Yoo-Kyung Han (Korina) Korina’s Design Thinking

According to Jeannie Choe Techno-hype and cutting-edge breakthroughs—from USB-powered novelty devices to touch-screen mobile phones—are permeating our culture, and London-based experimental design studio Random internation’s unorthodox utilization of new technologies is the driving force behind their success and iconoclastic charm.

During their studies at RCA, the group began to research and develop a system that would “allow for creative and flexible fast-response printing on a great number of different surfaces.” Random’s claim to fame was sealed with PixelRoller, a multi-faceted project that marries digital printing with your average house paint roller to offer picture-perfect, customizable painted surfaces. This unique fusion of digital and analog “offers the flexibility of manual printing with accurate reproduction of digital information on any surface, allowing the user to influence the output in real time.”

Although Pixelroller itself is a major breakthrough, the team wished to push the concept even further, developing Pixelography and Instant Labeling/Pixel Tape. Pixelography uses a Light Roller and photographic paper as opposed to paint, exposing the digitally assigned areas to light within a dark chamber to yield a permanent print. Pixel Tape and Instant Labeling Tape are mass-produced, readily available products that allow the user to reproduce digital text by way of a familiar manual process.

The three pass on their legacy by preparing the next generation to apply the new novel tech that awaits at their fingertips.

“School is about learning how to learn. That shouldn’t end once you get a diploma. The challenge is to find an environment where you can continue to feed yourself creatively, that stimulates your curiosities and challenges your intellect. This is a lifelong process.”