Professor
LEE, GIL OCK
Assistant Professor, Industrial Design
gilock.lee@hongik.ac.kr
Prof. Gil Ock Lee is teaching Product Design at
HongIk University, Industrial Design Department.
Over fourteen years, she had worked as a product
designer, a design strategist and a design team
leader in diverse industries. Starting from
Samsung and Motorola USA as design internship,
she had worked at Electrolux USA, Samsung,
Amorepacific group and had experienced
a wide spectrum of product design practice in
product design, design planning and strategy and
design branding as her areas of expertise. In recent
years she has been focusing on Smart Home,
Design-driven Convergence, AI-enhanced Product Design Process, Sustainable Design as her design research interests.
MAJOR
Product Design, Design Planning & Strategy, Design Branding
BIOGRAPHY
2017
Ph D. Hongik University, Industrial Design
2007
MD. Illinois Institute of Technology, Institute of Design, Human-centered Product Design
2005
BFA. Hongik University, Industrial Design, Graduated with the Highest Honors
2004
Exchange Student. Kingston University, Product & Furniture Design, Cultural Ministry Scholar
2021~Present
Hongik University, Industrial Design, Assistant Professor
2022~
Board Member, Korea Industrial Designers Association
PIN UP Design Award Jury
Public Design Advisor, Gangbuk-gu Office, Seoul, Korea
Journal Reviewer, Korean Society of Basic Design & Art
PIN UP Design Award Jury
Public Design Advisor, Gangbuk-gu Office, Seoul, Korea
Journal Reviewer, Korean Society of Basic Design & Art
2023~
Evaluation Committee Member, Gyeonggi Institute of Economic Science and Promotion (Design Development Support Program)
2024
Jury Member, Korea Design Exhibition (KIDP)
2023
Deputy Director of the Center for Talent Development in Campus Town Business at Hongik University
2017-21
Amorepacific Innisfree Brand Product Design Team Lead
2009-17
Samsung Electronics, Senior Designer & Design Strategist
2007-09
Electrolux Major Appliances, North Carolina USA, Product Designer
2006
Motorola Consumer eXperience Design, Chicago USA, Design Internship
2003
Samsung Electronics, Design Internship
AWARDS
2025
IDEA Design Award(3 awards)
2024
Seoul Design 2024 Corporate & Young Designer Exhibition - Best Team Award 2nd Place
2024
IF Design Award, Spark International Design Award GOLD
2023
Spark International Design Award Bronze
2021
IF Design Award(2 awards)
2020
IF Design Award
2019
Amorepacific ABC Award-Sustainable Design Management
2013
CES Design & Engineering Innovation Award(2 awards)
2012
IDEA Design Award GOLD, IF Design Award
2006
Next Generation Design Leader [Korean Institute of Design promotion]
2006
Motorola-sponsored Project: Excellence for Outstanding Performance
2004
Ministry of Culture, Scholarship
2003
Samsung Future Home Appliances Competition: Grand Prize
2002
Design Essay competition: Excellent Prize [Gyung-Hyang Newspaper]
WORKS
2025-27
[Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy] Design Industry Technology Development Project: Development of Generative AI-Based Design Interpretation and Evaluation
2025
ADA Student Workshop-Mentor Professor for International Student Design Workshop
2025
[Rainbow Robotics] Humanoid Home Design Industry-Academia Collaboration Project
2025
BYN Black Yak [Nau Brand] Fashion x Product convergence PBL Industry-Academia Project
2025
Samsung Life[lifenology Lab] Wellness Design Exhibition
2024-27
[National Research Foundation of Korea] Design Research Project:Development of Generative AI-Based Product Design Methodology
2024
[Korea National Fire Department Industry-Academia Collaboration] Fashion x Product Convergence PBL Project
Samsung Life[Lifenology Lab] Industry-Academia Wellness Design Project
[Seoul Design 2024] Industry-Academia Project(w/BKID) DDP Exhibition
Samsung Life[Lifenology Lab] Industry-Academia Wellness Design Project
[Seoul Design 2024] Industry-Academia Project(w/BKID) DDP Exhibition
2024
[Zurich Design Week 2024] Fashion x Product Convergence PBL Project Exhibition
[Seoul & Design Foundation] Corporate & Young Designers Cooperation Project
[Seoul & Design Foundation] Corporate & Young Designers Cooperation Project
2023
Starion Next Generation Refrigerator Product Design Project
[Seoul Design 2023] ESG Industry-Academia Project(w/d'Origin) Exhibition
