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Ree Choi, Restore Business Team

[월간 AC] 리스토어 비즈니스팀 최리님
AMOREPACIFICMay 15, 2023
Ree Choi, Restore Business Team [월간 AC] 리스토어 비즈니스팀 최리님 34_00
Editor C.
I’m a product designer in my fourth year. While I’m confident in what I know, there’s so much I don’t. I’m constantly curious about the lives and work processes of other creatives. How does everyone else make it work?
Prologue.
The Creative Center is, by nature, an organization full of designers. I was curious about the non-designers here—what kind of work do they do, and what are their perspectives?
Q1. Hello, Ree. Could you please briefly introduce yourself and the projects you are currently working on?
Hello, I’m Ree Choi from the Restore Business Team. I work in our strategy division, handling various tasks related to store openings and operations. My current responsibilities are planning the service content for Amore Seongsu and training the store staff.
Q2-1. I absolutely love Amore Seongsu. Of all the work you’ve done related to the store, what has been the most memorable project?
I’d like to mention two things: the ‘Merable’ content and my work with staff training. First, ‘Makeup & Life Blending’ (or ‘Merable’), which has been featured on AC, was a concept born from a lot of thought about what kind of original content Amore Seongsu could consistently produce. We wanted to transform the makeup testing counters into something that uniquely reflected our store’s identity. Typically, a makeup look is created by a single brand using only its own products. But because Amore Seongsu carries products from across our entire company, we thought, ‘What if we created looks based on a wide variety of products, rather than just one brand or a new launch?’ That was the beginning. So, ‘Merable’ is a seasonal makeup look that reflects the unique character of our space, offering visitors a special experience that’s different from a typical brand pictorial.
The most rewarding part is that ‘Merable’ is created entirely by our internal staff. Even the models are our own Amore Seongsu ‘Casters.’ While a shoot with a glamorous professional model is great, customers might see it and think, ‘That’s pretty, but it’s far removed from my life.’ But when one of our Casters is right there saying, “Hey, that’s me! You can create this look, too,” it makes the content so much more relatable. Customers can even book a service to get the ‘Merable’ makeup look done themselves.
‘Merable’ comes out every other month. It’s not easy to come up with a new concept each time, but it’s always a fun and memorable process. When our Casters see the final results, they’re a mix of embarrassed and thrilled. Seeing their photos in large frames and on video screens in the store seems to be a real source of motivation for them, and we love seeing that too.
Q2-2. A new concept every two months sounds dizzying. How do you develop them?
That’s the hardest part. We either create them seasonally or develop them to reflect a current issue or a specific color story we want to showcase in the store.
  • Ree Choi, Restore Business Team [월간 AC] 리스토어 비즈니스팀 최리님 34_01_sld_00
  • Ree Choi, Restore Business Team [월간 AC] 리스토어 비즈니스팀 최리님 34_01_sld_01
Part of Amore Seongsu Original Content ‘Merable.’ ©Restore Business Team
  • Ree Choi, Restore Business Team [월간 AC] 리스토어 비즈니스팀 최리님 34_01_sld_00
  • Ree Choi, Restore Business Team [월간 AC] 리스토어 비즈니스팀 최리님 34_01_sld_01
Part of Amore Seongsu Original Content ‘Merable.’ ©Restore Business Team
Q3. I see. I’m also curious about the training work you mentioned. It’s a field I know very little about.
My job is to train the employees at Amore Seongsu, whom we call ‘Casters.’ Everyone sees a store from a different perspective. A designer, for example, will focus on the hardware—the interior, the specific design details. But a store is also made up of its content and, most importantly, the people who execute that content. Because a store is a living space with people constantly moving within it, I believe the expressions and actions of the staff are the most crucial elements in shaping its image. You could have the most beautifully designed store in the world, but if the staff are unfriendly or have sour expressions, no one will remember that store fondly.
We have about 20 Casters at Amore Seongsu, and I continuously train them to be the right fit for our space. That work is incredibly meaningful to me. Of course, it’s not something that’s immediately visible on the surface. But you know that feeling you get when you first walk into a place? It might not be overtly unfriendly, but there’s an energy, a vibe that feels off. I believe that atmosphere comes from the employees’ working environment. So, I focus on caring for our staff and creating an environment where they can work more joyfully. As a result, when employees keep in touch after they’ve left, or secretly leave me a handwritten letter on their last day, I feel so grateful and proud. In those small moments, I feel like my heart has gotten through to them.
