We arrived in Seoul on Monday. It’s 5W’s seventh trip to Asia in the last year, but our first time in South Korea. The Government has invited us to participate as one of a small handful of foreign companies to participate in the Korea Design Businees Fair, one of the largest design events in Asia. It includes several hundred exhibitors, and also features the winners of the Red Dot Design Awards, Design Excellence Awards, and Good Design Awards, among others. It’s open to both the general public and product design buyers (largely from China, Korea and Japan).

The Fair is mostly dedicated to industrial and product design, but this year the organization was interested in bringing in a firm specialized in information design. Its a great opportunity to witness the design boom in Korea, a highly developed market with a tech-savvy public and an interest in quality design products. Korea is quickly changing from follower to trend-setter in the design world, finding and showcasing its unique sensibility. We are looking forward to seeing and learning more.