a lot about what kind of company I should apply to at the beginning of my career. As a result, I found a company that matches my product philosophy and whose management philosophy I can sympathize with.
For me, that company was Emmons. Emmons Furniture’s philosophy is eco-prestige, a combination of naturalism and first principles. I believe that eco-friendly materials are very important when designing furniture, especially when making furniture that directly touches the human body. Therefore, I greatly resonated with the management philosophy of Emmons, which strives to make beds, sofas, and chairs with the body and health in mind. While not losing sight of the importance of design, the management philosophy that pursues futuristic design and adds the best prestige is sufficient to lead the future value-added industry.
I would be personally proud to work for Emmons, a company that boasts the number one ranking in Korea’s Quality Satisfaction Index in the home furniture sector. I have friends who studied design with me and have gone on to open their own workshops or jointly establish furniture design production companies. While it’s great to showcase your skills through your own office, my personal ambition is to see more people using my furniture. It’s this dream of seeing people use the furniture I design, the furniture I love, that led me to apply for a design position at Emmons.
