Design Director

Ki Charm John Kim

Atlanta, GA

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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
- Executive MBA Business Administration
  
  Quantic - School of Business & Technology
  
  2021 - Currently Enrolled
- Bachelor of Fine Arts Industrial Design
  
  Rhode Island School of Design
  
  1998 - 2001
- transfer Furniture
  
  Oregon College of Art & Craft
  
  1996 - 1998
  
  handcrafted furniture focus and ceramics
Experience
- Design Director
  
  K. Charm Design
  
  Los Angeles, CA
  
  May 2019 - Present (3 years 2 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.
- Senior Furniture Designer
  
  Brown Jordan International
  
  Simpsonville, KY
  
  Mar 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.
- Senior Designer
  
  K. Charm Design
  
  Cleveland, OH
  
  Mar 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.
- Furniture/Lighting Designer
  
  Therien & Studio Workshops
  
  Los Angeles, CA
  
  May 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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Elsewhere on the Web
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On Coroflot

@koreanjohn32, member since 2003
- Following 8
- Followers 21

Custom High-end Furniture / Lighting

Custom High-end Furniture / Lighting from Ki Charm John...

Custom High-end Furniture / Lighting

designed custom pieces as well as furniture collections

Custom Rosewood and polished Nickel Desk - veneered rosewood with polished nickel base; pencil drawer

Custom Wall-Hung Credenza - 72w x 24d x 27h; hung 7" off wall
hardwood construction with rosewood veneer on case; drawer faces: lacquered gold with compressed mica; simple, linear polished nickel pulls; closed-pore, high-sheen, clear lacquer finish; rosewood tone.

AutoCAD and Rhino 3D Rendering - Kyrelos Chaise Lounge for Therien Studio Workshops 2010

Kyrelos Chaise Lounge Chair - bronze and wood upholstered chaise lounge chair for Therien Studio Workshops 2010

Upholstered Outdoor Furniture - Upholsterered outdoor seating; Neoclassical details; bronze painted finish

developed a cocktail table for Therien based on a JM Frank design.

"Diagonale" Series for Therien Studio Workshops

Uphostered Furniture Collection - SOFA: double, camel-backed upholstered sofa with full skirt; rolled back, button details and fringed pillows
LOUNGE CHAIR and TET-A-TET

Contract Furniture Design - Jofco Vanguard - won a Best of Neocon Award 2002; modular furniture system for Jofco's Vanguard casegood line. Concept is based on an extruded aluminum frame on which panels and modular functionality allows for a wide range of styles; 2002

Product development for decorative ADA sconce based on jewelry; worked directly with manufacturer to develop diffusers that appeared to be rock crystal

Custom High-end Furniture / Lighting

designed custom pieces as well as furniture collections

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Freelance, Full-time, Moonlighting

Ki Charm John...

Design Director Atlanta, GA