During my study abroad experience in Seoul, South Korea, I documented my personal experiences and observations through photography, journaling, and illustration. I was drawn to the contrast between the city’s modern street art and graffiti and its traditional religious art and architecture. I used these visual elements alongside personal quotes and written reflections from my journal entries to capture the details that stood out to me while exploring an unfamiliar culture. Rather than simply documenting the places I visited, I wanted to reflect on how I experienced the city and the ways my perspective changed throughout the trip.
I brought these collected materials together in my chapter of Seoul Atlas, a collaborative publication created with my cohort. Through this process, I explored how photography, writing, and visual storytelling could communicate a personal experience of place. The project pushed me to be more intentional about what I notice and how I translate those observations into design, while helping me grow more confident in my voice as a designer.
Beyond the publication, my study abroad experience included collaborating with students from Korean universities, connecting with established designers, and visiting design studios to explore different creative processes and experiment with new mediums. I participated in workshops involving sculpture, screen printing, and other hands-on techniques. One of our final projects was a playlist visualizer inspired by our individual interests, allowing me to explore music and video storytelling in a different format.