Tell us about yourself.

Hello! I'm Hana Na, a brand director based in the Republic Of Korea. After 4-5 years of experience in various companies, I founded “NA1 Creative Group'' and have been running it for 3 years now. Based on brand design, we propose new perspectives and views by touching various fields such as planning/strategy, art direction, photography, and lifestyle. Our recent work includes branding for Nike, Shinhan Card, and AFTERCHAPTER Hotel.

Which design topics are you most passionate about?

I love anything that has to do with branding. Branding is very similar to human life and it's always around us, so beyond branding or design, I'm also very interested in 'human' itself. Understanding the environment we live in, our habits, our essence, our personality and our anthropology, often gives us interesting insights. I find it interesting to talk about 'essence' in depth.

Do you have any special hobbies / things you like to do in your free time?  

I have quite a few different hobbies. Currently, I'm learning boxing. Boxing is the hardest workout I've ever done. It's great to get back to a humble beginner's mind when you're learning something new, especially when you're working out, you can just focus on your form and breathing without thinking about anything else. At the end of the day after work, I read a book or play a game. My current favorite game is League of Legends (especially when I read about the company culture and brand creation of Riot, the creators of League of Legends, I can't help but get more immersed in the game).

Share a project / exhibition / creative person / anything that you found recently and sparked your imagination 

I'd like to share a branding project we've been working on since November last year for a hotel called AFTER CHAPTER. It's the biggest space branding project I've ever done. It just launched yesterday! Branding a hotel is one of the projects I've been really looking forward to, because I think a hotel is the longest space a person can stay in, besides their home. From the evening when the sun goes down, to the next morning. Designing a person's time and journey in a space is a challenging task, but one that excites me. We did the total branding and design for the hotel, from naming to planning/strategy, and then we worked with the client to design the bakery and bar, the space for meditation programs, the pool... and everything else inside the hotel. Our slogan is 'A Blank Page' so that people who come to AFTER CHAPTER can write their own story on a new page in our space. If you're ever in 'Busan', South Korea, we invite you to visit us!

What’s the hardest thing about being a designer?

In terms of mindset, it's about keeping lethargy and burnout at bay, and maintaining the passion. In terms of skills, it's about finding the essence of your brand and being organized. Branding is not just about styling, it's about designing a personality. Over time, the essence and values of the brand will determine our direction, and the visual style will all be based on the initial setup and planning. To get off to a good start, we prioritize defining the essence, which is a lot of fun, but always feels like a challenge to me. But when I accomplish that challenge, I feel like I've grown so much.

What’s the best thing about being a designer?

The best part is that we can be intimately involved in the environments and lives of people. I believe that our work has the power to change people's behavior and thinking. For example, we can design common street signage to be more accessible to children and the elderly, or we can suggest that a ramp be designed to make it easier for wheelchairs to navigate a space where there were only steps. Of course, this process. Ultimately, we are working on and within the environments in which people live, and our work can be positively transformative.

Who would you love to collaborate with?

'Simon porte jacquemus'. When I look at the runways and campaigns directed by JACQUEMUS, I am often inspired by the direction, such as the colors and staging. I've worked on branding projects in fashion before, but it was more about creating an identity for a new brand, so I was less involved in the clothes and shows. I'm curious to know what kind of synergy a brand designer can create by collaborating with a fashion brand with a strong identity like JACQUEMUS.

Describe your dream project. 

I have a lot of dream projects, and among them I would love to do airline branding. I love the German airline ‘Lufthansa’, and the crane symbol, which is over 100 years old, is still so stylish and cool. I would love to brand not only the airline identity, but also the uniforms, employee behavior guides, pamphlets, amenities, and everything else that goes along with flying with that airline. And while doing the hotel branding I mentioned above, I realized that I would love to do resort branding on a larger scale.

What do you do when you feel stuck and uninspired?

I stop working and just take a break. Instead of forcing myself to work, I try to get away from the project, whether it's by going for a walk or exercise, playing a game, or reading a book. Then, once I've cleared my mind, I approach the project again slowly by chatting lightly with coworkers or asking questions. It's often helpful to ask others what they think about a concern or I have, listen to their perspective. I tend to be receptive to feedback and reflect on it.

Recommend a book / movie / TV series / podcast / playlist to our readers

<Movies>

I like the ‘A24’ distribution company, among which I recommend “Everything Everywhere All At Once” and “Midsommar”. Also, I really like the director Yorgos Lanthimos - I like his directing and breathtaking psychological depictions. I recently watched “Poor Things” and really enjoyed it.

<Music>

I listen to all genres of music. When I'm working, I listen to house techno, funk, and jazz. I listen to the ‘Boiler Room’ playlist every day. I also like instrumental genres like the band ‘badbadnotgood’.

Thank you Hana!