KOREAN AIR
2024
Brand Design
Creative Direction
Graphic Design
Strategy
COURSE
Capstone @ ACCD
INSTRUCTORS
Lauren Cantor
Susan Gornell
Gerardo Herrera
Charles Lin
Petrula Vrontrikis
In 2020, South Korea proposed a merger of their two largest airlines, Korean Air and Asiana Airlines—resulting in the former absorbing the latter to create one dominant flag-carrier. For my final Master’s capstone project, I refreshed their hypothetical post-merger brand strategy and design system. Building upon the exploding popularity of Korean culture, I focused on research-driven, culturally relevant design and the importance of attracting a younger global audience. The current economy flyers, but the future premium frequent flyers.
I believe that airlines have an incredible opportunity to represent their country and culture—something that not all brands can do. Why Korean Air? I love destination branding. I love cities, I love places, and I love the vessels that get us to places. And, of course, I’m Korean.
All third party images, text, and logos are property of the respective rightsholders and used here as part of a student presentation for demonstration purposes only.
The logo is the most important part of this identity. It melds modernity with elegance and seamlessly integrates the taegeuk, a concept derived from the Chinese yin and yang and the official symbol of South Korea’s national flag. It is also an ode to traditional Korean calligraphy. The typeface used and modified is Belda.
The monogram is used both as an icon and as a design element. It includes the taegeuk and the letter K’s wavy leg—a subtle to the phenomenon that is the Korean wave, or hallyu.
Goryeo celadon is the influence behind the brand’s original, iconic sky blue color. This rebrand’s new minty hue denotes more fluidity between green and blue, which is a better depiction of the national treasure in real life. This is a color that exudes radiant, restorative, and naturally cooling qualities. A gradient is spread across the livery design, evoking light’s dynamic movement on surfaces.
Korean roof paintings, also known as dancheong, function to cover design defects and prevent cracks in wooden buildings.
It inspired the brand’s cloud-like pattern—a design element often used for graphic borders and backgrounds or integrated into physical products.
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