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A white card with the black typographic letters “hjk” rests among dark green leaves and red roses. The image is a diptych showing the card in a close-up and a wider shot.

Hyojin Kim is a designer with a passion for blurring boundaries

“There is no limit to putting meaning in letters”: The Seoul-based designer tells us why she refuses to restrict herself to any specific strand of design.

Hyojin Kim is a creative who revels in being rebellious. By refusing to restrict herself to any specific strand of design, she instead loves “blending tastes” and “crossing boundaries” throughout her eclectic practice. First countering graphic design while studying at Sejong University, Hyojin now works at a design agency, creating identities for companies and brands.

Hyojin also maintains a freelance practice, throughout which she expresses her penchant for typography: “I think there is no limit to putting meaning in letters,” she tells It's Nice That. A recent project saw Hyojin working on an identity for Barigate, an “industrial-themed” cafe specialising in baguettes. Featuring a heavy, block typeface while paying homage to the sandwich, Hyojin cleverly nestled the shape of a baguette within the holes of the logo. Moreover, earlier this year Hyojin gave her personal website a refresh using a type that wobbles as if it's underwater, and a flower motif to reflect that “my job is to help my clients grow their business”. Approaching each design with a unique perspective, and the flexibility to be led in any direction, Hyojin is a designer that any project would benefit from.

GalleryHyojin Kim: hjk identity, web design and photography (Copyright © Hyojin Kim, 2022)

A digital collage featuring distorted, grey silhouettes of faces against a black background. Red and pink floral shapes and green stems are layered over the figures. In the top left, a logo reads “hjk”, with navigation links for “Work”, “Info”, “Behance” and “Insta” across the top.
A screenshot of a website with a black background and white text. Large, stylised serif typography in the centre reads “make it blossom”.

GalleryHyojin Kim: Barigate identity and photography (Copyright © Barigate, 2022)

White rectangular stickers with the word “Barigate” in bold black type are scattered across a white table and a bright orange chair. Some stickers are neatly placed, while others are overlapped or tilted.
A two-part graphic explaining the visual evolution of a brand. The left side shows a three-step process moving from “Baguettes” to “Baguettes & Coffee” and finally “Industrial style”. The right side shows a large black letter “B” surrounded by orange baguette illustrations on a grey grid background, titled “Baguettes in Typeface”.
Two images from a cafe. The first shows a small table and orange chairs against a wall covered in orange and black caution-style tape reading “Barigato”. The second shows tall stacks of paper cups featuring the same orange and black “Barigato” branding.
A plate of crusty baguette sandwiches and a small bowl of green olives sit on a green table. Beside them is a glass of iced coffee with a swirl of green matcha on top.
Stacks of white paper cups are printed with orange and black hazard stripes. The word “BARRICADE” is written across the cups in bold, orange lettering.
A colourful book cover rests among the long, green leaves of a palm plant. The cover features abstract red, green and blue shapes with the words “I WAS NOTHING” and “WE ARE NOTHING” in a serif typeface.
Above

Hyojin Kim: We are nothing artwork (Copyright © Hyojin Kim, 2020)

A print featuring fluid, 3D red shapes that resemble distorted lettering over a blue sky with white clouds. The artwork rests on a silver metal grid.
Above

Hyojin Kim: You are free artwork (Copyright © Hyojin Kim, 2021)

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Hyojin Kim: hjk identity, web design and photography (Copyright © Hyojin Kim, 2022)

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About the Author

Olivia Hingley

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Olivia (she/her) is associate editor of the website, overseeing the day-to-day editorial projects as well as Nicer Tuesdays events. She joined the It’s Nice That team in 2021. ofh@itsnicethat.com

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