Hyunju Lee and Phil Choo are two Korean designers featured in the UC Davis Design Museum exhibit-- Typographic Exploration in Hangul.
Hangul is the native script of Korea (created in the fifteenth century). Both Lee and Choo represent life in Korea through the exploration and manipulation of these Hangul characters.
The artwork introduces the form, pattern and emotion of Hangul as an expressive medium. My two favorite pieces in the exhibit are examples of how design can relate to society on a personal level--an emotional level.
The first piece, Huk Huk, (top) represents sadness. The second piece, HaHa HoHo (bottom), represents laughter and happiness. Both pieces are constructed of the same Hangul character and the same lines. Both pieces are printed on a white background, and are the same size. There is much in common between the two pieces, in fact, they are side by side in the exhibit. However, each piece evokes entirely opposite emotions within the viewer. Even despite their juxtaposition, the viewer's emotions follow suite with the pieces. Sadness to Happiness in a matter of seconds. Huk Huk uses a cool color palette and straight, lifeless lines that seem to stretch on for eternity--sadness. HaHa HoHo uses a warm color palette and swooping, energetic lines that send a figurative electric current through the piece--happiness.
This goes to show that design isn't just "making a pretty picture". Design connects with a person on such a level that simply changing color and the angle of a few lines can make one do an emotional 180!
