2020 DDP design fair to produce seven award-winning korean projects

selected from 103 participants, seoul design foundation rewards seven teams with the ‘DDP best design award’ at the 2020 DDP design fair. due to the pandemic, the show for launches of design businesses transitioned into a sustainable online platform that focuses on designers, small businesses and their making-of stories. open year-round, the fair showcases what is new in korea’s design industry, revealing the latest design trends, and uniting creators with manufacturers and business owners. in fact, over 200,000 visitors digitally frequented the first online edition.

grigoglass x sunmin park
all images courtesy of DDP design fair

first founded in 2015, seoul design foundation began with a mission to introduce various projects to revitalize the urban manufacturing as well as design industries within korea. as such, their initiatives aim to kickstart new jobs for young creatives and provide PR opportunities to small businesses. one such initiative is the DDP design fair – the biggest even in korean design – which was launched in 2019. it encompasses the design ecosystem, showcasing the latest domestic and international trends, and pairing creatives with product development workshops. the exhibition features a wide range of design disciplines, including furniture, lighting, and lifestyle and living.

TAMKEN x studio jungho ko

the 2020 DDP design fair welcomed 103 participants which were narrowed down to seven winners of the ‘DDP best design award’. the creatives and their projects were evaluated throughout online voting and professional appraisal from famous boutiques and product design industry peers. the laureates not only displayed outstanding designs but also exceptional marketability and usability factors. they each received a grant of 5 million KRW (USD) for mass-production as well as benefits to enter the official DDP store.

lampland x ra-droom

with the turn of the new year, the DDP design fair is looking towards the 2021 event with applications open. entrants will once again be in with the chance to received grants to mass-produce their designs and receive both domestic and international recognition within the creative industry. the 2021 fair aims to feature an even more diverse range of collaborations between designers and manufacturers. they also wish to coordinate with other renowned global fairs to further promote korean designers and manufacturers to the international market. this is to best represent design for korea.

KKDC x atelier sohn

studio jungmo yang x bentek furniture

hwang-duk engineering co., ltd x makemake

common object x studio mindeulae

fair info:

title: 2020 DDP design fair

date: november 2020

venue: online platform

hosts: seoul metropolitan government

organizer: seoul design foundation