From Hesitation to Design Major: Stories of Three Graduating Students
Are you considering design as your major? For some, choosing to study design may seem like embarking on a wild journey—especially for those cautiously tip-toeing into the design world from another major. In this two-part story, we share the intriguing journeys of three graduating students that share their history of having hesitation toward studying design and their advices to those that are still pondering.
Meet Yerslan, Yeji and Wooseong
By the end of 2023, we met with Yerslan, Yeji and Wooseong. We invited them because they did not choose design as their major initially yet successfully graduating UNIST as designers. Yerslan Abayayev has strong passion not only about service design but also filmmaking. Yeji Park, holding a double major in Design and Electrical Engineering, specializes in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). Wooseong Kim, with dual majors in Design and Computer Science, directs his focus towards UX/UI design. This diverse trio, each with their unique interests bring distinct perspectives to this story.
The workshop commenced with Yerslan, Yeji and Wooseong sharing their recent project outcomes. To mention their most recent projects, Yerslan designed MedAssistant for his diploma work, a digital platform that connects pharmacists, patients and family members for improved medicine intake. Yeji designed O-K Text, a novel text input method for the upcoming era for virtual reality. Wooseong’s graduation project, Pipettex, facilitates hands-on learning of micropipette techniques with its vivid scenes in VR environment. Their shared journeys towards finalizing their bachelor study fostered a sense of community and setting a collaborative tone for the sessions ahead.
Then we asked the three to visually map their transition to studying design reflecting upon the past, present, and future. This introspective exercise provided insights into individual experiences, we well as the common challenges faced by those who come to design during the later part of bachelor’s study. We then discussed what advices they would give to those that may still be pondering about studying design.
Yerslan — Designing and filmmaking
Yerslan’s journey involved a struggle with his identity as a computer science major during his second year at UNIST. Battling depression and demotivation in his previous major, he found solace in his passion for filmmaking through design. Studying design became the avenue to improve his filmmaking skills leading to a fulfilling internship at New Design Studio. For example, he could combine service design and filmmaking by creating onboarding video for NDS or create a series of videos for UniPlanet project.
Yeji — Finding her own identity in design
Yeji shared her initial concerns about majoring in design, especially as her choice looked unconventional to her engineering-focused friends. Despite the doubts at the beginning of double-majoring journey, her interest slowly grew as she discovered the virtue and practical aspects of good design. Her journey, marked by experiences like the bbb Korea project while in EXPC, emphasized the importance of bridging the gap between engineering and design.
Wooseong — Navigating through options
Wooseong, having delved into humanities during his high school time, explored various options before settling on design. His quest for practical skills and the ability to solve real-world problems guided him to design. His exploration of different departments through courses helped him realize the impact design could have on society alongside with his internship at OND Lab.
Three reasons they chose design
Below we share the reasons identified from their discussions–because the shared experiences and reflections helps our community grow stronger and more diverse.
- Real World Impact
Design goes beyond aesthetics; it’s a powerful tool for creating solutions that matter. Yeji’s journey emphasized the importance of design being accepted in real life. Her story isn’t just about crafting beautiful screens; it’s about unleashing design’s potential to break down real-world barriers. Her experience in developing bbb Korea app, a volunteer-based interpretation service born during the Korean-Japan World Cup to solve language barriers, showcases the tangible impact design can have. This example highlights that design can go beyond mere aesthetics, becoming a bridge that connects people of all cultures and backgrounds.
2. Diverse Skill Set and Purposeful Understanding
More than just a career path, design ignites a unique blend of expertise and empathy, crafting solutions that speak to the heart of people. Wooseong’s journey to design highlights that this field offers more than just a versatile skillset—it cultivates a purposeful understanding of human needs forging deep connections with users, their aspirations and frustrations. Through empathy and user research, Wooseong transformed from a technical expert into a designer who creates solutions that resonate meaningfully, proving that design’s true power lies not in pixels or polygons, but in the profound bridges it builds between people and their needs.
3. Continuous Learning and Personal Growth
Design isn’t just about learning tools and skills—it’s about personal growth. Yerslan’s story shows how design transformed him from a struggling student studying a major he didn’t love to a thriving one who can tell interesting stories as a filmmaker using the principles learned from design. He gained a fresh perspective and technical skills that helped unlock his creativity and build resilience. Yerslan’s journey proves that design goes beyond techniques—it’s about discovering inner strength and pushing creative boundaries.
As you can see above, everyone has had different pathway in their becoming a designer. Are you still pondering? It’s okay, perhaps it’s your rite of passage. But still, why not try just like the three we met here today?
In our next post, we share the advices Yerslan, Yeji and Wooseong wanted to share to their younger selves. Perhaps it could useful for you, too.
Stay tuned!
Workshop planned and executed by Aziza Abdyrazakova, Gail Rayla Emanuelle Parayno and Byeongkuk Kwak. Text written by Gail Rayla Emanuelle Parayno and edited by Seungho Park-Lee.