Seoul unveils branding for 2027 World Design Congress

The Seoul Design Foundation has unveiled a new brand identity and officially launched a website for the World Design Congress 2027 Seoul, an international event that the city will co-host with the World Design Organization (WDO) from September 22-25, 2027, at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP). This congress, which unites designers, cities, businesses, and citizens to discuss the role of design in tackling issues like climate change and rapid technological advancements, will commemorate the 70th anniversary of WDO's founding.

Based in Geneva, the WDO is a global professional organization for industrial design that has previously hosted congresses in cities such as Gwangju in 2017.

The congress' slogan, "Think. Make. Change," aims to move beyond merely discussing design problems and instead focus on creating tangible solutions with measurable impacts, according to organizers. The brand identity was crafted by the Seoul-based graphic design studio Everyday Practice, whose emblem merges four distinct shapes into a unified visual language. The color scheme reflects Seoul's urban landscape, incorporating its green spaces and the Han River.