"Design Solves Social Issues"... UNIST Professor Cha Joong Kim's Team Wins Minister’s Award at Public Design Awards

The research team led by Professor Cha Joong Kim of the Department of Design at UNIST (President Park Jongrae) has received the Minister’s Award from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the top honor in the research category at the '2025 Korea Public Design Awards.'

This research, which aimed to improve public environments with a user-centered approach, was highly praised for its tangible achievements in addressing social issues through design.

The research team was also awarded a prize of 10 million won.

The study, directed by Professor Kim, focused on 'privacy protection' in public spaces. The team closely observed users’ behaviors and emotions, analyzing the discomfort and tension people feel in public areas. Based on these observations, they conducted user experience surveys and expert reviews to propose design guidelines for privacy protection.

Professor Cha Joong Kim of the Department of Design at UNIST (left) and Assistant Professor Kwangmin Cho of KAIST. Provided by UNIST

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This award demonstrates that industrial design is evolving beyond aesthetics into a field of practical research that drives changes in social structures, policies, and public services. Professor Kim’s team connected academic research with real-world improvements, expanding their work into policy and service innovation.

The research outcomes were further enhanced through collaboration with domestic and international scholars. In addition to Professor Kim, the team included Research Professor Kwangmin Cho (KAIST), Professor Jungkyun Yoon (Cornell University, USA), and Professor Jooyoung Jeong (Korea University of Technology and Education). Notably, Professor Cho, an alumnus of the UNIST Department of Design, has grown from being Professor Kim’s student to a collaborative researcher, continuing his work in the Department of Industrial Design at KAIST.

Professor Kim’s team presented a new model for solving social problems through an empirical, user experience-based approach and international collaboration. Their work demonstrated that design can transform human experience and improve public life.

Professor Kim stated, "Public design is not just about form or convenience; ultimately, it is about changing people’s experiences," adding, "With UNIST at the center, we will collaborate with researchers at home and abroad to propose designs that enable citizens in cities around the world to have better experiences."

The 'Korea Public Design Awards' is the nation’s most prestigious public design award, hosted and organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Craft & Design Foundation. The Korean Society of Design Science, the Korean Society of Spatial Design, and the Convergence Design Association jointly participate in the judging process, selecting research and projects that contribute to creating social value and improving citizens’ quality of life.

The judging panel commented, "This is an exemplary case of design contributing to solving public issues," and added, "The user-centered approach leading to improvements in policy and social services was particularly outstanding."

The award ceremony was held on the 24th of last month at Cosaiety in Seongsu-dong, Seoul. Subsequently, on the 1st, Professor Kim’s team was invited to present at the '2025 Korea Public Design Awards Academic Event' held at Culture Station Seoul.

Professor Kwangmin Cho (right), a graduate of UNIST, is posing for a commemorative photo after receiving the Minister's Award in the research category at the '2025 Korea Public Design Awards.' Provided by UNIST

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