Gyeonggi Province Supports Socially Underprivileged Through Public Design
[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Park Noh-hun] Gyeonggi Province is implementing the '2020 Design Sharing Project' to help neighbors in difficult circumstances through design development support for small enterprises and improvement of living environments in welfare facilities.
According to the provincial government on the 21st, the Design Sharing Project, now in its eighth year of implementation, is a project involving public, private, industry, and academic sectors. It is a close-to-life public design project that supports design development for products manufactured by small enterprises in the province (disability, elderly, self-support) and improves the internal and external living environments of vulnerable welfare facilities (group homes, group residences, etc.).
Through this project, various achievements have been accomplished, including increasing the added value and sales of small enterprise products as well as improving the welfare satisfaction and quality of life of supported institutions.
For this design development support for small enterprises, professors and students from three universities in the province (Shinhan University, Hanyang University, Kyung Hee University) and experts from design companies (DITO Brand, Saturday Design Lab, Design Michang) will provide design development support to 30 institutions including Ansan Senior Club and Goyang Holt Workshop.
Additionally, 33 volunteers composed of Gyeonggi Province residents and university students will visit over 20 institutions including group homes and community children's centers to provide support for improving living environments such as furniture assembly and installation, and painting.
Beyond this, the province plans to implement various projects together with the Gyeonggi Province Social Service Center targeting a total of 70 institutions, including practical design support, sign production and installation, and follow-up online and offline support.
To this end, the province held an inauguration ceremony on the 15th at the Gyeonggi Province Human Resources Development Institute for 39 design experts and volunteers (Gyeonggi Province residents and university students) participating in the '2020 Design Sharing Project'.
Kim Jun-tae, Director of Urban and Housing at Gyeonggi Province, said, "In these difficult times due to COVID-19, the participation of design experts and volunteers in the project is the role of public design and a very meaningful and precious endeavor to create a society where people live together," and added, "We will further invigorate the Design Sharing Project so that it can provide substantial help to the socially underprivileged in local communities."