HYUNG PARK - Community Engagement

Community Engagement

In my exploration of enhancing learning experiences in human-centered design with college students, I frequently encountered challenges in fostering self-awareness. This motivated me to establish Studio 7/8, where I focus on developing interdisciplinary programs and content, alongside effective outreach methods to encourage participation. Through these initiatives, I engage the public by helping parents and young children define their goals and purposes. I aim to foster curiosity and joy through inspiring learning experiences, while also promoting design thinking skills.

The name Studio 7/8 symbolizes the submerged portion of an iceberg, reflecting the hidden potential within students at my design school. In Studio 7/8, I engage with students across a range of disciplines including art and design, art history, world history, philosophy, geology, paleontology, zoology, ecology, biology, anthropology, and sociology. To achieve successful outcomes, I ensure that content is concise, accessible, actionable, digestible, and inspiring. Additionally, I enhance KPIs to effectively measure and track progress. Then, I integrate discussions on passion and leadership, guiding students through four stages of personal and academic development:

Understanding: Grasping subjects, goals, and objectives.
Reinterpreting: Analyzing, researching, and developing new insights.
Applying: Articulating and specifying ideas with evidence, and refining them utilizing their skills and abilities.
Implementing: Collaborating on projects and iterating through the process.

These are some of moments and works that reflect how I inspire and engage my students and their parents at my own design school.

Annual Book Design Exhibition and Students' works (Publication)

Design goes beyond creating shapes and images; it encompasses altering people's perspectives through critical thinking, creativity, and communication. These components form the core of human-centric design. I think it's crucial to integrate this principle into youth education to foster innovative thinking. By encouraging young minds to envision their aspirations and empowering them to confront uncertainties with passion rather than fear, we can truly leverage the power of design education.

During the pandemic and continuing into the post-pandemic period, I integrated technology into the program, enabling all students to use the online tools I provided. They created their own websites and actively engaged in discussions. Despite concerns, particularly among parents, about technology potentially diminishing children's motivation, I firmly believe it can be harnessed to inspire, engage, and empower them. By cultivating awareness of their potential and fostering a resilient mindset, students can effectively navigate academic subjects and challenges. I have substantiated this belief through various effective methods including Google products.

Why Google products?

They offer accessibility to anyone with a Google account, which is free and efficient.
Generation Z and Alpha have grown up with Google products and is familiar with the platform. While their standard functions may not be as sophisticated as those of other web content development and management platforms, they share basic principles that are beneficial for student use. Moreover, their limitations can foster curiosity and encourage exploration of more sophisticated options, which in turn helps students leverage various social media campaign management platforms in the future.

These screenshots showcase selected online course sites that facilitate student participation, interaction, discussion, and collaboration, enabling effective completion of lectures according to individual learning preferences. (Images intentionally blurred to protect the intellectual property of Studio 7/8.)