We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Minji Kim a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Minji, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

One of the most meaningful projects I’ve undertaken is the creation of a shadowless light cover—an innovation driven by the principles of human-centered design and patented light-guide technology. Currently, I hold patents for this invention in the U.S., Korea, and China.

Shadowless lighting traditionally refers to lighting systems engineered to eliminate or significantly reduce shadows by diffusing illumination from multiple angles. Typically, these systems are found in specialized environments like surgical theaters, where precision and clarity are essential. However, conventional shadowless lamps often rely on complex arrangements of multiple light sources and large reflectors, resulting in high energy consumption, cumbersome designs, and significant production costs.

My design fundamentally reimagines this approach. Instead of multiplying the complexity, I developed a simplified solution: a precisely laser-engraved acrylic panel with a V-shaped grid pattern. This pattern directs and scatters the light from a single LED source, drastically reducing shadows and glare while maintaining compactness, energy efficiency, and accessibility—opening up applications far beyond medical environments.

This innovation was born out of observing everyday frustrations with conventional LED lighting, which, although efficient, frequently produces uncomfortable glare and inadequate diffusion. I realized that existing LED covers were either ineffective or aesthetically disappointing, prompting me to explore better ways to harness and distribute light.

As an industrial designer, I engaged in an iterative process of prototyping, testing, and refining. By adjusting variables such as engraving depth, spacing, transparency, and panel thickness, I achieved a solution that improved energy efficiency by approximately 37% and enhanced light uniformity (lux) by up to 60% compared to conventional LED lighting panels of the same power.

What makes this project deeply rewarding is its tangible impact. The shadowless light cover is now actively produced, distributed via Korea’s government procurement platform (G2B), and has been successfully installed in multiple educational institutions. It’s effectively improving the daily experiences of students and educators by providing clearer, more comfortable, and more sustainable lighting environments.

Ultimately, this project epitomizes the essence of good design—solving real-world problems through simplicity, clarity, and empathy, creating meaningful experiences that resonate deeply with people.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Minji Kim—I typically go by Mina—and I’m a user experience designer currently teaching part-time at Parsons School of Design (The New School) and Pratt Institute in Manhattan, New York, as well as teaching online master’s courses at the University of Rhode Island. My work is centered around enhancing user experiences by simplifying visual interactions and reducing cognitive load.

Throughout my career, I’ve recognized that great design is invisible—it eliminates complexity and clarifies function, resulting in intuitive and delightful user experiences. Effective user experience design isn’t merely about usability; it’s about deeply understanding human psychology, emotional needs, and practical requirements to create products and services that enrich people’s lives.

Meaningful design solutions, I believe, emerge from rigorous exploration and empathy-driven research into genuine human needs. Prioritizing clarity and simplicity ensures that resources—time, energy, and materials—are used responsibly, creating lasting value for both present and future generations.

From my perspective, user experience design is inherently interdisciplinary, harmonizing industrial design, digital interfaces, graphic design, and beyond. By embracing a holistic and systemic view, designers can see connections that might otherwise remain unnoticed, creating seamless and coherent experiences across multiple touchpoints.

A central principle of my work involves understanding visual cognition—the way users instinctively interpret, categorize, and interact with visual information. Our minds are built for effortless recognition and quick judgments. Recognizing this human tendency, my goal is always to create products and systems that communicate intuitively, eliminating confusion and enabling users to effortlessly navigate their interactions.

My professional practice is rooted in the philosophy that user experience design is not confined to any particular discipline but is a strategic approach applicable to all fields. Guided by the core principle of inclusivity—”no one left behind”—I carefully consider accessibility, sustainability, systemic impacts, and market realities, ensuring my solutions are both socially responsible and economically viable.

What distinguishes my approach most is my multidisciplinary foundation. By integrating my experience in industrial design, digital UI/UX design, graphic communication, and immersive interaction technologies (VR/AR), I provide innovative, user-centered solutions that resonate deeply with people and stand the test of real-world use.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

There are no shortcuts when facing real challenges, and inevitably there comes a time when resilience is required. I’ve experienced moments when it felt like I was backed into a corner with no way out, overwhelmed by fear and doubt. In those moments, true resilience meant confronting the situation directly. I realized that the only thing left to do was to face the problem head-on and continue doing what I knew I had to do.

The philosopher Spinoza once advised, “Keep planting your apple tree.” This idea resonated deeply with me, emphasizing the importance of having a personal philosophy or guiding principle to rely on, especially during difficult times. When you have clear directions and your own rules to live by, resilience becomes second nature—you simply follow the path you’ve already set. During tough times, clarity of purpose and values can protect us from confusion and guide us steadily forward.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

Being a “creative” is fundamentally about expressing ideas, messages, or concepts authentically and intentionally, rather than merely completing a task or meeting a basic requirement. Creativity isn’t just about reaching from point A to point B efficiently—it’s about the thoughtful, deliberate way the journey is undertaken, which often involves revisiting ideas repeatedly and iteratively refining them. To an outsider, these iterative processes might seem unnecessary or inefficient.

Creativity is also like a muscle—it requires regular practice, constant engagement, and continued development. Simply having creativity once does not guarantee sustained creative success.

In my experiences working with professionals who prioritize realistic value, such as those in business, mathematics, or computer science, I’ve noticed they sometimes struggle to fully grasp the creative process. Creatives invest deeply in the nuances of how an idea or message is delivered. The emphasis is always on intention, ensuring each interaction or “touchpoint” carries deliberate meaning.

This idea is central to my teaching approach at universities: I encourage students to deliver their ideas clearly and intentionally, then actively seek feedback to confirm whether the ideas resonated as intended. Though creativity occasionally yields unexpected and beneficial surprises, developing a deep understanding and mastery of intentional communication is crucial. This is why the practice of creativity involves much more than simply finding the fastest path from A to B—it’s about crafting meaningful connections every step of the way.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://minakim.art/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/minakim11/
• Other: https://www.idsa.org/awards-recognitions/member-spotlights/member-spotlight-mina-kim-idsa-receives-global-patents-for-novel-light-guide-plate-desk-lamp/

Image Credits

Image Credit: “Mina Kim-MID-02,03,05” by Park Jung Yoon, Film Director (Email: [email protected] | Instagram: @jyoon_421)