Kookmin University to start collaborative project on mobility design with UK firm

Kookmin University has unveiled a plan to launch an industry-academia collaboration project with PriestmanGoode (PG), a London-based design firm, in the field of mobility design.

The university said Monday that the Department of Automotive and Transportation Design at the College of Design will work with PriestmanGoode on mobility design research.

A school official said the project aims to develop mobility solutions that can help Seoul address challenges related to urban expansion and severe traffic congestion in its metropolitan area. The initiative focuses on building a user-centered mobility ecosystem aligned with the city’s 2050 Seoul Grand Plan.

Kookmin explained that both parties will jointly analyze changes in mobility environments and transportation issues resulting from urban sprawl, a phenomenon widely observed in major cities around the world. The project seeks to propose innovative solutions to these challenges.

Members of a design team of PriestmanGoode, a U.K. mobility design firm, pose for a picture. Kookmin University said Monday that it will start an industry-academia collaboration project with the company. Courtesy of Kookmin University.

Over the course of the one-year collaboration, the two sides will conduct in-depth research on user travel experiences and service systems, with a particular focus on public transportation and shared mobility. They also plan to design new mobility devices and infrastructure for the city.

In addition, the Seoul-based Kookmin University intends to expand the project’s outcomes into a flexible model that can be applied to developing mobility ecosystems in major global cities such as London, Shanghai and New York City.

The university noted that the project will help students gain a practical understanding of Seoul’s urban and transportation environments while enabling them to develop design capabilities to address global urban issues.

It also plans to offer outstanding students internship opportunities at PriestmanGoode’s London headquarters upon completion of the project, allowing them to gain valuable international experience. At the same time, the university aims to further strengthen its global industry-academia collaboration network.

“This project will serve as an opportunity to gain a practical understanding of the transportation environment in major metropolitan areas, including Seoul, and to propose new mobility designs based on that understanding,” said Roe Jae-seung, a professor at the Department of Automotive and Transportation Design.

“We expect that collaboration with a global company will enhance students’ practical skills and contribute to strengthening the department’s international competitiveness.”

A university official quoted Lee Harding, associate director at PriestmanGoode, as saying that he was deeply honored to launch the collaborative project with Kookmin University, adding that he was looking forward to working with the students on the forward-looking mobility design project that addresses major challenges facing expanding cities.

He expressed hope that the project will produce creative and in-depth results, saying that he is keen to see how students will explore Seoul’s urban spaces and translate them into user experience-centered designs.

PriestmanGoode (PG), a London-based industrial design firm, offers a variety of design services. The company plans to work on an industry-academia collaboration project on mobility design with the Seoul-based Kookmin University. Courtesy of PriestmanGoode