jeesoo kim

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I started my career as an illustrator because I found the unique beauty in the intersection of art and design.
To me, art brings visual joy, while design has the power to improve lives—and the balance between the two is where I feel most inspired.

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While studying illustration as an undergraduate, one of the most important lessons I learned was that it’s not enough to simply make something beautiful. My professors often reminded me that helping people understand your message is more valuable than just impressing them. That insight has stayed with me ever since.

Today, my work always begins with a question: How can I communicate something clearly, visually, and meaningfully?

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Since high school, I’ve volunteered in a range of organizations—from hospitals and women’s shelters to food banks, homeless meal programs, and disability service centers.

These experiences gave me more than just compassion; they taught me to listen, to observe, and to consider lives different from my own. They also made me believe that design can be more than functional—it can be human. It can connect, include, and empower.

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There’s a Korean proverb that says, “It’s better to see something once than to hear about it a hundred times.”
As a visual communicator, I truly believe in that. Images have the power to cross language and culture, and thoughtful design can meet people where they are—regardless of their background, ability, or access. That’s the kind of design I strive to create: inclusive, intentional, and grounded in empathy.