Ki Charm John Kim
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About
I've designed durable goods ranging from mass market lighting fixtures to custom furniture pieces. As someone who is equally right and left brained, I'm invested in the whole process, from business development, price point, concept ideation, product development/refinement to marketing and merchandising. As much as I love blue-sky ideation, bringing it back down to real world parameters is equally as freeing.
People development is a key factor in what gives me satisfaction as a design executive. Working with junior designers and watching them develop needed confidence and skills as they discover their own autonomy and find their direction. I enjoy the process of growing a team of successful designers and reaching collective goals.
I love designing beautiful and functional things for the home. My strong suit is sculpture and I've shown ceramics sculpture as a side venture. As such, my approach to home hard goods design is sculptural - I'm constantly exploring material relationships, forms and proportions. -
Education
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Executive MBA Business AdministrationQuantic - School of Business & Technology2021 - 2022
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Bachelor of Fine Arts Industrial DesignRhode Island School of Design1998 - 2001
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transfer FurnitureOregon College of Art & Craft1996 - 1998handcrafted furniture focus and ceramics
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Experience
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Senior Product DesignerFlowery Branch, GAJan 2022 - Present (2 years 11 months)light fitting and accessory design for Capital Lightings three brands - Capital, Austin Allen & Home Place.
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Design DirectorLos Angeles, CAMay 2019 - Present (5 years 7 months)Freelance product design and launch of ceramic art studio selling wheel-thrown functional and decorative ceramics under K. Charm Design label. Market research revealed a gap between mass market and high-end ceramics. Positioned K. Charm Design as a small-batch ceramics company rooted in locale and with price points just below the high-aspiration customer. Management of in-house product development team.
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Senior Furniture DesignerBrown Jordan InternationalSimpsonville, KYMar 2018 - May 2019 (1 year 2 months)Provided leadership and oversight for outdoor furniture division. Designed mass market patio sets for customers such as The Home Depot, Lowe's Hardware, Sam's Club and Macy's. Researched functional styles and designs to create comfortable furniture and on-trend color palettes. Traveled overseas to China to work directly with factories and overseas team. Used color and material trend services (Worth Global Style Network) to focus color and market trends. Managed junior designer by developing color/mood boards for design parameters as well as feedback and guidance during design process.
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Senior DesignerK. Charm DesignCleveland, OHMar 2012 - Mar 2018 (6 years)free-lance and contract designer to create home decor, lighting and furniture pieces for private clients and corporate customers. Secured contracts for Movado desk accessories, Bombay Outdoors and Kichler lighting.
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Furniture/Lighting DesignerTherien & Studio WorkshopsLos Angeles, CAMay 2008 - Mar 2012 (3 years 10 months)Designed furniture and lighting for company's proprietary brand. Researched market trends and timeless concepts to develop contemporary and transitional pieces. Collaborated with local craftspeople and customers to create custom, high-end pieces. Identified client style and needs, sketched initial concepts, and revised throughout project process for quality finished product. * Utilized Rhino 3D and AutoCAD to render and create Kyrelos Chaise Lounge, upholstered furniture collection, and "Diagonale" furniture series.
( Additional experience as Lighting Designer for Troy & CSL Lighting and Product Designer for The Bombay Company.)
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Industries
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Skills
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Elsewhere on the Web
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On Coroflot@koreanjohn32, member since 2003
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Following 8
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Followers 22
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