No stranger to the creative industry, she’s had a number of notable freelance works under her belt and is now ready to make a name for herself with her very own venture.
Q: Could you share with us what led to your decision to start your very own design studio
A: Before starting my studio, I worked at a branding agency but only for, like, three months because I knew immediately that I just couldn’t work from 9 to 5 (actually, it’s 9 to 6 in Korea). What really gave me the confidence to go fully independent was that I had been working as a freelance graphic designer and illustrator for a while already.
Q: What do you like most about being a creative arts person in South Korea?
A: There are so many good designs around me! Korean people appreciate arts and design, and they are sensitive to trends. Living in Seoul is great because there’s something new every day and that part of Korea inspires me a lot.
Q: You use a lot of soft pastel colours in your work, giving them a sweet yet sophisticated look. How do you decide what colour scheme best suits aproject?
A: Choosing colour is my favorite part of every project. It’s so much fun and I like to experiment a lot. Even though there are certain palettes I instinctively use, I try to be more playful. For personal pieces, I am definitely more intuitive and spontaneous when it comes to choosing colours.
For client-based projects, I usually provide several colour schemes that I think will work, but I also ask for their opinions so a lot of my projects are actually collaborative. Of course, compared to personal works, there needs to be a lot more foundation research as well. But generally speaking, I would firstly think about which colour scheme will fit the personality of the project best and start from there.
I do a lot of colour studies for all of my projects. I take inspiration from accidental colour combinations I may find in my life and try to apply them to my own work as much as possible. I have an Instagram, under the username @juliette.kim, where I document my WIPs and colour inspirations I come across in my daily life.
Q: What elements do you think are important when creating a piece of work?
A: Form, colour, and balance.
Q: What is the creative arts scene like in South Korea?
A: Well, I’ve actually only lived in South Korea for about 1.5 years now as a creative person, so I am also still trying to experience more. But from what I’ve seen so far, I like how there are many opportunities available for new creatives to grow. There are many design/illustration fairs and shows where creative people can socialize and share their work with each other. I see people collaborate a lot, so I plan to participate more in these events in the future.
Q: Do you have any advice for those who would like to branch out and start their own design studio?
A: Don’t be afraid! You don’t need to have a fancy office or a big client to be independent. You can always start first and see how it goes. That’s what I am doing now. You could even have a job on the side during weekends to be financially safe. I was teaching students art and design when I started out to earn some extra income. There are also so many resources available online, like YouTube or interviews like this one, so you can always learn from the experience of others.
Good things are meant to be shared. 😉 To see more of Juliette Kim’s work, check out the links below!
Website: www.juli-ette.com
Behance: Juliette Kim
Facebook: Studio Juli-ette
Instagram: studio.juliette