The Work That Made Me: Jiin Choi
Jiin Choi is a designer at Wolff Olins, based in New York. She is passionate about delivering her perspectives of the world to the world, and enjoys taking philosophical approaches to create solutions for brand challenges. Jiin has previously worked for agencies including Koto and &Walsh.
LBB> The ad/music video/game/web platform that stays with me / made me want to get into the industry…
Jiin> Even before I fully understood what design was, I was always drawn to the f(x) 에프엑스 "Pink Tape" The 2nd Album Art Film music video.
Growing up in Korea I was surrounded by K-pop, and I was hooked not just by the music, but also by the visuals that accompanied it – the way the artwork and visuals seamlessly complemented the music always fascinated me, and the way each group’s branded identity unfolded with every album expanding their unique universe through storytelling and design excited me.
It was always a joy to dive deeper into those creative worlds. When I began studying design, I realised that my childhood fascination had already shaped the kind of work I’m passionate about today.
LBB> The creative work that I keep revisiting…
Jiin> 'La La Land' directed by Damien Chazelle is an inspiration piece I keep revisiting. The beautiful use of colour and dreamlike yet vibrant cinematography never fails to spark fresh ideas for me.
LBB> My first professional project…
Jiin> My first professional project involved designing a bunch of thumbnail images for an in-house tech company. During the experience I learnt how to design consistent and cohesive assets for a bigger brand, while still finding ways to incorporate sparks of creativity.
LBB> The piece of work that still makes me jealous…
Jiin> I really admire the work of The Designers Republic. The designs are unexpected yet clever, chaotic yet beautiful, quirky yet refined. I’m drawn to that balance of contrasts and it’s something I aim to explore in my own design work—finding that sweet spot between two seemingly opposite ends of the spectrum.
LBB> The creative project that changed my career…
Jiin> After graduating from art school, I got involved in the project: 'De-extinction'. This experience really deepened my interest in branding, and I was fascinated by how visual concepts and logics to make a brand better can come together and transform into a whole identity system.
One of the most memorable parts of the project was how much fun the team had exploring during the creative process. I’ll always remember the week we all gathered around the table with brushes, ink, and large sheets of paper, sketching and painting to find the perfect dinosaur and paint brush texture. It was a hands-on, collaborative experience that stuck with me.
LBB> The work that I’m proudest of…
Jiin> I had the opportunity to work with CMD+JAZMINE to art direct the photography for the 'As A...' album, and design the identity for the album release party. It was a truly collaborative and creative process, and I thoroughly enjoyed every part of it.
One of the highlights was hearing the artist’s personal story and translating that into visual concepts. Bringing that narrative to life through photography and design was an exciting challenge, and it was such a rewarding experience to work so closely with the artist to create something so authentic.
LBB> The recent project I was involved in that excited me the most…
Jiin> I recently worked on a brand identity project for Blink, the security camera product. This was the first major project I worked on that was closely tied to a physical product, so it was a new challenge to think about how our design would live in the tangible experience. The delightful yet technical logo was a joy to work on. I'm thrilled that it’s out in the world and customers are experiencing the new design first-hand.