Ree Choi, Restore Business Team [월간 AC] 리스토어 비즈니스팀 최리님 34_02_da2_00
Ree Choi, Restore Business Team [월간 AC] 리스토어 비즈니스팀 최리님 34_02_da2_01
Ree Choi, Restore Business Team [월간 AC] 리스토어 비즈니스팀 최리님 m_34_02_da2_00
Ree Choi, Restore Business Team [월간 AC] 리스토어 비즈니스팀 최리님 m_34_02_da2_01
Amore Seongsu Casters. ⓒRestore Business Team
Q4-1. Before joining the Center, what department were you in? Was your work similar?
I was with Aritaum for about 10 years, where I did a bit of everything: sales, training, and strategy. My main role was opening and operating new types of Aritaum stores, like ‘Aritaum Live’ and the ‘Aritaum Pro Makeup Studio.’ In terms of job function, it’s quite similar. Opening and operating new stores is what I do now; only the environment has changed. Back then, strategy and design were completely separate functions. The Creative Center (then the Design Center) would handle the interior design, and our Aritaum team would create the operational content to go inside. At the time, I thought of design as a completely separate world from my own.
Of course, I don’t do the design work myself now, but being on a team with designers and working on the entire planning process together has made me realize you can’t separate operations and design. Our team members are constantly reaching into each other’s domains in real-time, and I think that’s what allows us to move faster and in a better direction.
Q4-2. What is it like working with designers? Is it very different from before?
When I first came to the Center, I truly felt like I was in a stranger’s house. There are more of us now, but back then, there were very few non-designers here. I felt self-conscious and wondered if there was anything I could even do. The vocabulary was different, and the culture felt like it would be worlds apart. Still, I’m very grateful to my team leader and the director, because they were so considerate of us (the non-designers). I could really feel it. Plus, store operations was a new field for the Creative Center, but they already had a high level of understanding. Since they could see things from both a business and a creative perspective, I actually had more to learn from them. At first, I wasn’t sure if combining the design and strategy teams was the right move, but having experienced it, I now believe it’s essential. Before, in separate organizations, it was hard to understand each other. Now, I naturally find myself looking at things from a designer’s point of view, and the designers are better able to reflect the planner’s intent. I think our work has become much faster as a result. Most importantly, I really enjoy working here because, regardless of our job titles, everyone on the team is wonderful.
Ree Choi, Restore Business Team [월간 AC] 리스토어 비즈니스팀 최리님 34_03
Ree Choi, Restore Business Team [월간 AC] 리스토어 비즈니스팀 최리님 m_34_03_00
Ree Choi, Restore Business Team [월간 AC] 리스토어 비즈니스팀 최리님 m_34_03_01
Ree Choi, Restore Business Team [월간 AC] 리스토어 비즈니스팀 최리님 m_34_03_02
‘Merable’ filming scene and team members. ⓒRestore Business Team
Q5. From a planner’s perspective, what makes for good design? I imagine it might be different from what a designer would say.
I think it’s ‘convenience.’ Because I see things from an operational point of view, beautiful things are great, but ultimately, a good design is one that is convenient for customers to use and not inconvenient for employees to manage. For example, we used to have mirrors placed low to the ground, near the feet. Aesthetically, it looked very chic and stylish. But our old uniform was a skirt, and if an employee bent down to get something from a low shelf, the mirror would reflect up their skirt. Of course, these are the kinds of things you learn through trial and error, but some designers are so thoughtful that they consider these small details from the very beginning. When I see that, I think, ‘That is good design. That is design that shows consideration for the user.’
Q6. This is my last question. I’m curious about your plans for the future. I always tell people I want to be the CEO.
In that case, I’ll be the Director. Starting my own business feels like too much of a burden, so if there’s a CEO, I’d rather be the one handling the practical operations (laughs). The second-in-command, who has real authority without all the risk? That sounds about right to me.
Still, I do want to try as many different things as I can. When I’m ready for my ‘next thing,’ I’ll need to have a variety of experiences to know what truly fits me. I want to experience as much as I can here, find what I’m good at and what I’m suited for, and develop real expertise in that area before I eventually leave the company.
Ree Choi, Restore Business Team [월간 AC] 리스토어 비즈니스팀 최리님 34_04 Ree Choi, Restore Business Team [월간 AC] 리스토어 비즈니스팀 최리님 m_34_04
Depicting the character of Choi, the director
who holds the real power to influence the CEO.
©Min Chae Hyun
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