Ordinary People — Seyong Ahn, Seungmi Baek, Jaeha Lee, Jeongmin Seo, Jin Kang— started out their studio while they we're studying! They kicked things off with a self-initiated project called 'we make posters' which has now evolved into Ordinary People. Check out their amazing use of typography and their awesome self-initiated projects they continue to use.
Give us the elevator pitch on what you do.
ORDINARY PEOPLE is a graphic design studio based in Seoul. All of us were in the same university and major. In 2006, as graphic design students, we gathered and started the project "we make posters." During the process of this project, we naturally became a graphic design studio. Now we are doing self-initiated projects such as "Everyday graphic calendar," "1xn—Print Screen", "24OPEN", along with other various commercial projects with MBC(Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation), National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Korea, Asia Culture Center, SM Entertainment and many others.
Any passion projects/collabs you would like to share?
Jeongmin Seo: I want to share this self-initiated project "EVERYDAY GRAPHIC CALENDAR 2019". Day calendar is kind of a traditional thing in South Korea. We made 365 different graphics for every day. We started this project in 2015, but since making 365 graphics is not easy, we are making it biennially. Also, we designed our own typeface for the numbers of this calendar. For that, we tried to retain the beauty of the traditional number.
Where do you think design is heading in the next five years and how will you adapt?
Jin Kang: Forecasting 5 years later is impossible for me. So I will answer this question in a little bit different way. I always wonder why something I liked yesterday suddenly become what I hate today. Then maybe tomorrow I like it again. I want to know why that happens to me. What makes me like it, or hate it? So I am questioning myself about which things affect on that "like" or "hate." Even though lots of the time I don't find the answer, this process helps me understand how things surround me now and which way or work I like to go or try.
What are some of your earliest creative memories and what lead you into design?
Jaeha Lee: When I was a child, I saw a boy crying on the train. However, nobody tried to help and just watched him with an anguished face. So I decided to solve this situation by making him a squirrel with clay. Then the boy stopped crying, and all the people on the train became calm and relaxed.
When did you fall in love with the design and how did you get started?
Jin Kang: It was during my sophomore year in college. I got in a typography class by [Helmut Schmid]. Before I took his class, I thought graphic design was some illustration thing. I was terrible at drawing, so there was no hope. However, through that class, I not only learned about typography but also an attitude towards doing graphic design.
What have been some of your biggest disasters and how have you learned from it?
Jin Kang: It was about 4years ago; I had to make a book with a little bit complicated binding. The paper I chose was uncoated and needed more time to dry than other paper which I and the print shop weren't aware of. Also, that binding had to be hand done. During the binding, some stain remained on paper because the paper was still wet. To fix that I had to stay at the print shop through Christmas holiday. After that incident, I became a believer of coated paper (dry so fast, and no worry for the stains) and give more than enough time for printing and binding.
Where to find Ordinary People online.
Website: ordinarypeople.kr
Instagram: @ordinarypeople.seoul
