The iF Design Award, organized by the German International Forum Design, announced this year’s winners and emphasized the importance of the power of creative design in overcoming the various challenges we face today. Design has always served as a metaphor that captures the spirit of the times and leads the way forward. Among this year’s award-winning designs that showcase creative design, Amorepacific was recognized for its Sulwhasoo Yoonjo Essence Limited Edition design, Laneige Neo Cushion packaging, Hanyul Iroon Campaign limited packaging, Primera Mindful Clean Beauty design packaging, Hera Age Away Collagenic packaging, and Iope Lab Tailored Solution service design.
Design / Sulwhasoo Creative Team
Design Director / Lee Ji Min
Designers / Seo Un Gyeong, (SAKI) Kwon Eun Jin
iF DESIGN AWARD 2021
Packaging Winner
Limited edition Yoonjo Essence by Sulwhasoo in collaboration with artist Saki. Except for the pure white moon jar shape, all other designs have been left blank and filled with Saki’s artwork to create a very special product.
Design Story
Yoonjo Essence, a product that embodies the heritage of Sulwhasoo, a leading luxury cosmetics brand, is now available in a limited edition through a collaboration with artist SAKI. It conveys the value created by the coexistence of tradition and modernity. SAKI is an artist recognized for breaking down the boundaries between materials and media through digital painting and collage. The collaboration was made possible through Sulwhasoo’s annual Art Challenge, a social contribution initiative that invites emerging artists to participate. Drawing inspiration from SAKI’s artwork, which reinterprets the traditional Korean architectural motif of Dancheong, the project aimed to present tradition with a youthful sensibility for modern consumers. The key challenge was how to harmoniously integrate the artist’s free-spirited artwork into the Yoonjo Essence product. The container was designed using the motif of a pure white moon jar, which embodies Korean aesthetic sensibility, and served as a canvas for SAKI’s artwork.
interview
What was the most rewarding part of the project?
It was fascinating to see how people customized the Yoonjo Essence packaging on social media. I also gained new inspiration from those creations.
Seo Un Gyeong
Amorepacific Sulwhasoo Creative Team Designer
Laneige Neo Cushion Packaging
Design / Laneige Creative Team
Designers (Amorepacific) / Jang Bo Won, Shin Min Kyung, Yoo Jung Joo, Sun Hwa Jung, Kim Jun Young, Jeon Mi Yeong (cloudandco), Yu Yeong Gyu, Oh Se Bin, Ock Na Ra
iF DESIGN AWARD 2021
Packaging Winner
Laneige Neo Cushion packaging. The fresh pastel colors reveal the brand’s unique and vibrant personality.
Design Story
Laneige’s Neo Cushion has been a hot topic since its launch, thanks to its minimalist design. In developing the new cushion foundation, Laneige focused on creating a product that would truly satisfy users, collaborating with design studio Cloud & Co. to deliver a packaging design that feels both fresh and distinctive. The Neo Cushion features a 360-degree borderless design with no defined front or back, offering a comfortable grip that fits naturally in the hand. To enhance usability, it minimizes the unnecessary embellishments commonly found in traditional cosmetic cases, focusing purely on form. Post-processing techniques such as printing and embossing were also omitted, making the packaging easier to recycle. Neo Cushion is a smart and thoughtful example of minimalist design.
interview
What was the most important aspect of the project?
The most important aspects were ensuring customer satisfaction through ease of use and conveying the essential characteristics of the product.
Shin Min Kyung
Amorepacific Laneige Creative Team Designer
Hanyul Iroon Campaign Limited Packaging
Design / Brand Creative Team 2
Design Director / In Jee Hyo
Designer / Kim Ji Won
iF DESIGN AWARD 2021
Packaging Winner
Hanyul Limited Package created as part of the “Good for You” campaign.
Design Story
Hanyul, a Korean naturalism brand that uses locally grown ingredients, has unveiled its sustainable packaging. Created as part of the Iroon campaign to preserve Korea’s natural environment, this eco-friendly packaging contains Hanyul Red Rice Essence Skin Solution, made from brown rice fermented twice over 15 days. The illustration of red rice, the main ingredient, and the envelope reminiscent of a rice sack evoke the Hanyul brand’s image and a refined sense of Korean beauty. True to the name of the Iroon campaign, the packaging is composed of environmentally conscious materials. The bio-PET container, which uses 26.5% plant-derived ingredients, helps reduce plastic consumption, while the uncolored transparent container enhances recyclability.
interview
What do you prioritize most when designing?
I focus on the brand’s pursuit of clean beauty values. I consciously consider every step, from planning to disposal.
