Ken Kim, head of design at British American Tobacco Group, said that product design should not only focus on providing attractive appearance, but also include meaning, value and responsibility.
"The role of designers is changing from simply designing products to taking on social and environmental responsibilities," he said at the Design Korea conference held in Seoul from November 1 to 5. "This (new role) It is not a choice of individual designers, but a common goal that the industry and society must share in order to move forward.”
He is the first Korean to head BAT's product design department. His product portfolio includes tobacco heating products such as Vuse Epod 2, Glo Pro Slim and Glo Hyper X2.
According to the Korea Herald, at the meeting, Jim Yong Kim discussed how design can solve social problems such as carbon neutrality amid tightening regulations, emphasizing that design can be a viable option for the tobacco industry. An important key to a sustainable future.
He stressed the importance of designing products in a way that does not appeal to underage consumers. "We need a balanced design strategy that does not stimulate the curiosity of minors by analyzing the design preferences of different age groups," he said.
