Busan is good

Busan Metropolitan City Releases Five Educational Videos on “Smart Design for Everyday Life”: Discovering Design in Pizza, Stairways, and Metro Stations

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Chun Jae-soo) announced that it has produced five educational videos titled “Smart Design for Everyday Life,” featuring stories about design in everyday settings, and will make them available to schools and the public to raise awareness of the values of Busan as World Design Capital 2028 and enhance design literacy among future generations.

The videos were developed to help viewers understand that design goes beyond simply making things visually appealing. It is also a process of addressing everyday inconveniences and expressing the distinctive characteristics and values of a community. Featuring familiar subjects and engaging questions, the videos make it easy and enjoyable for everyone, particularly children, to learn about the role of design.

The videos are available through the Busan Metropolitan City Video Archive at https://tv.busan.go.kr under the City Promotional Videos section.

Through five real-life examples from Busan—Busan Sea Pizza, the 168 Stairs in Dong-gu, the wayfinding system at Yeonsan Metro Station, the urban decluttering project at Sasang Metro Station, and the F1963 collaborative exhibition featuring Jean-Michel Othoniel—the videos demonstrate how design can transform the city and the lives of its residents.

The “Busan Sea Pizza” episode introduces a design that captures Busan's distinctive identity by combining local ingredients with imagery inspired by the sea.

The “168 Stairs in Dong-gu” episode explores the mobility challenges that steep stairways pose for local residents and how design can help address them.

The “Wayfinding System at Yeonsan Metro Station” episode examines the importance of information design in helping everyone navigate complex metro stations with ease.

The “Urban Decluttering at Sasang Metro Station” episode introduces the concept of “design through subtraction,” demonstrating how reorganizing and removing unnecessary structures, rather than adding more, can create more pedestrian-friendly streets.

The “F1963 Collaborative Exhibition Featuring Jean-Michel Othoniel” episode illustrates how a former industrial space and art can come together to create new value.

In particular, the videos were developed as practical, relatable design learning materials that encourage children to identify problems in everyday life, consider the perspectives of others, and imagine possible solutions.

For example, while watching the episode on the wayfinding system at Yeonsan Metro Station, children can consider whether a student visiting their school for the first time would be able to find their way easily. The 168 Stairs in Dong-gu episode also encourages them to examine their surroundings from the perspectives of different users, including children and older adults.

This approach aligns with the objectives of “Busan, World Design Capital 2028: I AM A DESIGNER,” an elementary school design education program jointly implemented by Busan Metropolitan City, the Busan Metropolitan City Office of Education, and Design Council Busan. The program encourages children to observe their surroundings and envision how they could create a better city. The newly released videos will also serve as official educational materials for the program.

Busan Metropolitan City plans to make extensive use of the videos as supplementary learning materials for design education in schools and as public awareness content, promoting broader understanding of and support for the values of Busan as World Design Capital 2028.

The city also intends to expand opportunities for design education by linking the videos with existing educational and cultural programs, including hands-on activities associated with exhibitions at F1963. This approach will allow participants to understand design through videos, experience it firsthand, and express their own ideas.

Mayor Chun Jae-soo said, “Design is not something found only in special places. It is present throughout our everyday lives—in the streets we walk along, the spaces we use, and even the food we eat.”

He added, “I hope these videos will inspire children to see the world from new perspectives and give residents an opportunity to discover the values of Busan as World Design Capital 2028 in their daily lives.”