Kim Ji Won
Amorepacific Brand Creative Team 2 Designer
IOPE Lab Tailored Solution Service Design
Design / Brand Creative Team 2
Design Director / In Jee Hyo
Designers / Kang Ra Mi, Cho Ah Ra, Lee Nam Ji, Lee Ju Hyun, Hwang Ju Young, Kim Rae Sol, Sun Hwa Jung
iF DESIGN AWARD 2021
Service Design Winner
Located in Myeong-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul, IOPE Lab is a space where you can experience tailored solutions.
Design Story
IOPE Lab is a space where professional researchers continuously study skin, materials, and technology, embodying the brand’s strategy of engaging with customers through experience. The third floor is dedicated to skin measurement and solution services, the second floor offers personalized product experiences, and the first floor is a retail space where customers can purchase solution-based products—all designed to create a seamless flow between services. The service journey, which smoothly connects skin diagnosis and consultation to product creation across different floors, is supported by intuitive design elements that guide consumer behavior. The brand reinforces its rational and authentic image by incorporating graphic motifs inspired by the square shapes of research notebooks and cover glasses used in experiments. This approach presents the brand’s research efforts as content in a way that is both consistent and scalable. This design strategy aims to strengthen IOPE’s identity as a trustworthy, research-driven, high-performance skincare brand.
interview
What do you consider most important when designing?
When transforming intangible services into products or visualizing them, it is crucial to create designs that intuitively guide consumer behavior.
In Jee Hyo
Amorepacific Brand Creative Team 2 Designer
Primera Mindful Clean Beauty Packaging
Design / Brand Creative Team 1
Designers / Kim Sung Eun, Koo Su Yeon, Kim Hee Jean, Kin Soo Jin
iF DESIGN AWARD 2021
Packaging Winner
Primera Mindful Clean Beauty Packaging that embodies the brand philosophy.
Design Story
Primera is a brand that pursues Mindful Clean Beauty, working to ensure that nature and people can coexist harmoniously. The renewed Primera Mindful Clean Beauty packaging goes beyond simply eliminating certain ingredients to meet “clean” standards—it represents the brand’s evolution into an active clean beauty advocate that communicates with society. This strategy seeks to maintain Primera’s unique identity while making the brand more intuitive and accessible to consumers. Product technology, ingredients, and benefits are clearly presented on the packaging and containers through clean, straightforward typography, reflecting the brand’s philosophy of transparency and honesty. The use of transparent containers, which allow the contents to be seen clearly, was a bold choice considering the typical design language of luxury cosmetics. However, this design ultimately enhances consumer trust in the product. The packaging is also well-suited for digital platforms, effectively showcasing the product’s features and supporting Primera’s growth as a global brand. Materials were selected with recycling in mind, and the removable adhesive labels include messages that encourage responsible recycling, prompting consumers to take meaningful action. Through this rebranding that sincerely reflects its core values, Primera has successfully strengthened its image as a trustworthy and forward-thinking brand.
interview
What do you consider most important when designing?
When creating a product from an intangible service or visualizing it, it is important to design in a way that intuitively guides consumer behavior.
Kim Sung Eun
Amorepacific Brand Creative Team 1 Designer
Primera Mindful Clean Beauty Packaging that embodies the brand philosophy.
Hera Age Away Collagenic Packaging
Design / Brand Creative Team 1
Designers / Lee Ye Seul, Lee Eun Jung, Lee Hye Jin
iF DESIGN AWARD 2021
Packaging Winner
Primera Mindful Clean Beauty Packaging that embodies the brand philosophy.
Design Story
Hera is a brand that has defined and shaped the latest beauty trends, sharing the beauty and values of Korean women with the world for the past 25 years. Hera Age Away Collagenic is the brand’s anti-aging product designed for Generation X, featuring packaging that incorporates imagery of the city of Seoul. Positioning itself as a “luxury contemporary Seoul beauty brand,” Hera draws inspiration from the city’s multifaceted charm. The circular and square forms of the container, along with its clean, modern lines, reflect Seoul’s architectural structure and the confidence of Seoul women. The serum and cream products are designed with a refillable system, continuing the legacy of Hera’s first-generation refillable containers. By rotating the shoulder of the container, users can easily separate the outer and refill containers, enabling convenient reuse by replacing only the refill portion. This design both honors Hera’s 25-year heritage and embodies a modern, forward-thinking aesthetic. The eco-friendly approach demonstrates the brand’s commitment to sustainability and staying relevant in a changing world.
interview
What was the most rewarding part of the project?
Through the refill structure, we were able to preserve Hera’s 25-year heritage and establish a skincare design identity that embodies Hera’s unique design language.