[Seoul & Design Foundation] Corporate & Young Designers Cooperation Project
[Seoul Design 2023] ESG Industry-Academia Project(w/d'Origin) Exhibition
[Seoul & Design Foundation] Corporate & Young Designers Cooperation Project
2022
Amorepacific COSRX Brand Industry-Academia Project
2017-21
Directed product design and BX design development for Amorepacific's Innisfree brand
2009-17
Worked on Samsung Electronics' home appliance lineup, advanced design projects, and research/strategy. Samsung Internal Design Lecturer, Samsung Design Management Center(2015-17)
2007-09
Worked on Electrolux North America appliance lineup and advanced design projects
2006
Motorola Mobile Phone Advanced Design Project, CMFP Design Research Project
2005
SK Telecom Mobile Phone Design Project
Samsung Electronics Advanced Home Appliance Design Project
Samsung Electronics Advanced Home Appliance Design Project
2003-04
Samsung Electronics Advanced Home Appliance Design Project (Samsung YPM)
JOURNAL PUBLICATION
2025
A Comparative Study of Design Ideation between Generative AI and Product Designers:Focusing on Creativity, Innovation, and Empathy. Archive of Design Research, Archives of Design Research, Vol 38(2)
2025
A Study on the Design of Smart Pet Aviation Kennels:Focusing on the Chinese Market. Industrial design (ID), Vol 19(1), p.47-68
2024
Study on Pen-Type Insulin Syringe Design Direction Based on User Experience Analysis : Focusing on Type 2 Diabetes Patients. Industrial design (ID), 18(2) , 1-23, 2024
A Study on the Development of Toner Pad Container Structure Design Based on User Research. Bulletin of Korean Society of Basic Design & Art, 25(1), 43-56, 2024
A Study on the Development of Toner Pad Container Structure Design Based on User Research. Bulletin of Korean Society of Basic Design & Art, 25(1), 43-56, 2024
2023
Smart Home Lighting Design Scenario Proposed for Sustainable Lifestyle: Focusing on Single-person Households in Korea. Industrial design (ID), 17(4), 55-72, 2023
A Study on the Consumer Perception of Portable Massager Design Properties in the Chinese Market. Industrial design (ID), 17(3), 33-42, 2023
Research on Smart Wearable Band Design to Prevent the Lonely Deaths of the Elderly Who Live Alone in South Korea. Bulletin of Korean Society of Basic Design & Art, 24(4), 225-241, 2023
Study on Home Appliance Design Characteristics and Trends from the Convergence Perspective: Focused on the Home Appliances Industry in Korea. Industrial design (ID), 17(1), 71-83, 2023
A Study on the Consumer Perception of the Properties of Smart Speaker Products -focused on the China Market-. Bulletin of Korean Society of Basic Design & Art, 24(1), 123-136, 2023
A Study on the Consumer Perception of Portable Massager Design Properties in the Chinese Market. Industrial design (ID), 17(3), 33-42, 2023
Research on Smart Wearable Band Design to Prevent the Lonely Deaths of the Elderly Who Live Alone in South Korea. Bulletin of Korean Society of Basic Design & Art, 24(4), 225-241, 2023
Study on Home Appliance Design Characteristics and Trends from the Convergence Perspective: Focused on the Home Appliances Industry in Korea. Industrial design (ID), 17(1), 71-83, 2023
A Study on the Consumer Perception of the Properties of Smart Speaker Products -focused on the China Market-. Bulletin of Korean Society of Basic Design & Art, 24(1), 123-136, 2023
2022
A Study on the Current Status of Design-centered Interdisciplinary Convergence Education - focused on Industrial Design Education -. Bulletin of Korean Society of Basic Design & Art, 23(2), 396-410, 2022
2021
Understanding roles of care in the design process for sustainable behaviour: commitment and responsibility in packaging reuse. The Conference Proceedings of 4th Product Lifetime And The Environment conference, Dublin, Ireland https://doi.org/10.31880/10344/10202, 2021
2020
A Study on the Collaboration Design Trends and Strategic Implications on Cosmetic Industry. Industrial design (ID), 14(2), 55-64, 2020
2018
Strategic Direction of Sustainable Package Design. Industrial design (ID), 12(3), 45-52, 2018
2016
Strategic Direction of Smart Home Appliance Design. Industrial design (ID), 10(1), 83-90, 2016
2015
Strategic Approaches of Design Identity based on Product Specificity. Archives of Design Research, 28(3), 75-87, 2015